3,75 stars

I liked the overall plot of "Open Fire" and I really liked the main character as well, but I think the writing could have been a little more immersive and there could have been more in-depth character development.

This book was absolutely riveting. We need more historical fiction like this! Set in Russia during WWI and after, it tells the tale of a girl who enlists in the army (I think Russia was always forward thinking when it came to women soldiers - Lyudmila Pavlichenko anyone?) Anyways, I really enjoyed this - my only beef was with the formatting, there was definitely some problems there, but I LOVED this story and recommend it to anyone who likes strong heroines in their fiction. SEQUEL PLEASE

This young adult novel centers on World War I Russia where 17 year old Katya works at a munitions plant to help with the war effort. When Katya hears about an all-female army battalion she enlists and is soon confronted with the horror of war on the battlefield. Katya is a politically motivated young woman who begins questioning her politics and what it means to be a citizen and an activist to better her country. The prose is resonant and will leave you wanting for more. Female solidarity is a major theme here, as is family, and even though readers may struggle to relate to early 20th century Russia, we can all relate to how one fits within society and the importance of friendship.

Wow, is all I have words to say about this book! This is a historical fiction book that completely took me by surprise. During the course of this novel you travel through time with a 17 year old girl during the period around 1917. I quickly fell in love with each of these characters and I recommend this book to anyone. If you love historical fiction and love a good heart tugging novel this is the one for you! I recommend this book to lovers of The Book Thief any day of the week!

Ms. Lough was able to create a realistic character in Katya, I really enjoyed how the author was able to take the themes of the book and write in a wonderful way.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review.

"Men are always afraid of women who have power."

I have read A LOT of books about or surrounding the Russian Revolution but THIS book was a breath of fresh air! A good majority of historical fiction about the revolution is just that, strictly about the revolution. Now I'm not saying that authors don't put their own little spins, and different POV's in them, but they all center around the same events and it gets repetitive sometimes. However Amber Lough has given us the revolution from the view of a FEMALE soldier battalion. FINALLY! I honestly don't understand how this has been passed up by YA authors especially.

We follow Katya and her friend Masha from the factories to boot camp, to the front lines. Katya comes from a family of soldiers. She is better off than most people at this time, however she believes strongly in helping with the war. Her father is staunchly statist, while many people around Katya follow the Bolsheviks. Masha drags Katya along to an assembly about forming a women's battalion, and after a rousing speech given by the leader, Bochkareva, the girls join the Women's Battalion of Death. This was created in the hopes of bolstering the men and getting them to stay and fight.

This is a view point we rarely see in historical fiction, and yet there were so many women, and all female squads in the Russian army that it is sad that they're so overlooked in history. This ended up being so much more about female camaraderie, strength, and loss with the background being the revolution. I really enjoyed the characters and the friendships that developed. I loved the little chapter headers, which were snippets of Katya's father telling her the story of Saint Olga (who was a badass and possibly slightly insane). The only thing that I really didn't understand, and honestly felt disjointed was Sergei. He was an acquaintance of Katya's from school, who is a strong Bolshevik supporter. He tries to get Katya to spy for them, which lasts for maybe a couple random paragraphs. He is then seen seeing her off to the front. We then see him in the last couple pages, and I think he's maybe supposed to be a slight love interest??? Friend?? I honestly have no clue. He ends up being so irrelevant to the story I genuinely don't know why he's even here.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I love that someone took the time to research and write a story about these badass women. If you like this time period or are just a fan of historical fiction, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This book was The Flight Girls but in Russia in 1917. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect at first because my most recent read during this time period was a flop. However this book was AMAZING. It was all about women fighting for what’s right despite what men think. The way the author wrote it anyone could relate to the story.

I’m gonna be honest with you guys. I requested this book for the cover. It is creepy as hell and I kind of love it!

I was excited to see this was a historical fiction. I’ve read a lot of historical fiction based in Paris during WW2. A LOT. I have never read one based in Russia during WW1, so that was a very pleasant surprise.

Katya’s father has been in the Russian military forever. He aligns with the Tsars and supports them. Katya does, too. Then one day she gets pulled to a rally with her friend. Katya ends up joining an all-woman regiment for a war she’s not even sure she agrees with.

What I loved most about this book were the female friendships. The girls in the battalion had to stick together to survive – literally. Not all of them make it out of the war alive, and you can tell how much it pains the ones who do. They have become closer than sisters and always have each other’s backs.

I also loved that it was set in Russia during WW1! Like I said, I have never read a book with that setting. I loved learning about the all-female battalion and it led me to research more!

The only thing that kept me from a 4 star rating was the pacing. Parts of it were packed with action, and parts seemed to move super slowly. It’s not a long book, so I wasn’t expecting parts quite that slow.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book that taught me things! I love books that make me thing and encourage me to learn more!

Thank you to Netgalley and Carolrhoda Lab for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

This was really new to me. I had no idea there were female Russian soldiers during their revolution. Due, I am sure, to the mystery surrounding Tsar Nicholas and his daughter's potential survival, the time around the Bolshevik rise is a persistent curiosity, but this adds a great extra layer to the riddles of history.

Usually when we think of 1917 Russia, one thing comes to mind: Anastasia. But no worries, Open Fire is here to remind you that there was a whole heck of a lot more going on in early twentieth century Russia! I mean, I had heard of Bolsheviks, but did I know what one was? Not particularly. I knew some people were no longer fans of the Tsardom (obviously) but not the ins and outs, nor the country's involvement in WWI. This book not only is quite informative in nature, but emotive as well. Let's chat about it!

What I Liked:

• Like I said, it's wonderfully historical. Yes, I found myself down a few Wikipedia rabbit holes. No, I have no regrets. Not only was the author awesome at the facts, but she did an incredible job of making me feel like I was in Russia of yore.

• Friendship is so freaking huge. This is a book in which the friendship gives you all the feels. I genuinely can't recall the last time I loved a friendship in a book so much. And while I will get to this more in my next point, the women in this story fight (often literally) so hard for each other, it was not only emotional but inspirational.

• Female power. The women in this book are not going to sit back and let the war happen without them. Nope, they're going to just go fight it themselves. And look, these are not career soldiers. These are your average, every day women- factory workers, students, mothers, and the fact that they are willing to train and fight and die for their cause is just mind-blowing, especially in a society that frankly finds them dispensable.

• Family is a big deal too. Whether it be positive, negative, or somewhere in the middle, we learn so much about not just Katya's family, but of her friends' family lives. Which just shines an even greater light on their lives and what drives them.

What I Didnt:

• Some of the military stuff got to be a bit overwhelming. Obviously I get that training is going to be a big deal, but there were a few points that it felt a bit draggy to me.

Bottom Line: Incredibly inspiring, with a stunning look into a period of time we don't usually get a glimpse of, this book tugged at my feels for sure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⅘ stars. This book was powerful. It’s a quick read that had me racing through it. I admire the author for writing this and bringing it to light. While it is fiction, a lot of the events happened. It starts out very strong, with a college age girl making grenades for WW2 in Russia. I admired her allegiance and beliefs and her willingness to stand up for them. When given the opportunity, she signs up for the first women’s army battalion.

I loved hearing about training and achieving so many triumphs unusual for women. I cheered right along with them. Then they are called to the front. Hearing what these women endured (even if it is fictional) was heart-wrenching but incredibly inspiring. Hearing the main character be proud of herself pulled at my heart strings.

A lot of the book had very little content. But the battle was gruesome and bloody. These women endured many hardships and trials while fighting. There is attempted rape, a few die and they are pushed to do the unthinkable. Grief is described expertly and it was easy to feel pangs of it right along with them. It was very powerful and inspiring and I’d recommend this to all history lovers or those who love strong female characters

I enjoyed this novel about a young woman in pre-Revolutionary Russia who joins up with the all-women's Battalion of Death in the First World War. Katya is the daughter of a dedicated Tsarist military leader, but working in an armaments factory, she becomes interested in the Bolshevik movement. She becomes an informant and decides to join the all-women's battalion as a way of proving herself to her father, herself, and her nation. Lough offers great details about the organization and training of women in this real-life battalion, but avoids much of the political context in which it functioned historically. Ultimately, readers are left wondering how Katya's political views will settle, and what will happen to her when the battalion's founder is executed and the battalion is disbanded after the establishment of the communist regime.

A great look into a piece of history so often overlooked because it involved women. I believe I'd learned about this before (albeit still much later in life than I'd have liked) but it was refreshing to read a novel set during this time when women were allowed to join the front and prove that they could be just as good, or even better than any man. A story simply told from hesitance to certainty in the span of just a short time. I really enjoyed Katya's story and was left feeling for her plights and proud of her accomplishments.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This novel, about one of the little known all-female Russian army battalions in WWI has a great premise and includes plenty of historical facts but it comes up short of being a compelling story. This is a particular shame for a YA book that ought to entertain and inform a young reader. If you don’t mind the sub-titles, the 2015 Russian movie, THE BATTALION, is a better introduction to the war and rise of Bolshevism..

I don’t know much about early female military groups, or even much about the Russian front in basically any wars because of how the US school system always frames history, so I jumped at the chance to read a YA book starring the first female Russian battalion. I loved getting to learn about Katya and her complex relationships, her family history gets teased out chapter by chapter as we learn about her mother, father, brother, and best friend Masha. Her disagreements and ultimate understanding with her brother was beautiful as they both navigate the consequences of war and current political upheaval. Weaving through Katya’s story is a beautiful bedtime story about Saint Olga, told to Katya by her father years before all of the events that take place. Characterizing her father and visualizing her attachment to this saint in particular was a great way to add layers and emotions to both Katya and her absentee father who is, during the events of the book, stationed indefinitely on Russia’s warfront. The writing was captivating and seemingly well researched. I certainly learned a lot, and was sitting on the edge of my seat when the battalion ends up on the front lines!

Some other reviews have mentioned that the book falls a bit flat, which I can understand from the perspective of a ‘climax’ but a believe that is essential, if not inherent, to a World War I novel. Yes, Katya trained extensively and didn’t accomplish much while on the battlefield; but that is what trench warfare was. It was a grueling, thankless, task of taking the opponent’s trenches that inevitably was lost again. It was an endless stalemate, and it’s hard to make trench warfare interesting. That all being said, I didn’t find this ending to necessarily be about the setting, and more about how Katya started off the book trying to figure out who she was and if she would be brave or a coward when facing down death, and she found her answer. I found the climax to be this sudden understanding of the self, and it was quite beautiful.

I couldn’t rate this a full 4 or 5 stars because it felt like too much was being squished into the story by adding Sergei as a character. I understand that historically a lot was going on with the start of the Bolshevik revolution during this time period, but I think this lost a bit of my focus. I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed it more if the Bolsheviks had been cut, or if their presence had been more fully developed.

I don't often read historical fiction. I'm more of a high fantasy or contemporary reader. But I really loved this book. Katya was a great main character. I have to admit that my knowledge of Russia in this time period was limited. So it was a nice refresher of what I'd learned in high school (and a nice expansion on that knowledge as well, why didn't they tell us there was a female death squad?!). I kind of wish the story had been longer, it was just such a quick read. And I had hoped for an epilogue because I wanted to know what became of Katya later in her life.

The premise of the book is undeniably intriguing: The year is 1907 and Katya, a young woman of seventeen, is living in Petrograd, Russia and doing her part for the war by working in a munitions factory. She comes from a family that has been loyal to the Tsar (her father is a soldier in the Imperial army) and she seemingly has had no cause to question the life she has been born into - until war upends everything and she suddenly finds herself a training as part of an all-female army battalion an about ready to experience the war closer than she ever could have dreamed.

This sounds like an amazing set up for a story and, based on the formation of actual female combat units in the wake of the February Revolution, a chance to unveil a mostly hidden part of the women's history in Russia. Yet, somehow, it all fell disappointingly short for me. Lough's writing is competent and trained, clearly, but lacks a kind of emotional connection to the subject that is desperately needed in this story. From the start, we get a lot of telling but little showing of what is going on in with Katya. For example, she walks out of work and joins a march/protest and there is no understanding of why she joined or any conflict she may feel about what is happening around her, despite the fact that she is acting in a way that may raise the concern of her family. This kind of remote narrative continues throughout the book, even at its most climactic, ultimately leading to a difficulty in feeling anything for the character and the dangers she encounters. The author gives a great historical account but falls short of providing an engaging story at the heart of it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good historical fiction book but this just didn't meet up to my expectations or standards. I was initially intrigued by this book because it delves into the Russian Revolution which is a nice break from all those WWI and WWII historical fictions I read so often. However after a few chapters of this book, it became more of a chore than anything to finish this book. The character development was not good, and I just couldn't personally connect with the characters. And that's a big thing! Personal connection is key to a good book and a bestselling book at that. The overall story was really predictable and I personally wouldn't recommend this book however someone else might love it. It's all about personal preference, right?

I have had the privilege of reading this book in successive drafts, and it has only gotten better.

Based on the story of the Women’s Battalion of Death in WWI Russia, it follows Katya, an officer’s daughter who volunteers for the regiment. Amber Lough, the author, is a veteran of the Iraq War and writes clear, compelling battle sequences as well as fleshing out the characters so that their travails break your heart. The friendship between Katya and her buddy Masha, as well as Katya’s relationship with her deserter brother Maxim, stands out as extremely well done, and the historical figure of the regiment’s leader and founder, Maria Bochkareva, becomes a compelling character as well. I had a few quibbles with some of the political setting in terms of the Russian Revolution (as usual, not enough screen-time for non-Bolshevik socialists), but the character of Sergei, a Bolshevik activist who wants Katya to desert for both personal and political reasons, was also very well done.

The ending and the last line broke my heart, as they should have.

I had issues with the book recommendations at the end–Richard Pipes wrote the single worst book on the revolution that I have had the misfortune of reading, and it is recommended here–but Lough’s research is strong. Katya’s political confusion is realistic for the era and her age, although I wasn’t quite sold on some of her contradictory actions.

I want a sequel very badly but also can’t bear the thought of these characters living through the brutal Russian Civil War, so I would say Lough did a great job in both telling a compelling story and attaching me to the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. "Open Fire" will be released on March 3rd, 2020. 

I really must be on a war novel kick right now: the last three books I read (this, "My Long List of Impossible Things," and "The Fountains of Silence" - review of that forthcoming) were all either about a war, or dealt with the aftermath of one. Sadly, "Open Fire" was probably my least favorite of that trilogy - but it still had a lot to offer. 

Summary 

In 1917, Russia is losing the war with Germany, soldiers are deserting in droves, and food shortages on the home front are pushing people to the brink of revolution. Seventeen-year-old Katya is politically conflicted, but she wants Russia to win the war. Working at a munitions factory seems like the most she can do to serve her country—until the government begins recruiting an all-female army battalion. Inspired, Katya enlists. Training with other brave women, she finds camaraderie and a deep sense of purpose. But when the women's battalion heads to the front, Katya has to confront the horrifying realities of war. Faced with heartbreak and disillusionment, she must reevaluate her commitment and decide where she stands.
Review

I have a thing for Russian history that I honestly cannot explain. Since Russian Revolution YA novels are rare birds indeed, I jumped at the chance to read this - and I was surprised to find, after not reading the description very carefully (I saw the word "Russia" and hit download on the spot), that it covered an aspect of the Revolution that I had no knowledge of. It was fascinating to read about the incredible grit that the women of the battalion around which the story centered displayed at a time when they were not given many chances to. I loved that it shone a light on a forgotten part of Russia's recent past, and it was a very educational portrait of the time. But...

I kinda didn't feel anything. 

Though I learned a lot, I never really felt much of an emotional connection to Katya or her comrades-in-arms. There was a sort of flatness to the story and characters that made it hard to feel for them, and though I wish I could say I had, I never really felt drawn into their world. That made it a little hard to "get into," and though I blew through it in a few hours, it wasn't really out of desire to know what happens next to beloved characters. I truly wish I could say otherwise because it's such an interesting story and sheds light on a historical episode that so few people know about, but ultimately it felt a little bit flat to me. The amount of research that clearly went into this was incredible and the time period and setting were incredibly well-drawn, but unfortunately, my final verdict still stands: educational, but bland. 

Rating: 3/5 Befuddled Emu