The determination of the militant Mr. Jackson allows Sutherland to place the characters at the epicenter of the skirmishes that took place along the St. Lawrence. The story is concerned with the phenomenon of friends and relatives placed in opposite sides of a war, rather than presenting a historical re-telling of the battles, as with Eric Walters' The Bully Boys or John Ibbotson's Jeremy's War 1812. These two novels are intended to introduce readers to actual historical figures: Walters' novel follows the wartime exploits of Lieutenant James Fitzgibbon, leader of the "Green Tigers," and Ibbotson's novel features a character who ends up as the batman to General Isaac Brock. Sutherland's novel, while following the battles that took place, follows the lives of the three teens as they are swept up by the war. The war brings different problems to their lives: separation from a loved one, the terror of hurting someone you care about, moral and ethical dilemmas pitting love against patriotism. Readers wishing to learn about the War of 1812 would be better sticking to one of the other books about the conflict. Sutherland's novel will attract teens looking for a strong story set against a historical backdrop rather than straight history. The male protagonists, coupled with the romantic subplot, make this a possible read for boys or girls.

Recommended.