On Blood Road (a Vietnam War novel) 12+

About this book

The last place on earth Taylor Sorenson wants to be is in Saigon in the middle of the Vietnam War. His mom dragged him here to visit his dad, who's stationed at the US embassy, and Taylor is bored out of his skull. One night, during an embassy dinner, he decides to sneak out to see the Tet celebrations in the city. But before he makes it very far, fighting erupts across all of South Vietnam--and Taylor is captured by the North Vietnamese Army.
Realizing he could be an important bargaining chip, the NVA decides to move Taylor to the North. The only way there is the Ho Chi Ming Trail, a series of dangerous paths that snake from South Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia before finally reaching North Vietnam. But thousands have died on the trail, and Taylor doesn't know what's waiting for him at the end.
What follows is a harrowing journey during one of the most controversial wars in US history, where one boy is forced to confront the true cost of war, and what it really means to survive.

Reviews

Praise for Steve Watkins
Great Falls
"Watkins treatment of the troubled Jeremy is unsparingly honest yet deeply compassionate, and his fast-paced, suspenseful story is a searing indictment of war and its impact on those who are trying to do a job in the face of unforgiving tragedy." --Booklist
"A gripping, moving, disturbing tale of homecoming." --Kirkus
"Watkins s portrayal of Shane as a real, flawed teenager who has few answers and little power to change the world beyond small acts of love and concern takes the book far beyond the clich s of the PTSD veteran genre. It also makes it that much more heartbreaking." --VOYA

What Comes After
"A haunting story of loyalty, regret, and the fervent hope for second chances." --Booklist
"Watkins displays his expertise as he creates a heroine who is broken and yet refuses to stay down." --Kirkus