Four-Four-Two

Solid writing, and a likeable main character. I particularly loved the battle details, the way deaths weren't glossed over but each loss got a moment, and the gross but realistic descriptions of stuff like trench foot. It's a good choice for those reasons, but I think it's an even better choice for the depiction of racism and the darkness of what America did to it's own citizens during WWII. I bumped it up a star rating just for being the right book at the right time.

I recall learning about internment camps in high school, but I only remembered the broadest strokes. For a fictional story, this book did a great job conveying day to day details not just of being imprisoned stateside, but of one way someone might face overt and pervasive show more racism. Historical fiction isn't my favorite genre, partly because I'd rather just read non-fiction. But I think the preface and the author's note had some great resources and more details (including photos), and the story did a good job getting me to want to read more.

Give this to your teens who like military stuff, WWII stories, and books about male friendship. Also, give it to all the other teens too, because with the current political climate and hate crimes rising it would make for an excellent discussion. Pair it with the soundtrack to George Takei's recent musical Allegiance and a conversation about what our next administration may be planning for more American citizens: http://www.snopes.com/2016/11/17/trump-transition-muslim-registry/ show less

This is the story of an 18-year-old farm boy named Yuki Nakahara from a Japanese family. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese-American families from certain areas were sent off to internment camps, and Yuki and his family were among them. He considered himself an American through-and-through, and had never even been to Japan in his life, but he was regarded with much suspicion by the masses because of his race. He felt that he needed to "prove himself an American", and enlisted in the army with his best friend Shig, his head full of the glamour of war and big with ideas of himself. They were put in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (called the "4-4-2" by those in it who spoke Pidgin English), a regiment made entirely of show more segregated Japanese-Americans. This regiment was at first not thought "good enough" to fight alongside of white people, but the soldiers soon proved themselves better than most, by taking huge risks nobody else took. When the higher-ups saw this, they made the 4-4-2 the "throw-away" group, sending them out on impossible missions that nobody in their right mind would want to be a part of.
But besides being a war story, this is also a coming-of-age tale, with the boyish Yuki being forced to be a man. It is also a bit of a romance, as he writes home to the girl he left behind, the girl he'd marry... if he survived.
This is the absolute best audiobook I have ever listened to! I love it. The story is terrific, and the narrator (Kirby Heyborne) delivers it in such a powerful, heart-felt way. Heyborne really throws himself into each and every part, shouting when they shout, whispering when they whisper, being out of breath when they are, talking in girl's voices for the girls, and speaking accents (not always very good ones, but kudos for trying!) ranging from German, to Japanese, to Southern, to New York, to Hawaiian Pidgin English. Without the use of sound effects, you can hear and feel the grenades exploding and the guns firing, just from Heyborne's passionate voice. show less

Four-Four-Two by Dean Hughes brings to life a time in history that isn't often featured in young adult literature. While World War 2 books are very common, this one focuses on the experience of Japanese Americans, specifically the young soldiers who fought for America during the war. Yuki and his friend Shig join the army after being forced into an internment camp early in the book. They are assigned to the 442, a regiment made up entirely of Japanese Americans. The story of their wartime experience is well told, not hiding the brutality of war from the reader. The author's thorough research of the time period and population featured in the novel is evident as he shares quite a bit of detail about the 442 and the soldiers. I listened to show more this book and the narrator did a commendable job, it was very easy to listen to. This is a great addition to the historical fiction section of any bookstore or library. I received a free copy of the audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review through the Early Reviewers program. show less

It may not be a literary masterpiece but Dean Hughes’ newest young adult novel tells a story that bears repeating again and again. The men of the 442nd Regimental Combat team, made up almost entirely of soldiers of Japanese ancestry, fought heroically against the Germans in World War II. They became the most decorated unit in the history of American warfare, earning, among other things, twenty-one Medals of Honor and eight Presidential Unit Citations. 9,486 Purple Hearts were awarded to the 14,000 soldiers who served in the unit. The unit’s Combat Casualty Rate was an unimaginable 314 percent.

Hughes tells the story of the 4-4-2, as its soldiers called it, through the eyes of two friends, Yuki and Shig who, leaving their families show more behind in internment camps, enlisted in the Army to show their country that they were as much loyal Americans as anyone. They were soon shipped off to Europe to fight the Germans (the Nisei troops were never trusted to fight the Japanese). As they fought their way up the Italian Peninsula, through France and into Germany their encounters with the enemy became more frequent and also more deadly. Early on in the war I felt that the story was a little too pristine to be a convincing account of men at war. It seemed to lack the gritty, life-is-nasty-brutish-and-short sense that one expects when all traces of humanity is stripped away. But Hughes does do an excellent job of describing the hardships encountered by the soldiers and as the war progresses it becomes apparent how much of a toll the constant exposure to cold, exhaustion and brutality is taking on them.

Bottom line: I was concerned that the author would miss the mark in telling the story of this unit by either portraying their tale as something glorious and heroic, giving young readers a false impression of war, or he would underplay the immense suffering and sacrifice endured by these men who had to fight harder than anyone else just to be considered as Americans. There is an inscription on a monument in Arlington Cemetery that, while not referring to the men of the 4-4-2, beautifully captures their sense of dedication.

Not for fame or reward, Not for place or for rank
Not lured by ambition or goaded by necessity
But in simple obedience to duty as they understood it
These men suffered all, sacrificed all, dared all-and died.

The review copy of Four-Four-Two that I received was an audiobook read by Kirby Heyborne, (Al Capone Does My Shirts, Hollow City). As always, Heyborne does an excellent job of portraying a young narrator.

* The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher and LibraryThing in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire. show less

This is a historical fiction novel about World War II and the 442nd Battalion.

In February of 1942, all Japanese-Americans living on the west coast were relocated to internment camps because they were assumed to be loyal to Japan. They were called Japs, a derogative term for Japanese. First generation Japanese were not even allowed to be citizens. Second generation Japanese were American citizens but treated badly. Like other Americans, they wanted to fight in the war, defending America. They were only allowed to fight in Europe because it was assumed they would fight for the Japanese if sent to the Pacific. This novel is a fictionalized account of what it was like to serve in Europe as a Japanese-American.

Yuki and Shig are best friends, show more belonging in the same camp when they decide to enlist in order to fight for America and show that the Japanese are loyal to America. They are stationed in Italy. They quickly learn that fighting is not as they imagined. They wanted to come home with medals and brag about what they did. Now they know that it’s not glorious or something to brag about. War is scary with death next to each person. Their group, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, become the most famous in the war. They could accomplish what no one group could, however, it cost them many lives.

I found this novel a very true representation of war. It’s not beautiful: “It’s the worst thing human beings have thought up.” The visions of the past make the future difficult to see. The novel is also appropriate for middle school to show that violence and war are not something to brag about or wish for. It brought tears to my eyes because this is real violence, not fake that we read in novels, as this is a true historical account with fictional characters. It’s also a look at prejudice, being judged by your family. It’s a 2018 Lone Star selection and deserves to be so honored. show less

Well done fictional memoir about the men of a highly decorated WW2 infantry combat team. Highlights the injustice of the US actions against Japanese American citizens and how their young men responded. Hughes crates an interesting story of two of these enlistees who join, tain and go to wear succeed in bringing honor to there families. Nicely narrated to sustain pace and flow of this small but needed bit of our history.

As a young adult Yuki attends high school and helps out with his family farm in California. WWII fears and government policy force Yuki and his family to an interment camp in Utah. His father is unjustly placed in prison. When he becomes an adult, Yuki volunteers to fight, against his father's wishes. Yuki trains and fights with Regiment 442, a segregated group of Japanese American soldiers that faces war in Europe. Yuki is driven by honor, duty, and his comrades, as well as a strong desire to prove himself to white Americans. This realistic historical novel explores motivations, friendship, the norms of war.