Battle of the Alamo: You Are There
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As a fourteen-year-old boy involved in the Texas Revolution, the reader makes decisions determining how the story leads up to the Battle of the Alamo.School Library JournalIn the first interactive novel, Thomas Benton, 14, runs away from his Arkansas home to fight in the Battle of the Alamo. Readers can choose various options regarding Thomas' adventures. The problem with the book is that several other battles and notables involved in the Texas Revolution are briefly referred to, some witnessed by Thomas and others that he hears about in his travels, and readers unfamiliar with Texas history will be overwhelmed. With a paucity of dialogue, an abundance of narration, and a flat portrayal of characters, this is a novel of very limited appeal. In 1870 San Antonio, Nancy O'Connell watches as her parents are massacred by Comanches, and then is taken captive with her brother Joey. Readers determine Nancy's actions, from escaping into the root cellar during the massacre to being recaptured by the murderous band and eventually coming to respect their culture. Some choices provide lengthy adventure, while others lead swiftly and realistically to the death of the heroine and other leading characters. Character development is not Milligan's strong point, and readers may regret that Nancy shows so little emotion. But her adventures are gripping, and the book painlessly informs readers about the Comanche culture and the nature of the warring between Indians and whites, especially the Texas Rangers. --Susan F. Marcus, Pollard Middle School, Needham, MA
