Have you ever bought or borrowed a book and been super excited to read it just to find out it is stupid? Many people pick up a historical novel thinking it’s a good read; however, they are mistaken after just the first page. One excellent example is The Bombers’ Moon. This ridiculously dumb book is about sister and brother being sent off to school in attempt to be safe from the dangers of World War II. Anyone who is looking for a good read should avoid The Bombers’ Moon by Betty Vander Els because of its annoying main character, and lack of action; its only redeeming quality is the clear descriptions.

One reason to steer clear of this book is, the over dramatic and unappreciative main character. Ruth (the main character) cries often for the immature reasons. She had just lost her doll and the book states, “‘Yes,” I answered, trying not to cry. ‘I’m thinking about my doll.’ I pulled up the sheet and held a wad of it in my mouth,” (Vander 15). Ruth, who is around the age of ten, should not be whining about her doll when there are more important issues in the world at that time such as World War II. Another example is, when she under appreciated the generous donation of books she received. Times were tough and when she acquired the gift she replied by thinking, “I almost wished they’d sent us shoes like the last time,” (Vander 160). Instead of being appreciative like a normal child she complained about not getting what she wanted. Therefore, the main character in this story is one reason why this book should not be read.

Secondly, The Bombers’ Moon should not be read by anybody because there is very little action resulting in an uninteresting book. The book itself wasn’t very eventful, but when an inkling of suspense started to rise up the author resolved right away making it boring. For instance, Ruth’s younger brother, Simeon, got lost, and Ruth was frantically looking for him: “ Suddenly I heard a man talking in our dialect instead of Kunming Chiners, which was hard to understand. I jerked to a stop and stood on tiptoe, looking all around. A military truck rolled by, briefly blocking my view. ‘Stop! Mr. Baer, stop! I see Simeon!’ I yelled,” (Vander 77). Ruth quickly found her brother with almost no problem; once again Ruth’s solution was quick and easy. As a result of the poor suspense, this book is not worth anyone's time.

Lastly, the description was adequate, but it is not enough to convince the reader to not avoid the book. Throughout the story Betty Vander Els gives numerous vivid pictures of what the characters were going through. Simeon was climbing a tree when “[t]he cow lowered its head and charged straight at him. It caught his right arm with the tip of its horn, making a long red gash. But it hit its head against the tree trunk, mooed in pain, backed up, and lumbered off again toward its wooden water bucket,” (Vander 8). The author clearly painted an image making it easy for the reader to be drawn in. Although the reader gets sucked in through the description the book spits them back out with its other uninteresting attributes.

In conclusion, anyone who is looking for an entertaining read should refrain from The Bombers’ Moon by Betty Vander Els because of its ridiculous main character, and shortage of action; the outstanding descriptions is the only offsetting element. First, the main character is too emotional and ungrateful. Also, there is almost no action making the story boring. The only decent part of the book was the vivid descriptions. If you are looking for heart felt characters, a touching plot, and a beneficial moral be sure to choose The Bronze Bow instead!