Green on Blue is the story of two brothers, Aziz and Ali, whose lives are changed by war. First their parents are killed, then Ali is seriously hurt in an attack, leaving Aziz, the youngest brother, having to find a way to care for his brother. By joining the special lashkar, an American-funded militia, he knows that as long as he lives, his brother will be taken care of.
Elliot Ackerman describes the reality of war, the brutality of it, and also the difficulty (impossibility?) to find peace. The text is well-written, the subject is interesting. I really liked the first part of the novel, but in the middle I got quite bored. ( )

Green on Blue tells the story of Aziz, a boy growing up in Afghanistan who changes from an innocent child to a man who vows to look after his older brother after their family is killed and he is wounded.

Go through the chaos, fear and heartbreak with Aziz while he gets his revenge. ( )

(Fiction, Contemporary, Afghanistan War)

Due to circumstances, young Afghani teen Aziz must join the Special Lashkar, a US-funded militia. As he rises through the ranks, Aziz becomes mired in the dark underpinnings of his country’s war, witnessing clashes between rival Afghan groups—what US soldiers call “green on green” attacks—and those on US forces by Afghan soldiers, violence known as “green on blue.”

Ackerman brilliantly sets up the hopelessness of living in war, and he has us cheering on the protagonist in his concluding decision.

Well-written, riveting, and hard-hitting.

4½ stars ( )

This story is written from the perspective of a boy, Aziz, caught up in war in Afghanistan. The author is American and has been in war in the middle east, so it's an unusual perspective that shows how war affects people on the other side on a personal level -- how it can change things so much that every option available is a bad one. It forces people to make impossible choices. The words make vivid pictures of the scenes and situations, poverty, despair, and thin threads that connect people.

How can ordinary people in any country tell who is bad, good, right, wrong? So many gray areas and complexities to consider. Every action affects someone.

This book came to me from Goodreads Giveaways, and I'm glad it did. It's the kind of book I enjoy and will remember. It's timeless.
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Comparable to Vietnam's "The Things They Carried" - this is a novel of the war in Afghanistan, in the voice of a reluctant combatant. The author served 5 tour of duty in George Bush's wars and tells the tale of Aziz, who, with his older brother Ali, watches as his parents are murdered by Gazan's forces, a Taliban offshoot group, in an attack on their village. The boys make their way to a small city where they scratch out a living from an abandoned wheelbarrow. But soon enough there's another attack from the same group and Ali loses a leg and his genitals. Aziz is recruited to become a Special Lashkar soldier and to get his badal (revenge) in an anti-Taliban unit led by Sabir. His service also pays for Ali's hospital care.

There are as many frightening friends as there are enemies. There's Mr. Jack, the American, who names Sabir's squads "Tomahawk" and "Comanche"; the wealthy villager Atal, who plays one group against the other; the kind grandfatherly Mumtaz, one of the spingaris, or village elders, who try to keep the residents safe by placating all the outsiders.

Aziz is an unwitting victim at first but learns very quickly of the treachery from all sides. He is a heroic figure in a country overrun with vengeful ghosts. This is an excellent novel.

Quotes: "Badal should resolve an injustice, not continue it. But that is our way. There will always be angry men ready to kill each other."

"All are caught up in this. The question is whether you'll be a victim or prosper in it." ( )