I should have heeded the warning that came with this book that it was like Lord of the Flies. When I started this blog I said it would be for books I enjoyed reading. The Button War is a very powerful story and I think it will appeal to boys who might be reluctant readers so I am including it here even though it is a book that deeply disturbed me. I read it in one day but I had to keep stopping to take a breath as each horrible situation arose.
The term ego is one you could apply to this book. Jurek lives in poverty. His parents are dead. His sister is hostile. Jurek needs a forum where he feels powerful. Where he can be king. Jurek needs to feed his ego. For Jurek the perfect audience is a group of other boys. They are all aged twelve and live in a small village in Poland. The boys enjoy hanging out together around the town water pump but none of them feel able to stand up to Jurek and his cruel dares and regular taunting.
Jurek finds a button in the forest. He declares that he is the true King. Jurek sets the boys a dare to find a better button. In this new game Jurek says the "winner" will be their King but Jurek himself is determined to win at all costs, He keeps changing the rules. His main rival for leadership is Patryk. Patryk knows this button challenge is silly, then later he knows it is dangerous but he also needs to put an end to the power wielded by Jurek. He just cannot seem to find a way to stop all of this. He needs to find the best button.
It is 1914 and this small Polish village is caught up in the events of World War One. After finding his first button Jurek wants another. He decides the best prize would be a button from a Russian army uniform. The village has been invaded by Russian soldiers. Jurek's sister, in need of money, takes in their washing. Jurek takes a button from a coat on the clothes line late at night and then insists Patryk attempt this too.
Meanwhile the war is impacting the village. A German plane flies over head and drops a bomb on the school. German soldiers now invade their town forcing the Russians to retreat but the Russians don't run away they gather reinforcements and prepare for another battle to regain control of the village.
This is no longer just a game for a group of boys. It has now become very, very dangerous. The story began with seven boys. How many will be left at the end? Things now spin out of control with life and death consequences. I think this is a book for very mature readers 11+.
Read some reviews:
- Ms Yingling : "Intriguing"
- Postcards from Purgatory: "Riveting"
- Kirkus: "War ... is devastating"
- The Children's War: "Action-packed, exciting"
Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this writing:
"I took another step. Once near the end of the bed, I sank to my knees. From there I reached out to the soldiers tunic, grasped a button with the fingers of my left hand, and pulled."
"In the middle of the area lay another soldier's body. He was all twisted, like a cloth doll that had been tossed away. He was on his back, face up, brown jacket in tatters, skin exposed, torn and bloody. I stared at him but didn't feel much emotion. I was getting used to the dead."
Take a look at Avi's web site. Here is an excellent video where Avi talks about the inspiration for this book and his own exploration of war buttons.
Here is the US cover.
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