Reviewed:
A real drag-you-in, keep-you-interested story with a steady build and great sex. As you can see, I liked it!
Set in Al's future universe of an East vs West war, the story is about an 18 year old facing graduation from high school against a background of an ongoing war on US soil. Government propaganda, peer pressure and social pressure all contribute the the lead's life.
Plot is good, with descriptions of the happenings and emotions in a war zone very real. It's scarily plausible, so if you have a delicate disposition read it with a friend close by...
Sex is slow-build but well worth the wait, built up and sufficiently well described to get the juices going in sympathy.
There are a few interesting embedded value challenges, too, social insights that make the reader sit back and go "hmmm".
The sense overall is good; this is not a depressing story.
More, please!
BTW Al mentions in his intro that this is set in a universe where he writes under his real name; I'd like to read some of those stories... Al?