This was a very random pick for me, based mostly on the fact that I loved the cover and am somewhat into an Afghanistan phase at the moment. It was a good pick, though, because David Massey managed to deliver an interesting well-written story and a very well created leading female character.
Torn is a very quick read that follows the story of 19-year-old Ellie, a British Army medic, and her first ever experience in Afghanistan. We follow Ellie's first days on the job, the difficulties she has with her colleagues/superiors, her being sucked into a sort of a secret mission that is beyond her competence, the way she builds friendships and eventually finds...love?
Although this is realistic fiction, there is a slight paranormal/mystical twist that is not only important to the story throughout the entire book, but also softens the roughness of the environment to some extent (the character of Aroush felt like an oasis in a desert each time she made an appearance in the story). What I didn't quite like, though, is the fact that the book was a bit shorter than I would have wanted it to be, and to me it sounded a bit rushed. I think there were certain aspects of the story that needed to be further explored in order their conclusion to come smoothly (this especially applies to the "feelings" that start to develop between Ellie and Ben, the US lieutenant). All in all, Torn was a really nice read that provided a different view on war.
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