I would recommend The World Made Straight to people who are really interested in the Civil War, because in the book Travis and his roommate Leonard get into a deep study about Civil War. They read tons of books and journals describing what times were like for soldiers in the war. The grittiness of the journals made me squirm and sent chills down my spine, so if you like that kind of stuff, this is definitely your book. This book also is one with a ton of description; like when Travis is living with Leonard for the first time, it describes how angry he is and how bad it is. Leonard girlfriend is addicted to inhaling pills. When she doesn’t get what she wants, she is unbearable.
Overall a decent book. I thought the characters were a bit predictable, but enjoyable to read about. The setting really worked well with the plot. Travis and Leonard are two lonely people, with the world against them. Fortunately enough, they found each other. This book follows their transformations, intertwining a Civil war tragedy with a story of personal change and growth. The beginning of this book can be extremely confusing, switching back and forth between characters and time periods. Once the plot begins to be revealed, it is easier to understand, and by the end I was deeply connected with the characters and their stories. I would recommend this book to advanced high school students, because it is very difficult to follow initially. Classes that are studying the Civil War would especially benefit for analyzing the effects that that war had on people's everyday lives. Advanced English classes would also benefit from analyzing the characters and how they changed over time. I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick read. The relationship between the former teacher and the main character was believable and powerful. It reminded me that all kids need is one adult in their lives who believes in them and loves them unconditionally and is willing to speak the truth to them.
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