This one took a bit longer because of the style of read, which I’ll explain in the review. I’ll probably watch the movie next, as I was holding back on watching it because I wanted to read the book first. So, let’s get into my review of American Sniper.
What American Sniper is About
American Sniper was written by the main character of the story, Chris Kyle. He wrote his autobiography about his time as a navy seal and tells how he became the most lethal sniper in U.S. Military. Chris also shares some of his life outside of the navy. You read about his past, what he did before joining the military, how he met his wife, and his experience in BUDS. As the reader you also get to learn about the struggles that he and his wife went through while he was enlisted. The words come from his wife herself. She shares her struggles and fears and the internal turmoil she went through.
What I Liked
The thing I think I liked the most about the book is how Chris shared his stories. Maybe not all the colourful language, but the reality of it. For people like me who know nothing about war, hearing about it from someone who lived it is really eye opening. For example, my “knowledge” of snipers comes from movies, where you see head shots and multiple kills. Chris shares what it’s really like for a sniper, where they really aim for, and how many kills is realistically a lot. Hearing how he coped with loss and fear, or even his honesty at some of the mistakes he made, was a reality check. These guys still feel.
What I Didn’t Like
Maybe because I don’t have a vast knowledge of these things, this next part annoyed me. He shares a lot of facts like weapons he used and gear he had. Being someone who doesn’t know the difference in guns, reading about all these different weapons didn’t really resonate with me. And when I’m reading a book, the last thing I want to do is go on Google and look everything up. Plus, I personally have this paranoia that if I start researching a bunch of things, like guns and sniper rifles, I’ll get flagged or something. It’s weird, I know. But it’s there. The other thing I didn’t enjoy was the way the story bounced a few times. He would start sharing about an intense moment and then the next paragraph would go back to how they got to that spot in the first place. Like, start there and then move into intense please. Don’t leave me hanging.
Overall Thoughts on American Sniper
My overall thoughts – it was a different read for me. I don’t read autobiographies as a book of choice. Fiction is where my heart lies. Because of this, American Sniper was harder to get through. I understand that autobiographies are not going to flow like a fiction novel, but it was just hard. In fact, this was not my first attempt to read it. I think it was my third or fourth. It’s a great read if you are into those kinds of books. If you don’t like autobiographies, you might not like this book. I’m glad I read it though. Overall, I gave this book 3 stars.
Thank You
Thank you to Chris Kyle for your service and for writing this book to educate people. To all the men and women who have been, or currently are serving, thank you. Your courage and sacrifice should be recognised more. We hear about vets being on the streets because there isn’t enough help for them when they get back. That’s heart breaking. If you are thinking of joining the military, I would actually recommend reading this book and speaking to someone who has lived it. But, we will never know the reality of it till we have lived it. I know I couldn’t have gone through it. So thank you to all who serve and protect. We appreciate you.
