“It’s amazing what you can accomplish once you make that all-important decision to go forward”
Tough as They Come is the inspirational autobiography of United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills. Mills is extremely likable, and his narrating style is direct, yet pleasant and conversational. The book briefly touches on Mills’ childhood before launching into his millitary service and subsequent deployments. Despite the serious subject matter, Mills allows his sense of humor to shine through and includes lots of funny lines in the book. Those unfamiliar with the military will appreciate the straightforward explanations of army life as well as observations about the Taliban. Mills talks openly about his injury, emotions, and the difficult rehabilitation process. Tough as They Come is a fantastic, highly recommended motivational read!
Review of Advance Reader Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Convergent Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 4 religious exclamations, 6 mild obscenities, 1 anatomical term, 2 derogatory names.
Violence/Gore: Multiple secondhand reports of violence involving IEDs, shootings, terrorist attacks, using kids as suicide bombers or human shields, and bombings; multiple brief scenes of violence including children punching other children, spanking, IED explosion, a character punching a truck, a character accidently punching self in the face and a character throwing and destroying items; a few extended scenes of violence involving shootings; several non-detailed scenes of violent death involving 9/11, a suicide bomber, IEDs, drowning, day and/or night combat missions against the Taliban, the Taliban shooting a man pointblank; a few scenes of blood and gore including characters picking up body parts after an explosion, and the narrator describing his graphic injuries; several extended (multiple pages) scenes of intense violence including characters accidently setting off an IED and losing limbs, as well as multiple firefights with the Taliban.
Sex/Nudity: Several incidents of kissing; a man’s pants rip, exposing his genitals; a few sexual references and an implied incident of sexual activity.
Mature Subject Matter:
War and trench warfare, terrorism, suicide bombers and IEDs, death of family members and friends, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” United States military policy, thoughts of suicide, drug trade.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
A man is drunk and starts a fight; several people drink on occasion; descriptions of the Taliban as a “drug cartel” and their selling of opium; Taliban fighters described as being “hopped up” on heroin; soldiers smoke cigarettes after a combat mission; several landmarks are given the nicknames of beer brands; an individual is given narcotics to deal with pain.
