The Red Tunic is a real page turner. Set mostly during the First World War, the story follows NIna, a woman who defies the restrictions placed on women at that time, as she enlists as a soldier. Her twin brother Alfie would much prefer life as a female, and so he becomes a volunteer nurse. The novel was vividly written, with lots of emotion and thrilling twists. I was particularly interested in how Kate Wiseman evoked the trenches, and Nina's experiences as a woman on the battlefield. I think this book would work equally well as a cross over for young adults too.

This story showed the horrors of war very well, as two siblings, perceived male and female, swap places so one becomes a soldier and the other a nurse. However the writing style felt juvenile which jarred badly with the subject matter, and I didn't feel the trans aspects were handled well.

The ending of this story wasn't what I expected, and didn't make sense with Nina's actions throughout the story. Her gender wasn't explored the same way Afie's was, I was never sure if she was a man, non binary or just wanted out of the conventional expectations for women.

Despite using he/him pronouns throughout this story, Alfie is definitely stated to be a trans woman, so I'm going to go ahead and chose to use she/her pronouns. As we didn't get the expected dual POV, her story was very much background, and I felt her character was done dirty by the ending chapters.

A historical novel about the nature of gender and sibling love and loyalty. Though well written, I wanted a deeper emotional connection to the characters. The sheer horror of life in the trenches could have been explored further for example. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I am struggling to articulate how baffling reading this novel was. I also going to be very, very nice about it because the author doesn't deserve anything harsh for writing this, and I think it's fair to say my enjoyment of the novel was hampered by expectations of what it was going to be. To begin, I am always and forever looking for media about women who crossdress as men and fall in love with other men, and I will until the day I die. Most of my enjoyment of this novel was rested on that very personal fact.

Anyway, The Red Tunic follows twins Alfie and Nina, always wishing to lead the life of the other, and eventually are able to during the First World War. It's a boilerplate historical fiction novel by an amateur author, with all the accompanying clichés, plain prose, and dei ex machina one finds in this kinds of stories.

Here's the rub: I was looking for a serious book that explored gender and war stress in a far more realistic style, tone, and form that what was presented. The Red Tunic is essentially an airport novel that lightly recalls the horrors of war and stress of being GNC/transgender in service of a incredibly standard, and almost flippant, storyline instead. There was something undeniably un-adult about how the characters acted or felt; an unwillingness to allow them to act lifelike, kill your darlings, etc. I could see very clearly that this was the author's first adult novel, and it was unfortunate. The premise is incredibly fruitful; I found myself rewriting portions in my head constantly. What could have been!

I'll be honest, I did kind of enjoy it. I love the tropes in it. If you're into old war and gender shit like me and want a unique beach read, this is it. If you're looking for a serious and life-changing exploration of gender, sexuality, and war during the First World War, and a contemporaneous one at that, please go look at the novel Despised And Rejected.

What a creative book!! I’ve read countless historical fictions, but I’ve never read one with a plot like this. Alfie and Nina have been swapping places their entire lives, but when WWI approaches, they plan their most daring move yet. This was full of important gender conventions that felt perfectly placed in a story like this. I adored reading about these two and my heart ached for their struggles. The scenes of battle perfectly juxtaposed with the twins’ scenes of self doubt and fear really drove the message home, highlighting the importance of being true to yourself. A stunning and emotional novel that shows how far sibling love and the need to be one’s self will go.

I can REALLY appreciate this book as an active duty military spouse. Aflie and Nina’s love is portrayed in such a delicate way. Their bond is unmatched. This book brought tears to my eyes. The author did such a good job at pulling my emotions and putting so many thoughts that i’ve had into the most beautiful words. Thank you to netgalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read The Red Tunic. I loved this book. So many things about it. The characters Alfie & Nina are amazing. Their bond is incredible. The story is about love and what we do for those we love. The message is so appropriate in this time of hate. The way the author writes about people being able to life their authentic life is beautiful to read. This is a book about the horrors of war, but ultimately about the triumph of love. This is a book not to be missed.