The Sandbox by David Zimmerman is set during the Iraqi War and features a likeable but bumbling soldier called Toby Durrant as the main character. He has already been kicked out of army Airborne training and flunked out of the Defence Language Institute. Unfortunately Toby is chosen to be the fall-guy so the higher ups can cover up a conspiracy involving missing millions in cash.

Toby and his friends slowly put the pieces together through prisoner interrogations, spying on their officers, and uncovering a counterinsurgency plan. And while the pages kept turning, I found this stylish, off-centre story intriguing but not very convincing. Granted the author made these soldiers come alive on the pages through their colourful language, “why me” attitude and black humor but by the end of the book, I was pretty much done with this hard luck soldier who stumbles through this rather absurd and convoluted melodrama.

So although The Sandbox wasn’t an exceptional debut, I would definitely be interested in seeing how this author progresses and whether he can tighten up his plots and make them a little more believable. ( )

The short chapters and action packed plot create momentum from the first page. After I got about a third of the way in, I was unable to put the book down. The dialogue and voice are amazing and authentic (and at times hysterically obscene). ( )