The story is short, and as such, there are not many characters featured in depth. There is the narrator, and a soldier new to the Vietnam war named Elvis. Elvis is a bright eyed young kid with ambitions of being a playwright, and views the war as a necessary step to becoming a great writer. This leads to some resentment toward Elvis from the rest of the squad, especially from the narrator.
The story only follows one mission, but it is written in such vivid detail you can feel the heat and the humidity of the jungle overwhelming you as you sit on your couch taking in the words.
Rating: 4/5
You can find Youth in Asia on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Youth-In-Asia-Offensive-Highlands/dp/1511453451/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25245401-youth-in-asia