1. I have enjoyed the book because it is written about an interesting topic from the perspective of a character who was freed during the American Civil War and was heavily involved in the fighting in the American Indian Wars. The storyline is really good because it is believable, historically accurate, and moves along at a good pace. Furthermore, it's as if you are really there with all of the characters because it uses a lot of writing techniques, for example a lot of imagery is used, so people can really get a feel as to what life was like as a soldier.

I like the part where Charley is fighting against the Indians in Indian Territory because there is a lot of imagery used here to describe every aspect of the Great Plains, so I've got a strong image in my head of what this place looks like. There isn't a specific character that I really like, but I think General Michaels is a good portrayal of an army officer in this era because he really hates black people and Company W, which I gather is supposed to be the worst soldiers. I don't like his character as such, but I think he is a good representation of an army General at this period in time - thinking white people are the best. 

I think the history in this book is realistic because, at the start, it shows just how badly slaves and black people were treated on a daily basis - wherever they be. It also shows how inhumanely they were killed. When Charley joins the army, I think it is an accurate representation because most slaves couldn't read or write to sign up, and it would have definitely been a huge struggle to ride a horse for the first time. When she was fighting, the history is realistic because Landman describes, in detail, what the Indians did both to kill the enemy and to the dead bodies.

I now want to find out more about American history because we have never covered this topic at school, and I find it really interesting, especially the wars described throughout this book and the freeing of slaves.

I now want to read more by Tanya Landman because I like how she wrote this book as if she were the character, and I like her style of writing because it is worded how the character would have talked. I think her other books will cover topics that interest me.

Overall, I think it's a really good book and I've enjoyed reading it. It has opened my eyes to see what life was really like in America in this particular time. I like the fact that it is based on and inspired by a true story, of a lady called Cathy Williams, because it explores the highly likely possibility that women disguised themselves as men to help fight as soldiers in the American army, closely after slaves gained their freedom. It shows how desperate former slaves were to get a job because, as a result of there being few options open for them, they joined the army and risked their lives to remove freedom from the Native American Indians. It has made me want to look further into American history and the lives of slaves, because I find it an interesting topic, on which I'd like to broaden my knowledge.

By Clair

2. This book was quite a favourite of mine as it is something very different to what I am used to reading and contained lots of information about the American Civil War that I didn't know about. However, the style of writing was difficult to read and understand straight away as it is written in the colloquial style of the deep south. This may inhibit some readers, and in my case, it stopped the flow of the story. Overall, I found this book an excellent read, and I highly recommend it to all persistent readers.

By Eddie

3. Buffalo Soldier is a story from a slave's persepective and the civil war in America and the struggle for racial equality. In the book an unnamed slave works at a plantation but after the liberation of slavery she joins the army, with her only friend, and sort of mother to her. After series of tragic events, she pretends to be a man and joins the army, where she suffers racial discrimination and the death of her friend.

I like Buffalo Soldier because it plays with the concept of time and while one chapter can tell the story in an hour, another may be over a few years. We can see the main characters naïve point of view of the world change as she matures. I like Buffalo Soldier as it is bluntly true and doesn't try to dramatize events as some of the other books do. It uses her perspective just to follow the story of America.

By Theo

4. This book was a fantastic read; I loved reading it so much. It shows you how the world was like before and after the American Civil War, but through the eyes of a woman. I think that it is a book about how if we change our personalities and even our genders, we may have been treated differently at a certain point of time for example, the Civil War. It doesn't just focus on the war, it focuses more on the Native Americans and the struggle America had with them for a while and I like that. I also like that the protagonist is a woman and how she has to change to survive through a hard time. I would definitely recommend this to my friends and family. 5 stars

By Olivia

5. This was a powerful book to read and really made you feel that you were right there in the action. I learned a lot about aspects of slavery and the Apache territories. 

Charlie disguises herself as a man and joins the army and is trapped. I would say that this is a book for teenagers aged 14 plus and is a must read.  This would be good to do as a history project. 4 stars

By Nick

6. I have read Buffalo Soldier and I quite liked it. It is about slavery in America and their freedom. In the story, a slave is freed by the Yankees and she doesn't know what to do therefore she joins the army.

Charlotte and Abe are the main characters, I like that she could deceive the Company W for years, them thinking that she was a man. The history is very strong and interesting in this book because it isn't the kind we normally learn about.

The best thing I learned was about how at the start the two armies, Yankees and Confederates weren't actually fighting over slavery, they were just fighting to be more powerful than the other. My favourite part was when Charlotte won the shooting competition against the soldier from General Michael's troop and got the new rifle.

I would recommend this book to adults and older teenagers because there is some bad language that might not be suitable for younger readers.

By Thomas

7. Buffalo Soldier is set during the end/after the American civil war and is about Charlotte, an African American slave living in Southern America. After witnessing the rape and lynching of her adoptive mother, she is left alone in a world of war. She struggles through life and eventually dons a dead man's clothes to become a ‘buffalo soldier'. Changing her name to ‘Charley', we follow her journey from coast to coast and the horrors of the times.

The amount of historical detail is absolutely immaculate and I was amazed by the hardship of the Buffalo Soldiers or anyone just unlucky enough to live in those times. This coupled with the excellent story makes for a gripping and definitely fascinating read.

Overall, I am definitely going to research more about the American Civil War, as this book has increased my interest for the time. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and is a definite read for anyone in year 8 and older.

By Timothy

8. I enjoyed this book because it is a different style of book
to the one I would normally read. Also the storyline of a girl going to war is a good change. The history in this book is quite realistic, the book does make me want to learn more about America and it's history. I would give this book 4
stars out of 5.

By Toby