YA Review - Grandpa's Comrade - young adult fiction

Book Categories – YA Review – review of books for teens

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Welcome to the Blog Tour for Grandpa’s Comrade by Kelsey Gjesdal, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Grandpa’s Comrade
Author: Kelsey Gjesdal
Publisher: Kelsey Lee Writes LLC
Release Date: November 11, 2025
Genre: Christian YA fiction, multigenerational fiction, military fiction, adventure novel

A boy who wants to be a hero. A girl who just wants to be lost in her books. And a Grandpa with a past that won’t leave him alone.

Teens Jess and Will are stuck with their grandparents for three weeks while their parents go on a second honeymoon. Neither are too excited to be bored in a house full of off-limits secrets. But when Will’s curiosity gets the best of him, the siblings uncover a mysterious box with a hidden message that could change everything. As former Navy SEAL Grandpa plans a rescue mission for a long-lost comrade, the teens must decide if they’re ready for a real adventure. Jess and Will must navigate the unknown territory of South Korea… and Grandpa’s PTSD. With each new clue comes haunting memories, and time is running out. Can Jess and Will find Grandpa’s Comrade before it’s too late?

Join Jess and Will as they learn about true bravery, family love, and the price of heroism.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author’s Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

My YA Review

Gjesdal, Kelsey. Grandpa’s Comrade. Portland, OR: Kelsey Lee Writes LLC, 2025.

I don’t know if I have previously read any books about the Korean War. Grandpa’s Comrade was a new experience for me. It appears that Gjesdal did an excellent job of researching the Korean War and those who served in it.

Jess and Will are going to stay with Grandpa and Grandma while Mom and Dad take an anniversary trip. They are not looking forward to the time as Grandpa suffers from PTSD and isn’t much fun to be around.

After hearing from a comrade from his years in the Korean War, a comrade who was MIA and declared dead, Grandpa decides to go to Korea and rescue him. The kids are concerned for Grandpa so they determine to sneak along. It turns into a family trip with Grandpa and Grandma and the two kids – and another fellow soldier meets them there.

Readers will be exposed to bits about the Korean War as well as an inside look into life in the DMZ today.

I highly recommend Grandpa’s Comrade for K-12 Christian school libraries. It would be a great supplement for studies of the Korean War. It is appropriate for upper middle school and high school.

I recevied a compliemntary copy of Grandpa’s Comrade. This is my honest review.

About the Author – Kelsey Gjesdal

Kelsey Gjesdal is an award-winning author and host of the Wholeheartedly with Kelsey Lee podcast. She is the author of the Truth Squad Trilogy, A Woman of Excellence Ruth Bible study, and, most recently, Grandpa’s Comrade. Through fiction and nonfiction writing and podcasting, Kelsey seeks to encourage Gen-Z to live wholeheartedly for Christ. When she’s not writing and podcasting, you’ll find her serving in her local church’s children’s ministry, playing music, or reading a book with a cup of coffee in hand. She resides in the beautiful state of Oregon.

Connect with Kelsey by visiting kelseyleewrites.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a print copy of Grandpa’s Comrade plus a $15 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 20, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 27, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!