This is the last of the YA books that I am reading that are part of our state (Missouri) high school award nominee list. It is a little different from the other YA books on the list because the main character, Matt, is out of high school. After graduation he went into the army and is stationed in Iraq. The book opens with Matt recovering in a hospital after being on the receiving end of a RPG (rocket-propelled grenade). He has a traumatic brain injury and is struggling with his memory of how he ended up in the hospital and how exactly one of the local Iraqi children ended up shot and killed during the incident. This book is an extremely realistic look at the Iraqi war and the young men and women fighting in it. I know the author extensively researched the war and life as a soldier over there. I can think of many boys that are very obsessed with war books (a trend I have noticed since we went to war in the Middle East) that I would love to recommend this book to. There is some language (what war wouldn't have that?), but nothing over powering the story. I think this is one I could add to my middle school library for certain boys (and maybe even girls) that need a dose of reality when it comes to war stories.
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