Something Like Normal

I am so glad that I've found other reading lovers like me on the Internet.  They are a great source for finding new things.  And goodreads.  Thank goodness for goodreads.  I read the review for Something Like Normal by Trish Doller by one of those book loving friends posted and added it to my Christmas list. 

Description: When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

This book is awesome.  It deals with post-traumatic stress after a stint in Afghanistan that is all too familiar for many in the 18-21 year old crowd these days.  It's a current day YA book that touches on hard subjects with real characters.  Travis from before war sounds like a Travis that not many would probably like.  He's a typical teenage boy that does stupid things with a stupid girl because he can and says things because he can.  He lives a very entitled life but thinks he is doing good by wearing clothes from Goodwill.  So he has different sides but the sides most see are the stupid boy sides.

After war Travis is a lot better man.  He connects with his mother and a former classmate Harper and is able to ease back into 'normal' life with help from them. He is plagued with nightmares from his time in Afghanistan and his best-friends death. 

This book does have some kissing and rough language in it but I would find it suitable for highschoolers to read this.  I also feel like this is a YA book that adults can relate to as well.

I definitely recommend this one.

Have you read any fiction books about soldiers post Iraq or Afghanistan?  Have you read any YA books dealing with war?