Book of the Day!

Synopsis:

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.

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Just finished reading this book and all I can say is… it’s amazing. Great book! The novel is about a 19-year-old boy named Travis who just came home from Afghanistan. His friend Charlie had recently been killed when they were both ambushed and he has not recovered from his friend’s death. He suffers PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and he has nightmares and constantly sees past events when they were in Afghanistan. He has a 30-day leave and he feels as if he is being forced to stay with his family. His father has hated him since he quit football during high school because his father was a former SuperBowl champ. His brother, Ryan, has taken his girlfriend and his car. His mom is pretty much the only one who cares about him. Then he sees Harper again… the girl who’s reputation was ruined by rumors. Harper helps Travis overcome his nightmares and finally come to terms with his friend’s death.

This story definitely taught me more about PTSD and how our soldiers might suffer from PTSD and not know it because they might have different symptoms. When they were in Afghanistan, Travis’ mother always sent them care packages and Travis still remembers many good memories with his friends there even if their living conditions were horrible. I definitely recommend this book to everyone, especially those fans of Romance and YA novels.