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mollywetta's review against another edition
4.0
This review and more at wrapped up in books
Told in three parts—before, during, and after—this is the story of a young man who decides to enlist in the army reserves after high school, though he had opportunities elsewhere and is leaving behind a loving family, his autistic brother, his best friend, and his fiancee. He suffers traumatic brain injury after an IED explosion. Though the story revolves around his accident and recovery, it’s more about how his deployment and condition change the lives of everyone who cares about him.
This is a very powerful, emotional story that will resonate with many readers. Because it is very short and told in a variety of formats, from traditional narration to text messages to Ben’s ‘memory journal’, it’s very modern and accessible.
Though I’ve seen some criticism about the flat secondary characters or the lack of development of the plot, I think anything deeper would have felt almost exploitative. As it was, I was already crying throughout much of the book, so I don’t think it suffered from a lack of description. I thought the parents, best friend, girlfriend, and brother, not to mention Ben, were compelling and fully formed characters. Though this topic could have been controversial and politically divisive, this novel examines the human cost of the war on an individual level rather than the global context for the conflict that throws a bomb in the middle of these characters’ lives. Because of it’s perspective, it’s a great book for discussions in a classroom or book club.
This novel was the recipient of the 2012 Schneider Family Book Award in the teen category, which honors a young adult book for its portrayal of people with disabilities. Not only do Mazer and Legranis do a fantastic job portraying the internal struggle of Ben as he copes with his memory loss, but it also features an autistic character who is very accurately depicted.
There are a number of young adult novels that deal with the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and this is an outstanding addition to the list. I’d recommend this for fans of Personal Effects by E. M. Kokie and those who enjoyed Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.
Told in three parts—before, during, and after—this is the story of a young man who decides to enlist in the army reserves after high school, though he had opportunities elsewhere and is leaving behind a loving family, his autistic brother, his best friend, and his fiancee. He suffers traumatic brain injury after an IED explosion. Though the story revolves around his accident and recovery, it’s more about how his deployment and condition change the lives of everyone who cares about him.
This is a very powerful, emotional story that will resonate with many readers. Because it is very short and told in a variety of formats, from traditional narration to text messages to Ben’s ‘memory journal’, it’s very modern and accessible.
Though I’ve seen some criticism about the flat secondary characters or the lack of development of the plot, I think anything deeper would have felt almost exploitative. As it was, I was already crying throughout much of the book, so I don’t think it suffered from a lack of description. I thought the parents, best friend, girlfriend, and brother, not to mention Ben, were compelling and fully formed characters. Though this topic could have been controversial and politically divisive, this novel examines the human cost of the war on an individual level rather than the global context for the conflict that throws a bomb in the middle of these characters’ lives. Because of it’s perspective, it’s a great book for discussions in a classroom or book club.
This novel was the recipient of the 2012 Schneider Family Book Award in the teen category, which honors a young adult book for its portrayal of people with disabilities. Not only do Mazer and Legranis do a fantastic job portraying the internal struggle of Ben as he copes with his memory loss, but it also features an autistic character who is very accurately depicted.
There are a number of young adult novels that deal with the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and this is an outstanding addition to the list. I’d recommend this for fans of Personal Effects by E. M. Kokie and those who enjoyed Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.
greenvillemelissa's review against another edition
4.0
Book #22 Read in 2014
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis (YA)
I liked Mazer's historical trilogy which started A Boy at War, so I was excited about this book. Like the series, this book was a quick read. It told the story of Benjamin Bright, a teenager who enlists in the Army upon high school graduation, despite the protests of his parents, best friend and fiancée. Ben is injured in the line of duty and returns home with a traumatic brain injury. He needs to re-learn vocabulary, how to do simple tasks and who his family members are. This book gives good insight to what someone with a TBI might face and also the stress of this injury upon family and friends. The ending was a little too nicely tied up for me but I guess I should have expected that from Mazer's other books. Overall, a decent read.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis (YA)
I liked Mazer's historical trilogy which started A Boy at War, so I was excited about this book. Like the series, this book was a quick read. It told the story of Benjamin Bright, a teenager who enlists in the Army upon high school graduation, despite the protests of his parents, best friend and fiancée. Ben is injured in the line of duty and returns home with a traumatic brain injury. He needs to re-learn vocabulary, how to do simple tasks and who his family members are. This book gives good insight to what someone with a TBI might face and also the stress of this injury upon family and friends. The ending was a little too nicely tied up for me but I guess I should have expected that from Mazer's other books. Overall, a decent read.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
allmadhere106's review against another edition
3.0
This book had an awkward start but it really picked up in the second half. I think it tried to do too much and we spent time in the heads of too many characters for it to feel complete. It also ended more abruptly than I would have liked. I did enjoy watching Ben's progress and spending time with his head. It felt like a good representation, though I don't know much about massive brain trauma. I'd still recommend it to someone wanting a book with these topics, but I'm also going to look for something better.
For: readers wanting a look at a modern soldier; readers wanting a look at a realistic life after war; readers wanting a character piece.
Possible red flags: depictions of brain trauma/injury; flashbacks; loss of memory and other functions; depictions of autism (secondary character); images of wartime; fellow military men using racial slurs and other such language.
For: readers wanting a look at a modern soldier; readers wanting a look at a realistic life after war; readers wanting a character piece.
Possible red flags: depictions of brain trauma/injury; flashbacks; loss of memory and other functions; depictions of autism (secondary character); images of wartime; fellow military men using racial slurs and other such language.
monicalove08's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
4.0
Book #22 Read in 2014
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis (YA)
I liked Mazer's historical trilogy which started A Boy at War, so I was excited about this book. Like the series, this book was a quick read. It told the story of Benjamin Bright, a teenager who enlists in the Army upon high school graduation, despite the protests of his parents, best friend and fiancée. Ben is injured in the line of duty and returns home with a traumatic brain injury. He needs to re-learn vocabulary, how to do simple tasks and who his family members are. This book gives good insight to what someone with a TBI might face and also the stress of this injury upon family and friends. The ending was a little too nicely tied up for me but I guess I should have expected that from Mazer's other books. Overall, a decent read.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis (YA)
I liked Mazer's historical trilogy which started A Boy at War, so I was excited about this book. Like the series, this book was a quick read. It told the story of Benjamin Bright, a teenager who enlists in the Army upon high school graduation, despite the protests of his parents, best friend and fiancée. Ben is injured in the line of duty and returns home with a traumatic brain injury. He needs to re-learn vocabulary, how to do simple tasks and who his family members are. This book gives good insight to what someone with a TBI might face and also the stress of this injury upon family and friends. The ending was a little too nicely tied up for me but I guess I should have expected that from Mazer's other books. Overall, a decent read.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
rebecca_bluedragonskeep_books's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
eslismyjam's review against another edition
3.0
This book has an important and powerful message, but the execution did not work well for me. I think that kids might enjoy reading it, but I felt setup of the book kept me at arms-length from the subject matter. The book is divided into three sections: before, during and after. The before section reads like a pretty typical and not particularly compelling YA scene: friends about the graduate and go to college. The during is quite short and recounts Ben's journey to Iraq as a soldier. There are only two scenes and though we get introduced to some of his fellow soldiers it was not enough to give me reason to care deeply about them or the situation. In the after section when Ben has been injured and is starting on his recovery we start to see the important themes of the novel. However, this section still didn't resonant with me because we were jumping around the to the experiences of those around him too much and for too short a time. I would have liked more time inside Ben's head after his injury. Overall, it is an interesting look into the very real struggle faced by the men and women in our armed forces and their families after the worst happens in combat.
kwes319's review against another edition
2.0
A lot of boys like military books, which is why I picked this up. Only a few chapters take place at war and the rest of the book is so cheesy. It should be interesting, it deals with a young man's recovery after being injured at war. For me I felt it was just a bunch of clichés and sap.
potatomcgee's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a quick, easy read. It was compelling and interesting, but the focus was too widespread. It brought up too many issues through the eyes of too many characters. I would have appreciated either making the book longer to go more in depth or focusing on fewer characters.
beecheralyson's review against another edition
4.0
I realized that I can finally write about this one. When I read it last year, it was one of those books that stayed with me long after I finished it. I loved Ben and Chris and how it was through the sibling relationship that Ben begins to remember. Glad to have been part of the committee that honored this with a Schneider Family Book Award.