A review by eslismyjam
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer, Peter Lerangis

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.