by Tim Tharp
First published 2011
Ceejay has always lived in the shadow of her older brother Bobby, the town's most beloved troublemaker. She's never been the pretty one or the popular one, but Bobby gets her like no one else does. His wild streak and big heart make everyone adore him, and Ceejay counts the days until he comes home from his military tour in Iraq. When Bobby finally shows up without warning, something has changed. He avoids their family and acts like a stranger. The playful wildness Ceejay remembers has turned dangerous and desperate. Watching her hero fall apart cracks the tough exterior she's built around herself. Bobby was supposed to be the strong one, the one who made sense of everything. As Ceejay fights to bring back the brother she knew, she starts questioning everything she believed about her family and her small town. She discovers that real strength looks nothing like what she expected.
Genres: fiction, military-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-dynamics, sibling-relationship
Setting: Iraq, Small Town
Period: Contemporary
308 pages · Hardcover · Knopf Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: mental-illness