Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am
When high-school senior Ben Bright expresses his patriotic duty by secretly enlisting in the Army, his family, friends, and fiancée don’t quite approve — and when he’s flown home from Iraq after being injured by a roadside bomb, they’re grateful he’s alive. What they soon find out is that he remembers absolutely nothing. Not even his name. And none of their lives will ever be the same.
February 7, 2012 is the publication date of my latest Young Adult novel, Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am, which I cowrote with the great Harry Mazer. PEN featured an excerpt on their site for the annual World Voices Festival, which you can read 900600http://bit.ly/eCWiHGhere. Some reviews:
1000640https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/harry-mazer/somebody-please-tell-me-who-i-am/#reviewKirkus (starred review): “As illuminating as a hand grenade, and just as powerful.” (Full text at bottom of page)*
VOYA: “Heart-wrenching and emotionally-charged … a moving portrait of a young soldier’s sacrifice and struggle … With realistic dialogue, relatable characters, and subject matter relevant to teens … ”
1000640http://bit.ly/w8GoFsPublishers Weekly: “Mazer and Lerangis use strong characters and storytelling to explore the slow and painful recovery of an injured teenage soldier…. the journey is powerful and worthwhile.”
1000640http://whatchamacallitreviews.blogspot.com/2012/02/somebody-please-tell-me-who-i-am-by.htmlWhatchamacallit Reviews: “Gripping … sensational writing ability exhibited in each page.… Every major character, from Ben to Chris feels real and tangible, as if the very next moment one of these characters is going to walk in your front door and say hello.… a fantastic book!”
*Full text of Kirkus review:
“Ben Bright’s senior year seems a prelude to a gloriously successful life, with college, loving girlfriend and an acting career spread out in front of him. Except for his plan to join the army first. Stubbornly committed to being the patriot he thinks ethics demand, Ben can’t explain it to anyone—especially not Ariela, the girl he plans to marry when he returns. As Ben departs for basic training and then serves in Iraq, Ariela heads to college, and best friend Niko, along with Mr. and Mrs. Bright and autistic younger brother Chris hold to normality. When the inevitable call comes, informing them that Ben is injured, no one knows exactly what to do or how to help. With the effective use of italics to indicate Ben’s thoughts, the contrast between what the outer world sees and how he processes it is clear. Progress happens, but it’s slow, and the toll on all is plain. Chris’ reactions are particularly unblunted. In a spare 148 pages, the complexity of the aftereffects of modern war is laid bare. The tight focus on one soldier does not oversimplify but rather captures the human drama in the personal: The Brights’ marriage is more than challenged, Ariela is pulled away by her college friends and Chris’ restricted, defined universe has to expand to encompass Ben’s new condition. The book’s power is in the honesty and hope conveyed. As illuminating as a hand grenade, and just as powerful.”
