“Personal Effects” by E.M. Kokie isn’t typical for a war novel. The story follows Matt, a kid in an abusive home whose older brother was killed in Iraq. After finding some letters written to his brother, he discovers that he didn’t know him as well as he thought. Needless to say there was a lot going on, but it worked somehow. It was engaging, offered an interesting perspective, and I was able to sympathize with the characters. The only real issue with the book was some awkward scenes that did little to add to the plot.
Other than that I felt that the book was compelling, had some creative twists to the plot, and I would recommend giving it a read.