Outstanding Books for the College Bound
Doller,
T. (2012). Something like normal. New York: Bloomsbury.
Summary: Travis Stephenson is the oldest son of the Dean
Stephenson, former NFL player with the Green Bay Packers. When his father began
grooming him for a potential career as a football player, Travis wanted no part
of it and quit the game. After high school, he enlisted in the Marines, and was
sent overseas to Afghanistan. While in Afghanistan his best friend Charlie was
killed. Travis arrives home on leave trying to cope with his girlfriend, Paige,
having dumped him and taken up with his brother Ryan, Ryan having taken over
his car, his parents crumbling relationship and of all of these things, it is
Charlie's death that is the most troubling for Travis who is experiencing
nightmares and hallucinations, and tremendous guilt over Charlie's death.
Things appear to be going all downhill until one night Travis stumbles into a bar and runs into a former schoolmate, Harper Gray. Harper and Travis do not have a good history mainly because in Grade 8 Travis told everyone lies about her and permanently ruined her reputation. Although Harper at first rejects Travis, a sort of cautious friendship develops between the two. Harper seems to recognize that Travis is struggling and needs some companionship. It is Harper's caring concern that provides a mooring for Travis to begin to heal the hurt he has in his life, and he wisely takes hold of it. In this contemporary fiction, the story is very possible and could be anyone’s life who has been in the military. Travis is a character that readers can connect with due to the amount of trauma he has endured. Death and romance are prominent themes intertwined in the story.
Things appear to be going all downhill until one night Travis stumbles into a bar and runs into a former schoolmate, Harper Gray. Harper and Travis do not have a good history mainly because in Grade 8 Travis told everyone lies about her and permanently ruined her reputation. Although Harper at first rejects Travis, a sort of cautious friendship develops between the two. Harper seems to recognize that Travis is struggling and needs some companionship. It is Harper's caring concern that provides a mooring for Travis to begin to heal the hurt he has in his life, and he wisely takes hold of it. In this contemporary fiction, the story is very possible and could be anyone’s life who has been in the military. Travis is a character that readers can connect with due to the amount of trauma he has endured. Death and romance are prominent themes intertwined in the story.
No comments:
Post a Comment