It's another hot summer day in Lufkin, Texas and Justin is taking down soldier after soldier...on his computer. He's playing a video game and he can't be stopped. His best friend, Chuy, is there waiting for Justin to hand over the video game Justin just ripped for Chuy's cousin, Emilio. Suddenly, Chuy is up and practically at attention. Justin's father, former Marine and injured war hero, has just stepped into the bedroom. Chuy is out of the room like a shot leaving Justin and the video game behind.
Justin's father is angry. Justin was supposed to show up at work that morning. Justin answers his father with some serious attitude. "So you could pay me eight bucks an hour sweeping your floors?"
Justin's older brother Kyle is the family hero. Kyle enlisted in the Marines and is serving in Afghanistan. Justin is home fighting his own war against his father. The two are facing off when a black four-door sedan pulls up in front of the house and two men in uniform get out and head up to their front door.
Kyle is gone. Killed in action. He has left behind his Marine partner, his dog, Max. Justin struggles with the loss of his brother, the disrespect of his father and the post traumatic stress of Kyle's dog.
How do you trust when life hasn't earned it? What do you do when you have a feeling things aren't right with your brother's Eddie Haskell-like best friend?
Action-packed, edge of your seat pacing and a real in-your-face troubled father/son relationship make this an exciting, hard-hitting page turner.
253 pages 978-0062420398 Ages 12 and up
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
