Timely, moving, and utterly engrossing--these are the words that come to mind when I think about trying to describe Trish Doller's debut Something Like Normal. From the first page, her narrator, Travis, will suck you into his story. The emotional roller coaster of Travis' return home on leave will take your breath away. The magnificent writing and storytelling make this story the emotional journey that it should be; it shows you the inner struggles that are so much deeper than the "simple" images and actions of war--the things that stick with you long after the battlefield. 
 After his first year in Afghanistan, Travis is a different person and he clearly doesn't know how to reconcile the person he was when he left--the person his family and friends expect him to be--with the haunted, changed person he's become. Travis' emotional turmoil will break your heart at points. His story is one that I think is probably more common than most of us experience and it's eye-opening for those of us who probably never will. 
 The whole story that Ms. Doller has crafted is so RAW and heart-wrenching from the very beginning. Nothing ever seems forced or contrived and Travis' story will carry you through to the end. You rejoice in the moments where someone is willing to stop and attempt to really see what he's going through, even though he doesn't want to let anyone in. The characters, the story, the writing--this one is really a whole package deal. 
 There's not much else that I really feel like I can say about this one! It's the type of story that you really have to experience for yourself to understand, and it's going to affect different people in any number of different ways based on personal experiences. I highly, highly recommend that you pick this one up and give it a try. I really don't think you'll be sorry if you do.