Excellent story, very well handled. Matt's reactions to just about everything that happened--TJ's death, the kid at school who keeps needling him with anti-military t-shirts, his meeting the other people TJ knew and loved--everything so believable and true to how a 17-year-old boy would react to those things. At least, a boy who's grown up in the house Matt grew up in, anyway, with that father. 
 I was sorry to come to the end of this book. I know that the story Kokie set out to tell was over, but I want to follow up with Matt, make sure he's okay, see that he keeps in touch with his.. well, in-laws; TJ's family in Madison. I'm invested in his life. Even if this book didn't make me bawl the way many others have, I really felt for Matt. 
 I don't entirely feel like this was a 5-star book, but I think I'm just being star-stingy. Bumping it up because Nick Podehl narrates it, and that man could bring life and nuance to a phone book.