Pretty good story about a messed up kid with an overbearing tyrant of a father and an enlisted brother whom he idolizes, and the fallout/aftermath of trying to deal when his brother is killed in action. 
 The dialogue, while probably realistic, is not the most interesting or fun to read. Think of a regular every day conversation-- a lot of stutters, uhms, meanderings, sloppy ways of talking that is neither witty nor bantering? Not to say that there are "uhms" in this book, but the dialogue isn't there to scintillate or compel; it just gets the job done. Perhaps that's why I didn't completely get immersed in the characters; I'm a sucker for eloquence, even if it's the high school variety. Still, all-in-all a touching story.