was but gains the friendship of others who loved him, too. In the process, Matt confronts unexpected truths about who T.J. Kokie sets up a credible situation that builds to such intensity that something has to give, and when Matt discovers love letters among T.J’s things, he lights out on a road trip to explore some unknown pieces of T.J.’s life. His father, an ex-sergeant, refuses to discuss T.J.’s death or allow Matt any sign of sorrow, telling him only to 'man up.' Matt’s best friend Shauna and her real concern help Matt get through the days, but even this one good thing contains tension: Matt longs for much more than friendship from Shauna but is awkwardly unclear about what signals she is sending. and his fear of his father so palpably that the reader’s stomach tightens in empathy. The author conveys Matt’s grief over T.J. Stiff, bruised, and suspended for a week, he worries only about what his violence-prone father will do to him when he gets home. Show him.Fight.' Matt breaks the student’s nose and smashes a glass trophy case. A vocal pacifist classmate’s antiwar slogans and graphic T-shirts push Matt over the edge: fists, blood, and Dad’s words in his head - 'Wuss. was killed in Iraq, Matt is so laden with anger and pain that he is on the verge of exploding. Seven months since his beloved brother T.J. A strong choice for reluctant readers and lovers of realistic fiction alike.-Richelle Roth, Boone County Public Library, KY and Matt are forced to deal with their own pain in secret. Could this be the incentive Matt needs to break away from his father's blind insistence that he pursue a future in the military? Kokie beautifully crafts a story about the troubled relationships between an emotionally stunted father and his two sons. was gay and had a long-term relationship with Celia's brother. However, in Wisconsin, Matt discovers a side to his brother he never knew: T.J. An impromptu road trip from Pennsylvania to hand deliver the letter sounds like a great escape from final exams and his volatile and violent father. At the bottom of the trunk, still sealed and addressed in T.J.'s handwriting, is the last letter his brother wrote to Celia, but never got to send.

When three trunks of T.J.'s belongings arrive on his doorstep, Matt discovers his brother's long-time relationship with Celia Carson by reading through stacks of letters. He's getting into fights at school, his grades are falling, and he's becoming distant with his friend and crush, Shauna. Gr 10 Up-In this gripping debut novel that doesn't pull punches, Matt, 17, is still reeling from the death of his brother, T.J., who was killed while serving in Iraq.

Personal effects by em kokie