Parents' Guide to Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am

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Common Sense Media Review

Michael Berry By Michael Berry , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Intimate, intense tale of soldier healing from brain injury.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Everyone expects high school senior Ben Bright to pursue his passion for theater in college, but he shocks his family and friends by enlisting in the Army Reserves. After he suffers a traumatic brain injury in Iraq, he is flown back to the States, where his parents, his autistic brother, his fiancee and his best friend all struggle to help him put back together the scattered pieces of his shattered identity.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

SOMEBODY, PLEASE TELL ME WHO I AM is a very intimate, intense chronicle of one young man's rehabilitation after a catastrophic war injury. The central event -- Ben Bright's recovery -- is presented from a number of intriguing angles, and the authors show how Ben's search for identity affects his parents' marriage, his fiancee's ideas of commitment, and his autistic younger brother's search for connection. Short and to the point, Somebody, Please Tell Me... addresses its serious subject with truth and grace.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the reasons why someone might choose to serve his or her country before going off to college. What might be the benefits of such a decision? The drawbacks?

Book Details

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