Tim Tharp

Ceejay McDermott lives in Knowles, IA and not much goes on in her small town. She idolizes her older brother Bobby because he is B-A-D-D, BADD (she never explains why there is an extra d), and so is she. She has always felt he was the only one in the family who understood her but he is not around right now. He had a wild streak that got him arrested for drugs and the plea deal included enlisting in the army. He was sent to Iraq and Ceejay discovers he came back earlier than he should have. She wonders why he is not coming to the house and seems to be avoiding her. As the story unfolds, it is clear that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but Ceejay seems to never have heard of it and is at a loss as to how to help. The requisite new, quirky boy in town, whom she and her friends refer to as Mr. White because he always wears white, suggests that maybe that is what is wrong with Bobby and their fledgling friendship hits a rocky patch. The author throws in a bunch of other contemporary problems including a grandmother with cancer, a potentially rocky marriage threatened by the town hussy, Captain Crazy, sibling issues, and a Vietnam vet who factors into the solution to Bobby’s problems. The character development is strong and the subplots add depth but the resolution is a bit too pat.… (plus d'informations)