Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A gritty, hard-hitting, and honest portrayal of one young woman's difficult journey to putting the pieces of her life back together after serving in the Iraq War.More a crossover book for adults than one strictly for teens, this black-and-white graphic novel will slap some reality into readers who believe in the glamour of war. Liz, the white protagonist and a former military working dog handler, returns from Iraq after having her leg shattered, sustaining another injury that leaves a scar across most of her torso, and losing Ender, her German shepherd, to an IED. While the half-hearted welcome from the people in her Mayberry-like New Hampshire town makes her feel mildly appreciated, the fallout from PTSD, sexual violence she experienced while in the Army, blackout drunkenness, and an inability to trust anyone for any length of time leads to a downward spiral. Flashbacks accost her often, coming most predictably in vehicles, putting herself and others in danger. Only with the help of Jack, a Vietnam veteran, and Brutus, an aggressive stray dog she rescues from a roadside, does she begin to have hope. The story's strong language, graphic depiction of war, and Liz's unpredictable behavior make this an emotionally taxing read, but the ups and downs also effectively give readers a sense of Liz's trauma. A nuanced and skillfully composed snapshot of one woman's postwar struggle to live. (Graphic novel. 14 & up)

ALA Booklist (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

After a tour serving in Iraq, specialist Elizabeth Mastrangelo finds it difficult to transition back into civilian life. Haunted by flashbacks, Liz only finds comfort working with a troubled dog named Brutus at an animal shelter, hoping to save him from being euthanized. This covers a lot of subject matter, from rape in the military to the treatment of our veterans at home, but at times it takes on so much the core of the narrative gets lost, and it ends up reading like a piece of journalism rather than narrative fiction. Still, it does a good job documenting the struggles of coping with PTSD, and the female perspective of the book is a welcome change of pace. Stevens and Milevski's sketchy artwork, with heavy black ink and shading, is naturalistic, though sometimes distractingly stiff. Additionally, while this is published as YA, the lack of teen characters might limit teen appeal. In the hands of the right audience, however, this could powerfully hit home.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

A military dog handler is sent home to New Hampshire after being injured in an insurgent attack in which dog Ender saved her life. This graphic novel offers a poignant--and very adult--look at contemporary veterans' issues as Liz tries to cope with physical and emotional scars while readjusting to civilian society. The grayscale art seems to shift stylistically with Liz's mood.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A gritty, hard-hitting, and honest portrayal of one young woman's difficult journey to putting the pieces of her life back together after serving in the Iraq War.More a crossover book for adults than one strictly for teens, this black-and-white graphic novel will slap some reality into readers who believe in the glamour of war. Liz, the white protagonist and a former military working dog handler, returns from Iraq after having her leg shattered, sustaining another injury that leaves a scar across most of her torso, and losing Ender, her German shepherd, to an IED. While the half-hearted welcome from the people in her Mayberry-like New Hampshire town makes her feel mildly appreciated, the fallout from PTSD, sexual violence she experienced while in the Army, blackout drunkenness, and an inability to trust anyone for any length of time leads to a downward spiral. Flashbacks accost her often, coming most predictably in vehicles, putting herself and others in danger. Only with the help of Jack, a Vietnam veteran, and Brutus, an aggressive stray dog she rescues from a roadside, does she begin to have hope. The story's strong language, graphic depiction of war, and Liz's unpredictable behavior make this an emotionally taxing read, but the ups and downs also effectively give readers a sense of Liz's trauma. A nuanced and skillfully composed snapshot of one woman's postwar struggle to live. (Graphic novel. 14 & up)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Returning to her New Hampshire town after serving in Iraq, Liz Mastrangelo is celebrated as a hero, but she feels more like a ghost. She-s unable to reconnect with the people in her life, burning bridges left and right, and instead finds companionship with a mutt, Brutus, who reminds her of Ender, a military working dog that saved her life by sacrificing his. Brutus and Liz have plenty in common-both are essentially homeless and tend to explode at those around them. In their first book for teens, Johnson and Egleson craft a powerful, unflinching narrative that tackles a variety of issues connected to the impact of war, including PTSD, sexual coercion, finding new meaning in one-s life, and the well-meaning but unhelpful efforts of those who remained behind. The often minimalist backgrounds and careful, naturalistic detailing in Milevski and Stevens-s graphite drawings imbue the story with a sense of absence that aligns perfectly with Liz-s estrangement. Tense pacing and the speed of Liz-s unraveling will hold readers- focus in a sharp-edged portrait of a soldier-s struggle to re-acclimate to the civilian world. Ages 14-up. (Feb.)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Liz Mastrangelo has returned to her New Hampshire hometown after a brutal tour in Iraq. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and mourning the death of her military working dog (MWD), Liz struggles to make meaningful connections, even with the people who care about her. Restarting life becomes of series of obstacles, and Liz is, at times, her own worst enemy. An accidental connection with Brutus, a homeless and fearful stray dog who—like Liz—lashes out in knee-jerk reactions, offers a ray of hope. Johnson and Egleson’s story is frighteningly compelling. Raw but accurate emotional depictions fill the text, but this graphic novel misses the mark in several respects. The title acronym will be unrecognized by most readers. The illustrations, while showing evidence of artistic talent, are sometimes confusing. The gray tones, emphasizing the inertia of Liz’s hopeless detachment, are too heavy-handed. Nowhere evident are the various techniques, explained so beautifully in Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics (William Morrow, 1994/VOYA December 1994), that expert graphic novelists employ to draw the reader into the story. There is no dance between imagery and story here; MWD is more an illustrated story than a graphic novel. Still, much talent is apparent from both writers and illustrators. Hopefully, Johnson, Egleson, Milevski and Stevens will stick together for another round—a graphic novel that, unlike this one, is greater than the sum of its parts.—Lauri J. Vaughan.