Cover Image: The Ghosts We Leave Behind

The Ghosts We Leave Behind

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Member Reviews

I know the author of this book and his issues with PTSD from his military service. This book is a look into his life, world, and thoughts and it's enlightening. Not a fluffy read to be sure, but an important one.

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This was a very interesting look into one soldiers mind after deployment to a war zone. The thoughts and feelings that the author related were intense and the read could relate to them. This is a look into not only what a soldier does and feels in combat, but the hardship and adjustment they have to make when they come back home. It shows that it doesn't matter if they become a civilian or continue on in the military, there is adjustments and they are not easy. It shows those that have not served how protective military members are of their fellow brothers/sisters.

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Honest and reflective, Barrera creates a narrative that draws you in and holds you close, page after page. The book delivers the gritty detail of these Forever Wars without the feeling that the author is trying to shock the reader - it's simply being told as it is. This book is one of the best you'll read this year. For civilians, this book will bring you an understanding of what we have asked others to do, and what happens to them when they do it.

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Do you ever think about the Iraq War? The author gives us a look at his experience during the Iraq War. I found myself looking through the eyes of a soldier who has seen the bloody wreckage of war and then must come to terms to live his life afterwards. It seems as if there is one war on the battlefield and another one at home. War changes you but when you go home they expect to see the one they knew before he went to war.

The author has given me a view that I had not really acknowledge. I am grateful he wrote this book so I could see. A book that needs to be read!

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*Trigger Warning: The novel deals with PTSD, recalls of battle and soldier deaths, and struggles with suicide. If you are a veteran or find yourself triggered, please text START to 747-747 to speak with a live Crisis Counselor for free and confidential help. *



Al Barrera honors his time in the infantry and honors his fellow military brothers. The book is told through alternating chapters of his past military experience during the Iraq war and his present day struggles as a vet before 30.

I have a background in Psychology, and during my undergraduate studies I was a part of the PTSD research lab. The professor had found that there are three common forms of PTSD. Primary (the act happened to you, your flashback and panic is due to that traumatic event), Secondary (the act happens to someone else--like watching a friend die-- but you witness it thus reliving it through flashbacks and panic), and Moral (soldiers get through war with no issues and sometimes have no issues for quite a bit of time afterwards, but as questions of what may have actually happened pop up, PTSD forms). It is this final form that Benjamin suffers from.

It was interesting to get a glimpse into what it is like for a veteran to re-assimilate into civilian life. I am a proud Air Force brat. My father never explained what he saw or did in Desert Storm besides a few stories. I never pushed because you just learn not to do so. His military career and being a dad were to separate lives. But Barrera chose to speak about his experience and it was an educational glimpse into what we, as civilians, can never truly understand.

It was not the best story telling, and there isn't any form of plot, but it is always a good idea to continue reading the stories of those that fought and continue to fight for the United States and it was incredibly obvious that this was therapeutic for the author.

In all it is a solid 4 stars for their valor, dedication, the hell and back war story, and the ability to stay politically neutral.

Thank you to NetGalley and Al Barrera for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This book is about feelings, of a solder who was stationed during the war in Iraq and how the now veterans of today look back and see the war but more importantly the old veterans were never given counselling or help when returning home

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I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It pains me to only give this book 3 stars (it is probably closer to 3.5), because this the story and message behind this book should be heard by everyone. We should really be listening to the soldiers that were there fighting, especially right now, when decisions are being made on whether to send more back into Iraq (how many, what mission, how long, etc.). The reason for the 3 rating is that I really struggled to get into the first half of the book, and I think that jumping back and forth between the periods in time hurt with me being able to connect with the main character. The second half of the book for me is a solid 4.

What I liked about the book:
- It is a point of view unlike others that I have read - Benjamin/Jay ends up very disillusioned and struggling to find meaning in his life after seeing and experiencing the war the way he does. The author really conveys that struggle in a way that is almost tangible.
- Never having been to war myself, the author portrays a grittiness and roughness through the writing of this book and the language that is used that brings the war to the reader. A book about war and its aftermath should be uncomfortable to read at times.
- It is interesting seeing the point of view of a person in 3 different roles - first, the soldier, then the contractor, and also the student/veteran.

What I thought could have been better:
- The Benjamin in the first half of the book talks a lot about what is happening, but not as much about this thoughts surrounding what is going on around him, and the missions they are going on. As I said earlier in my review, this may have been because it skipped back and forth between the two time periods.
- I had a hard time keeping the other soldiers straight, with the exception of a few. For some reason, I remembered Kennedy pretty well, but there were a lot of others that came and went, and it was hard to follow who was who, even though the author cautions to not do that in the "note from the author" in the beginning. However, it is hard when you come across a character in Jay's later life, and you can't quite remember who they were, and it is hard to see the bonds between the people if you can't remember who they were or what they did.
- I am sure it is difficult to write a book about your experiences and put it all out there, and this book seemed like a memoir of sorts, but it is written in the grammatical third person. It felt like something was being held back. I read every word in this book, but it was just that; the times were few and far between when I was able to really FEEL what Benjamin/Jay was going through.

This is a solid book, worth the read - if you are interested in what our soldiers went through in Iraq, pick this up.

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