Reedy, Trent.
IF YOU'RE READING THIS
New York : Arthur A. Levine Books, 2014
IL YA
ISBN 0545433428

Sophomore Mike Wilson has perfected the art of living for the future. He studies hard, laying the groundwork for a college education. He works at a nearby farm, saving his money or putting it toward repairs around the house. And he doesn’t pester his overprotective mom with questions about his father, who died in Afghanistan when Mike was just eight. But everything changes when Mike receives a letter from his dad, dated May of 2004, that begins, “If you’re reading this, then I’m very sorry, but I didn’t make it home.” This letter, and the ones that follow, are filled with his father’s memories, hopes, and advice for his son, as well as a series of “missions” to help Mike live life to the fullest today. These missions include going out for a sport, acing a school assignment, and asking a girl for a date. Mike takes the football coach up on his offer to join the team, forging his mom’s signature on the permission forms. He also grows closer to Isma, an Iranian-American girl in his class. But in the back of his mind, Mike wonders who is sending the letters, what really happened on the day his father died, and what will happen when all of these secrets are finally revealed. This is a moving novel with a very authentic small-town feel, and meaningful themes of family, teamwork, and living in the moment. You will relate to Mike’s struggles to balance doing the right thing, fitting in, and winning the girl, all while trying to finish his Hamlet assignment on time.    (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)