Things A Brother Knows is a novel written with hardly any symbolism, and is extremely clear and easy to read. The novel provides a real account of what military families go through after sending a loved one to war, a reality thousands of teenagers experience every year in America. The novel is extremely easy to read as it is told from the point of view of a young high school junior. The point of view in the story allows it to be an easy read for teens because there is language and vocabulary used every day by kids around this age. For example, the author writes “Don't worry about the finish line. Don't question what you're doing. Just quiet your mind and keep up the pace” (Reinhardt 78). This quote illustrates that while the diction is simple and straight-forward, teenagers whom the book is intended for may still understand the depth of the themes and morals set forth in the novel. In addition to being simple in diction, the novel is simple in the ideas the author wishes to convey to the teenage reader. The language used by Reinhardt allows for this to be a quick and easy read while enjoying a story about real issues in America today. The issue of having a loved one return from war eliminates any element of escaping into a fantasy world while reading this story. Everyday thousands of families have soldiers returning home or not returning. This novel shows the struggle the family goes through not knowing if and when their son or brother will return home to them safely. Once he does finally return home safely the struggle of life after the war is seen. Post-traumatic stress disorder is prevalent now a days in almost every soldier that returns home and no one in the states can relate to what they have gone through overseas. It is obvious in the novel how hard it is for a soldier to return to everyday life and how big of an issue this truly is in America. The struggle of returning to normality is seen throughout this book and how hard it is for a family to cope with that struggle. The easily understood vocabulary and the acknowledgment of real life issues make this book enjoyable for any reader. I enjoyed this book due to the fact that it deals with real life issues, especially issues in the United States more so than other countries. I personally do not know what it is like to deal with the struggle of having someone return from war and having to watch them return to normality, however, this novel gave me that inside look and showed me what it may be like.