A moving new story by a rising voice in YA contemporary fiction that SLJ has called sincere and thoughtful Penna Weaver doesn t want to be an Army Girlfriend. She s been burned in the past, but Penna finally feels like this new town in Oklahoma might be home, and that her feelings for this new guy, David, might be love. But David is leaving to serve in Iraq, and Penna is left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna is torn with waiting for David to come home, exploring feelings for someone else and untangling the knots of the past to discover what really happened between her mother and grandmother, who also waited for a soldier to come home.
While He Was Away
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"strong entry in the growing genre of fiction about the Iraq war...strong characterization, the vivid setting of a small Oklahoma town and the clear depiction of present life." - Kirkus
About the Author
Karen Schreck once had lunch with the Queen of Holland. There were many forks. Perhaps this inspired her (failed) attempt at waitressing. Since, she s composed ads about high-end chocolates and low-heeled shoes, received her doctorate in Creative Writing, and encouraged people to write what they need to read. She lives outside Chicago with her husband and two children. Visit karenschreck.com/blog.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
By D. Cotton
Format:Paperback
(From my blog review on [...])
I started this book with particularly high expectations, and this was for two reasons; 1) I'm really enjoying YA contemporary at the moment, and this looked great, and 2) it had been particularly highly rated by another blogger, whose opinion I highly trust - Lea from LC's Adventures in Library Land - who rarely gives out 5 stars, but did so for this. Because of these two reasons, I was expecting something pretty darn good.
However, on this occasion, my expectations were not quite met. It's not that I disliked it - because I didn't - but it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be, either.
Let's start with the romance. I really do think that the cover - however beautiful - is very deceptive. Yes, I know that you should never judge a book by its cover, but what the cover is supposed to do, is give you a feel for the book, and from this cover, I expected it to be very romantic. I expected to root for the couple, Penna and David, all the way through the book, and be praying for their love to hold out through their difficult circumstances.
I had expected to really care.
At the beginning, they were fine, and I had started to feel for them, but as the book went on, I found that this feeling slowly faded away, and that I'd started caring about other things in the book much more than the couple (which is supposed to be the main focus of the book).
Penna starts to concentrate on distracting herself with work, new friends, and family reunion, and it seems that, although she obviously did miss David, he was eventually no longer at the forefront of her mind.
I also want to say that (without giving away any spoilers), I was very disappointed with the ending, and with what eventually happened between the two of them. I shall say no more on that though - I wouldn't want to spoil anything.
Saying this, though, I did really enjoy reading about what Penna did end up focusing on - particularly when it came to her estranged Grandmother, Justine, who has a past that Penna finds she can relate to. I loved Penna's fascination with this past, and with a woman she'd never really known, and her thirst to know more about her Grandma was great. I'm really glad that this storyline became more prominent.
Don't get me wrong, I really did love Penna's character, in the end. She was kind, considerate, generous, mature (most of the time), and it was really great to watch her change and develop as the story went on (although I did find it a little strange that she called her Mom 'Linda'). But in the end, I stopped caring about her relationship with David, almost entirely.
This is possibly because we really didn't get to see much of David at all. He is obviously there at the beginning of the book, when we get to know Penna and David as a couple, but he leaves with the army very early on, and we don't see him 'in person', past this point. Aside from the odd short email, or phone call, we don't really know what he was doing, and we never really get to know him better for ourselves (rather than just what Penna says about him).
I'd be really interested to read David's side of the story - even as just a short story or something. I think it would give this book a little something extra, and would maybe change the way I feel about the romance.
The town that this book was set in, Kildeer, was really bought to life for me. It was so well described. I did feel as though, by the end of the book, I'd almost be able to find my way around, if you dropped me off there. I hope you understand what I mean, when I say that the setting was really solid and comfortable, and I almost felt at home there, by the time I'd finished reading.
This happened particularly with Red Earth, Penna's Mother's restaurant. For some reason, it just felt like a really happy, cosy place to be.
I think that the setting, for me, was probably the thing that I enjoyed most about the book.
Overall this book has not made a great deal of an impression on me, and I don't think it's going to be a particularly memorable one, but I did enjoy reading it, and I wanted to read to the end, to find out what happened.
So if you're a fan of YA contemporary fiction, I would still absolutely recommend giving it a go, and see what you think.
This is a nice, light, summery read, somewhere between 3 & 4 stars.
I started this book with particularly high expectations, and this was for two reasons; 1) I'm really enjoying YA contemporary at the moment, and this looked great, and 2) it had been particularly highly rated by another blogger, whose opinion I highly trust - Lea from LC's Adventures in Library Land - who rarely gives out 5 stars, but did so for this. Because of these two reasons, I was expecting something pretty darn good.
However, on this occasion, my expectations were not quite met. It's not that I disliked it - because I didn't - but it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be, either.
Let's start with the romance. I really do think that the cover - however beautiful - is very deceptive. Yes, I know that you should never judge a book by its cover, but what the cover is supposed to do, is give you a feel for the book, and from this cover, I expected it to be very romantic. I expected to root for the couple, Penna and David, all the way through the book, and be praying for their love to hold out through their difficult circumstances.
I had expected to really care.
At the beginning, they were fine, and I had started to feel for them, but as the book went on, I found that this feeling slowly faded away, and that I'd started caring about other things in the book much more than the couple (which is supposed to be the main focus of the book).
Penna starts to concentrate on distracting herself with work, new friends, and family reunion, and it seems that, although she obviously did miss David, he was eventually no longer at the forefront of her mind.
I also want to say that (without giving away any spoilers), I was very disappointed with the ending, and with what eventually happened between the two of them. I shall say no more on that though - I wouldn't want to spoil anything.
Saying this, though, I did really enjoy reading about what Penna did end up focusing on - particularly when it came to her estranged Grandmother, Justine, who has a past that Penna finds she can relate to. I loved Penna's fascination with this past, and with a woman she'd never really known, and her thirst to know more about her Grandma was great. I'm really glad that this storyline became more prominent.
Don't get me wrong, I really did love Penna's character, in the end. She was kind, considerate, generous, mature (most of the time), and it was really great to watch her change and develop as the story went on (although I did find it a little strange that she called her Mom 'Linda'). But in the end, I stopped caring about her relationship with David, almost entirely.
This is possibly because we really didn't get to see much of David at all. He is obviously there at the beginning of the book, when we get to know Penna and David as a couple, but he leaves with the army very early on, and we don't see him 'in person', past this point. Aside from the odd short email, or phone call, we don't really know what he was doing, and we never really get to know him better for ourselves (rather than just what Penna says about him).
I'd be really interested to read David's side of the story - even as just a short story or something. I think it would give this book a little something extra, and would maybe change the way I feel about the romance.
The town that this book was set in, Kildeer, was really bought to life for me. It was so well described. I did feel as though, by the end of the book, I'd almost be able to find my way around, if you dropped me off there. I hope you understand what I mean, when I say that the setting was really solid and comfortable, and I almost felt at home there, by the time I'd finished reading.
This happened particularly with Red Earth, Penna's Mother's restaurant. For some reason, it just felt like a really happy, cosy place to be.
I think that the setting, for me, was probably the thing that I enjoyed most about the book.
Overall this book has not made a great deal of an impression on me, and I don't think it's going to be a particularly memorable one, but I did enjoy reading it, and I wanted to read to the end, to find out what happened.
So if you're a fan of YA contemporary fiction, I would still absolutely recommend giving it a go, and see what you think.
This is a nice, light, summery read, somewhere between 3 & 4 stars.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars
31 reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Review from MajiBookself
29 May 2012
By Juhina & Farah @ Maji Bookshelf
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I had hopes that While He Was Away would be an eye opening, emotional experience for me, but unfortunately, it was not that. I understood it was about a girl's boyfriend being drafted and going off to Iraq, and the struggles she will be facing once he was gone. However, throughout the whole book I did not feel any emotional connection towards Penna. I felt like there were too many things going on in the book. Unnecessary things that do not have any relation to the main plot of the book but were added to just increase the page count. Penna needing so much to look for her long lost grandmother all of a sudden raised a lot of question marks for me. Her weird relationship with her mother and blaming her for everything just ticked me off. I felt like she was the most ungrateful child ever! Even though her mother sacrificed SO MUCH for her, she still treated her like dirt and that totally rubbed me the wrong way.
Then we've got her relationship with David's fallen out best friend Ravi. After David left to Iraq, Penna had only a handful of encounters with him but somehow the idea of more kept on wedging in to the plot. I was just so confused on WHY would Penna even need to assure herself multiple times that he is just David's friend. Even though all they ever did was exchange a few awkward conversations. Yes, the plot could have gone in that direction, but with barely anything happening and for her to feel that way was just absurd.
To be honest, what really made me so disconnected with all the characters was a scene that happened with David and Penna. They went on a website to play this game where the target was an arabic guy, and the point of the game was to shoot red paintballs so they will splatter all over him (as if he is bleeding). While Penna was hesitant, David told her "Think of 9/11, he totally deserves this". Now THAT was so unbelievably offensive towards me and such an unbelievable generalization that I was stunned for a minute or two. I am muslim and arabic and like the rest of the world, I was horrified by what happened on 9/11. I really hate how as soon as people hear arabs and muslims nowadays they associate it with the act of terrorism. Which is why it hurt a little to read about that incident and I just lost all connection with these characters, which was why I just couldn't get into the story. I do know the author wanted to portray the reality of how many people think, I respect her for that, but I lost all connection or care for these characters after that.
All in All, While He Was Away held promise, however the main plot was not strong enough and the addition of many secondary plots somehow ruined the overall experience of the book. I hoped for more emotional, soul searching type of book, but that was not what I got. However, as always, if the book seems interesting, pick it up! you might enjoy it way more than I did.
Then we've got her relationship with David's fallen out best friend Ravi. After David left to Iraq, Penna had only a handful of encounters with him but somehow the idea of more kept on wedging in to the plot. I was just so confused on WHY would Penna even need to assure herself multiple times that he is just David's friend. Even though all they ever did was exchange a few awkward conversations. Yes, the plot could have gone in that direction, but with barely anything happening and for her to feel that way was just absurd.
To be honest, what really made me so disconnected with all the characters was a scene that happened with David and Penna. They went on a website to play this game where the target was an arabic guy, and the point of the game was to shoot red paintballs so they will splatter all over him (as if he is bleeding). While Penna was hesitant, David told her "Think of 9/11, he totally deserves this". Now THAT was so unbelievably offensive towards me and such an unbelievable generalization that I was stunned for a minute or two. I am muslim and arabic and like the rest of the world, I was horrified by what happened on 9/11. I really hate how as soon as people hear arabs and muslims nowadays they associate it with the act of terrorism. Which is why it hurt a little to read about that incident and I just lost all connection with these characters, which was why I just couldn't get into the story. I do know the author wanted to portray the reality of how many people think, I respect her for that, but I lost all connection or care for these characters after that.
All in All, While He Was Away held promise, however the main plot was not strong enough and the addition of many secondary plots somehow ruined the overall experience of the book. I hoped for more emotional, soul searching type of book, but that was not what I got. However, as always, if the book seems interesting, pick it up! you might enjoy it way more than I did.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
28 May 2012
By Hannah @ Paperback Treasures
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I was so, so excited to read While He Was Away - I love the whole idea, and it looked right up my alley. I hate when I'm disappointed by a book I had such high hopes for, but sadly, that's the case with While He Was Away. I wouldn't say it's a bad book, but it didn't live up to my expectations.
While He Was Away turned out to be a little different from what I'd expected. I'm not sure why - maybe because of the last sentence of the description - but I thought it would be about the time when David comes back, about how war changed him, that kind of thing. Rereading the description, I know that's my fault, since it's clear it's actually about how David leaves and what happens immediately after he leaves, but still, I ended up a little disappointed, seeing how little the "war changed him" aspect is addressed.
But first, the postive: Family turns out to play a much more important part in the story than you could tell from the description, and I really liked that aspect. I don't want to spoil anything, but there's some family drama that relates to Penna's current situation. I liked reading about Penna's grandmother and her struggle with Alzheimer's, as well as how her family's past influences Penna now. That was probably my favorite part of the novel.
What I didn't like, though, are the characters. I started out disliking Penna because she's so dependent on her boyfriend. I know, it's got to be hard, knowing her boyfriend is in danger, but how much of her life revolves around him still bugged me. Even before David leaves for Iraq, at which point it would be understandable, David is the most important thing in her life - she has no real girlfriends, and she does art but that isn't mentioned all that much early on. It just bugged me how dependent Penna is on David, how he's more important than taking care of herself. Later on, as Penna becomes stronger and more independent, I liked her better, but I still don't feel like she's a great character - I never felt like I really got to know her. It seemed like the reader couldn't go beneath the surface to really understand who Penna is.
The secondary characters are okay. I liked reading about Ravi and wish he'd played a more important role. The two girls Penna befriends, Caitlyn and Julie, are kind of bland, and I don't think the reader gets to know enough of their personalities.
Then there's the relationship between David and Penna. I wanted to like this part, I really did. But I just couldn't feel their relationship. I wanted to get to know David, even though he's not here, and I wanted to feel his absence and what it means for Penna, but I didn't. I would have liked some more flashbacks, some more scenes to show how Penna and David used to be, because the way it is, I never felt the chemistry between the two. That made it hard for me to feel for Penna missing David.
One thing I did like is what we find out about Iraq. I don't know much about the subject, so it was interesting to hear from David what it's like, serving in Iraq. I liked reading about life as a soldier, and especially about the orphanage and how that ties into the story.
I didn't care for the characters or the romance, so that made it hard for me to get into this book. It didn't make me feel all the things I was hoping it would. Still, While He Was Away isn't a bad book - I might have just had too high expectations, since this was one of my most-anticipated 2012-releases. I don't want to discourage you from reading this book - it just didn't make me, personally, feel as much as I had hoped it would. It's not a bad book, but it won't be going on my favorites-shelf, like I had thought it would when I first heard about it.
While He Was Away turned out to be a little different from what I'd expected. I'm not sure why - maybe because of the last sentence of the description - but I thought it would be about the time when David comes back, about how war changed him, that kind of thing. Rereading the description, I know that's my fault, since it's clear it's actually about how David leaves and what happens immediately after he leaves, but still, I ended up a little disappointed, seeing how little the "war changed him" aspect is addressed.
But first, the postive: Family turns out to play a much more important part in the story than you could tell from the description, and I really liked that aspect. I don't want to spoil anything, but there's some family drama that relates to Penna's current situation. I liked reading about Penna's grandmother and her struggle with Alzheimer's, as well as how her family's past influences Penna now. That was probably my favorite part of the novel.
What I didn't like, though, are the characters. I started out disliking Penna because she's so dependent on her boyfriend. I know, it's got to be hard, knowing her boyfriend is in danger, but how much of her life revolves around him still bugged me. Even before David leaves for Iraq, at which point it would be understandable, David is the most important thing in her life - she has no real girlfriends, and she does art but that isn't mentioned all that much early on. It just bugged me how dependent Penna is on David, how he's more important than taking care of herself. Later on, as Penna becomes stronger and more independent, I liked her better, but I still don't feel like she's a great character - I never felt like I really got to know her. It seemed like the reader couldn't go beneath the surface to really understand who Penna is.
The secondary characters are okay. I liked reading about Ravi and wish he'd played a more important role. The two girls Penna befriends, Caitlyn and Julie, are kind of bland, and I don't think the reader gets to know enough of their personalities.
Then there's the relationship between David and Penna. I wanted to like this part, I really did. But I just couldn't feel their relationship. I wanted to get to know David, even though he's not here, and I wanted to feel his absence and what it means for Penna, but I didn't. I would have liked some more flashbacks, some more scenes to show how Penna and David used to be, because the way it is, I never felt the chemistry between the two. That made it hard for me to feel for Penna missing David.
One thing I did like is what we find out about Iraq. I don't know much about the subject, so it was interesting to hear from David what it's like, serving in Iraq. I liked reading about life as a soldier, and especially about the orphanage and how that ties into the story.
I didn't care for the characters or the romance, so that made it hard for me to get into this book. It didn't make me feel all the things I was hoping it would. Still, While He Was Away isn't a bad book - I might have just had too high expectations, since this was one of my most-anticipated 2012-releases. I don't want to discourage you from reading this book - it just didn't make me, personally, feel as much as I had hoped it would. It's not a bad book, but it won't be going on my favorites-shelf, like I had thought it would when I first heard about it.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet, atmospheric, charming, and just a little bit heartbreaking
11 Jun 2012
By Evie Seo (Bookish blog)
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
When I first heard about this book, I was hesitant to pick it up. Mainly because of its premise. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read a novel about teenage sweethearts separated by war. I admit, I was afraid that it would be either cheesy or over-dramatic, and I definitely didn't need another Hurt Locker. But then the reviews started pouring in, and they were all so gushy and enthusiastic, I knew I had to give this book a chance. And guys, I am so happy that I did! This book proved to be nothing short of brilliant. Absolutely and utterly amazing! Everything, from the poignant narrative voice, to the convincing characters and engaging plot, is excellent. It took me less than a day to devour it, and every moment I spent reading it was filled with emotions. In tender and almost poetic prose, Schreck captures not only the sweetness, anticipation and hopefulness of young love, but also angst, uncertainty and pain that comes from long-term separation. And she does it in a way that really pulls on your heart strings.
The premise of this book is very simple. A boy, a girl, first-love, and the war in Iraq. David signed up for the military service before Penna moved to Killdeer, but even if he could change his mind later, he probably wouldn't. It's something he wants/needs to do - for himself, for his family, for the country. He's scared, but also proud. He's a good kid, and although Penna's far from happy to see him go, she understands how much it means to him. And she promised him she'll wait for him as long as it takes. They will write letters and frequently call each other, and she will support him all the way through it. But that's the thing about life... Things don't always go as planned. Stuff happens. People change, bonds weaken, and fear and doubt slowly take over. In the end, the only thing that stays the same is the distance.
I honestly don't know what it is about this novel, but I absolutely adored it. It's a very melancholic and atmospheric read, full of warmth and thoughtfulness. And it's so incredibly authentic, so harrowing and moving.. I couldn't help but to fell under its charm. It is not a silly, cheesy romance, and definitely not a light summer fling. At the same time, though, it's not by any means a heavy or traumatizing story either. It's something in between, with just the perfect amount of happy and sad. It has its darker moments, when our characters go into withdrawal and seem to lose faith, but its overall tone is rather hopeful and positive. I liked how balanced it was, and how it made me feel a whole palette of emotions: from making me laugh, swoon, long, hope, to almost making me cry. Few books have ever given me so many feelings.
The characters.. oh, the characters! At times they are disturbingly real. There were moments when I felt like I was reading my own diary (and I know how weird it sounds, considering my husband never went to war). It's just that Penna's narrative voice was so authentic, vibrant and moving.. it really spoke to me! I was totally immersed in the story, to the point of losing track of time, skipping meals and - at times - forgetting to blink! I was mesmerized and spellbound, and I couldn't help but to sympathize with both Penna and David. I loved the chemistry between them. Their love was strong, beautiful and gentle, and it seemed more mature than what you usually see in YA. And let's not forget about Ravi, either! Ravi was another fascinating character, and one that really stood out to me. Sweet, charming, thoughtful and shy, he bounded with Penna and became her support system and a trusted friend. I can't put my finger on what it was exactly that made me like him so much, but I couldn't help it, I trusted him.
Overall, While He Was Away was a fantastic read, and one executed with utter skill and believability. It's a novel that takes two teenagers and a seemingly mundane premise, and turns it into a piece of fiction that is just as enthralling as it is touching, and just as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.
The premise of this book is very simple. A boy, a girl, first-love, and the war in Iraq. David signed up for the military service before Penna moved to Killdeer, but even if he could change his mind later, he probably wouldn't. It's something he wants/needs to do - for himself, for his family, for the country. He's scared, but also proud. He's a good kid, and although Penna's far from happy to see him go, she understands how much it means to him. And she promised him she'll wait for him as long as it takes. They will write letters and frequently call each other, and she will support him all the way through it. But that's the thing about life... Things don't always go as planned. Stuff happens. People change, bonds weaken, and fear and doubt slowly take over. In the end, the only thing that stays the same is the distance.
I honestly don't know what it is about this novel, but I absolutely adored it. It's a very melancholic and atmospheric read, full of warmth and thoughtfulness. And it's so incredibly authentic, so harrowing and moving.. I couldn't help but to fell under its charm. It is not a silly, cheesy romance, and definitely not a light summer fling. At the same time, though, it's not by any means a heavy or traumatizing story either. It's something in between, with just the perfect amount of happy and sad. It has its darker moments, when our characters go into withdrawal and seem to lose faith, but its overall tone is rather hopeful and positive. I liked how balanced it was, and how it made me feel a whole palette of emotions: from making me laugh, swoon, long, hope, to almost making me cry. Few books have ever given me so many feelings.
The characters.. oh, the characters! At times they are disturbingly real. There were moments when I felt like I was reading my own diary (and I know how weird it sounds, considering my husband never went to war). It's just that Penna's narrative voice was so authentic, vibrant and moving.. it really spoke to me! I was totally immersed in the story, to the point of losing track of time, skipping meals and - at times - forgetting to blink! I was mesmerized and spellbound, and I couldn't help but to sympathize with both Penna and David. I loved the chemistry between them. Their love was strong, beautiful and gentle, and it seemed more mature than what you usually see in YA. And let's not forget about Ravi, either! Ravi was another fascinating character, and one that really stood out to me. Sweet, charming, thoughtful and shy, he bounded with Penna and became her support system and a trusted friend. I can't put my finger on what it was exactly that made me like him so much, but I couldn't help it, I trusted him.
Overall, While He Was Away was a fantastic read, and one executed with utter skill and believability. It's a novel that takes two teenagers and a seemingly mundane premise, and turns it into a piece of fiction that is just as enthralling as it is touching, and just as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.
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