BOMB BOY: A Novel

What if you lived in a world where a child could lose his entire family, his hope, and even his life, yet no universal force would come to the rescue? A world where innocence accounted for nothing, and love could easily be diffused by a trigger? This is the reality of what happened in Iraq; there is no other reality. Set against the backdrop of the Iraq War, this heartbreaking story explores the unlikely friendship that comes about after the actions of Santoli, a Marine, costs eleven-year-old, Ali, to lose his entire family—a secret that has been kept from him since the accident. Brought jarringly together by war and loss these two battered souls find some solace together. But soon, their bond is destroyed, after the truth is revealed. Desperately seeking redemption for the wrongs he committed against Ali, Santoli returns to Iraq after his tour, trying to find him, before the insurgency gets their hands on him, turning him into a weapon. Examining the concept of violence, revenge, family, and loyalty, Bomb Boy is a constant reminder that no one is exempt from the consequences of war, be it man or child.