Dawn's Early Light by Nancy Krulik

Sarah's boyfriend Tim is shipping off to basic training in twenty-four hours. Sarah and Tim have their last day all planned out from the party at his parents house to hanging out at the beach with their friends. That morning, however, Sarah's family gets some terrible news about her brother Ronnie who is stationed in Afghanistan. Sarah tries to go on with her day as planned, however, she cannot help but thinking about her brother and the danger that Tim is about to face. While the major issue of the story is very contemporary and relevant, the book itself is kind of flat. Sarah's fears for Tim and Ronnie are honest and realistic but she lacks depths beyond her relationship.