Coming into this novel, I didn't really read the summary except enough to gather that it was about the Great War. Automatically drawn to anything involving war, I took it upon myself to read the book, hoping for something similar to "All Quiet on the Western Front." What I got was much more entrancing, much more emotional, much more memorable. Although I really shouldn't compare the book to "All Quiet," they are both war books and both give an anti-war stance. However, this is much more than just a book about war--this is a book about love, about how to deal with death and heartbreak. This is a book full of gut-wrenching emotions that pile over you like a steamroller. And yet, I loved every minute of it. I did not hate the ending, but I wasn't satisfied with it. Nonetheless, I won't let that affect my 5 star rating because it still had me an emotional wreck, which is what it was supposed to do. I will never forget the character of Tristan Sadler, and I've already recommended this to one of my former professors who taught literature on war since the book seems to be a collection of all war-related books read in that class. I'm not kidding when I say you could take "All Quiet," "The Return of the Soldier," and "The Great War and Modern Memory" and come out with this book. Outstanding. I will be randomly tearing up everywhere I go for the next few days. *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.