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1.     Bbc.co.uk. (2018). The history of the Afghanistan war - CBBC Newsround. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/15214375 [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018].

2.     Badger, E. and Badger, E. (n.d.). How the Military Can Change Personalities, Slightly. [online] Pacific Standard. Available at: https://psmag.com/social-justice/how-the-military-can-change-personalities-slightly-40069 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2018].

3.     Anon, (n.d.). [online] Available at: http://www.pbs.org/thewar/at_home_family.htm] [Accessed 7 Apr. 2018].

4.     Ncfr.org. (n.d.). Returning home: What we know about the reintegration of deployed service members into their families and communities | National Council on Family Relations. [online] Available at: https://www.ncfr.org/ncfr-report/focus/military-families/returning-home [Accessed 7 Apr. 2018].

5.      The Conversation. (n.d.). Truth in war: what the ADF won't tell us about Afghanistan. [online] Available at: http://theconversation.com/truth-in-war-what-the-adf-wont-tell-us-about-afghanistan-6799 [Accessed 5 Apr. 2018].

6.     Al-sudani, T. (n.d.). 1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from PTSD. [online] msnbc.com. Available at: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5334479/ns/health-mental_health/t/returning-soldiers-suffers-ptsd/#.Ws3TOpNuZmA [Accessed 4 Apr. 2018].

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This novel was very effective in educating the target audience of young adults and teens about the issues associated with soldiers returning home from Afghanistan. The novel showed how the personality of soldiers can be very different when the return often more aggressive and less communitive. The novel also demonstrated how family dynamics can change from a more unison environment to focused on the wellbeing of their returned love one. Finally, the medias portrayal of events and how they may not have understood the full events before writing articles. Therefore, this novel gives a strong education what returning soldiers are forced to deal with when they get back home.

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The medias job is to report on things going on in the world and especially in smaller towns to have relevant news. The military control “media access to the troops is tightly managed by the ADF.” (5) this can mean that some stories are over exaggerated or not fully factual as they can come from the wrong sources or from minimal information. This can lead to incorrect news and can effect solderers that it is about as seen in Jammy.

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The novel was successful in educating the reader on the struggles with media portrayal of events through naming Jammy a hero. The media did not know all Jammy’s story on what had happened when Tommo died and they therefore named him a hero and the public followed this. Jammy knew that he had not been a hero and had tried to express this to his friends and family but no one understood until Jammy told Sonny what had happened. “A local soldier, heralded as a hero for his bravery in Afghanistan” This quote from the newspaper report in the novel shows how to newspaper represents Jammy in a hero and they talk about him being “brave under fire” and the like but the events did not happen in the same way. The media portrayal of the events in the novel help give the reader a good insight into the way these events may happen in life situations.

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When considering life situations family members who are left at home whilst their loved ones are away is often scary. A lady named Katharine Phillips whose brother was fighting away said “Its terrible to live in fear that you’re going to lose the person you love so, and you have no control over it at all.” (3) What Katharine says here is found in many other stories, she is worried something could happen that is out of control and she could lose her brother to it.

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Family become absorbed with Jammy being safeJammy, Sonny and his mother’s small family of three has always been built on strong relationships. When Jammy returned from the war the family became very absorbed in insuring that Jammy was safe and happy. She worried a lot asking “Do you think he’s OK?” It became more and more difficult to look after him as he became more aggressive towards his family, friends and in public.

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PTSD is extremely common in return soldiers 1 in 8 returning soldiers suffer from the effects of PTSD. This is because of the extreme things they see and experience they come back a changed person, constantly looking for possible threats, “one of the goals of the military is to break down the mentality you had in the outside world and they’re going to rebuild you up as a solider” This will continue effecting them for weeks months or years to come. (2)

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Fear is also an issue with soldiers suffering with PTSD in Jammy’s case it is expressed in the novel he seemed to fear most of all the thought of people thinking he had done things he may not have. In some ways, he had become more scared, it became as if he feared being called a hero. In this he also becomes more aggressive, when named a hero he retaliates with anger. Especially towards his friends and family, “He didn't get it. If just one person told him he was a hero, Jammy looked like he wanted to puke.” He fears people saying he is a hero and that if they were to name him a hero he was metaphorically sickened by that idea. This helps educate the readers on how soldiers feel and how small things can affect them more than others.

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The afghan war in some way first started with the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001, the USA believed that it was led by a man called Osama Bin Laden. There then became a lot of international pressure for locals to hand over Osama Bin Laden, this did not happen. This initiated USA to start target bombing al-Qaeda fighters and the Taliban.  Then finally in 2011 Osama Bin Laden was shot and killed. Now British and other countries forces are helping Afghanistan to rebuild into a stable nation. (1)

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Target audience: Young adults and teens.

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Target audience: Young adults and teens.

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The novel Heroic was a very eye opening novel, about a family where one son, Jammy, leaves to go to Afghan war with one of his best mates. He goes with an open mind although worries a lot about his friend. Later in the novel Jammy witnesses a local friend blown up by a IED, which affected him dramatically and caused PTSD. Then not long after the local boy dies, Jammy is still suffering with the effects witnessing the IED explosion, seeing his best friend Tommo get shot and killed. He is sent home and has to deal with being named a hero when he doesn't see it this way.

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In the novel the issue of PTSD is covered by helping to educate the audience about its affect on returning soldiers. When Jammy comes home it becomes more and more apparent that his trip and the experiences have changed him. He shows a lot of aggression once he returns home and this is very clear in his fight with his mother, she tries to apologise: “ ‘I’m sorry. I didn't mean it like it sounded. I’m just so relived’ (his mother said) Her eyes filled up but it didn't help." ‘we don't know what happened. I thought… maybe something had happened to you.’”  Then jammy responded to her, ‘I’m fine aren’t I? And I know this why? Because I am invincible. That's why they got Tommo instead. Because of me’” At this point in the novel Jammy is struggling with being named a hero and being congratulated, his mother is only happy that he is home safe. Jammy is very changed from the war and feels guilty for Tommo’s death. This helps shows how soldiers can come home changed and PTSD can affect them in many ways the novel has many more examples where this happens also.