Book Report: Last One In

'Facing dismissal over an erroneous story of celebrity infidelity, New York Daily Herald gossip reporter Jimmy Stephens is given a second chance. The country is about to go to war in Iraq, and the paper's veteran war correspondent is laid up after being hit by a delivery truck. To save his job, a reluctant and clueless Jimmy assumes the position. In Kuwait, Stephens joins a Marine infantry company and hitches a ride in a Humvee with four typical Marines: profane and irreverent, but thoroughly professional when necessary. The tough Marines, of course, tease the "sissy-ass civilian reporter," but sharing privation and sporadic combat affect Stephens and his Marine companions in unexpected ways. Though the war has changed dramatically since the initial invasion—lending a strangely dated feeling to the narrative—a steady flow of Yossarian-flavored absurdity ("We're the pro-Iraqi forces, and the anti-Iraqi forces are the Iraqis") smooths out the bumps in Stephens's odyssey.'

Author Nicholas Kulish, a journalist who was embedded with a Marine attack-helicopter unit for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, draws on that experience for this satirical debut novel. Last One In is very reminiscent of the 2005 box office hit, 'Jarhead', both stories having similar plots and views. But without sexy Gyllenhaal as distracting eye candy, Last One In is able to focus more on the morals and ethics of a war which many people don't understand. I loved this story for the protag's naivety--not ignorance or stupidity, but Jimmy maintains the attitude of 'If it's not happening to me, why should I care?'. But once even when Jimmy is in the back of a Humvee in heading straight for the front lines, he doesn't understand exactly why the war is happening in the first place. I found it comforting to know I'm not the only one who doesn't completely 'get it', as I'm sure many readers did.

First paragraph:
"A small part of Jimmy was offended at the thought of someone eating gold. It was a very small part, and shrinking dangerously fast. But it was still there."

Kulish has expertly woven together his personal experiences into fiction, creating real, memorable characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and heartbreaking tragedy. Jimmy has been yanked from his lavish world of tabloid reporting and thrown into a whole new world--and several times he tries to escape this 'call to arms'.
"What Jimmy liked most about his cover story as he prepared to sneak away from his squad and find a way back to Kuwait was its elegant simplicity. Rather than some transparently elaborate lie, he'd told them he was going 'to get something' from 'over there'. Leaving his stuff behind probably had thrown them off his trail. Waiting till morning also had been a good idea, if only because he could see where he was going."

Jimmy's character arc is very satisfying. When I started reading, I quickly assessed his character and made guesses as to how he would change, but Kulish exceeded my expectations.

"It was breathtaking that someone could spend weeks in a war zone and only worry about himself. It was egotism worth noting in a textbook somewhere, but he didn't know where. Jimmy was alone for the first time. Now he threw up, puked his guts out under the tires of a high-backed Humvee, more scared than he'd ever been. Fear for one is only so big, but fear for dozens or hundreds was too much. Doug and Woody could get hit on assignment. He needed to find out where Becky was, if she was okay. Their families back home must have been sick with worry. And his own family. He wanted to do something. He owed everyone so much, and there was only one option. So he wrote."

Five out of Five stars for a well-rounded, teaching, emotionally satisfying book. I'm eager to see what Kulish comes out with next.