In Be Safe I Love You, Lauren returns from duty in Iraq in time to spend the holidays with her family. From rural New York and a talented singer, she enlisted to provide for her family, especially her younger brother Danny. Despite calls from an army psychologist and hints from Lauren’s behaviour, nobody wants to ask too many questions. When she takes off with Danny, determined to rid him of his technology addiction and meet up with a solider she served with, the trip may have dangerous consequences. Hoffman’s writing is precise, confident and well-executed, as is the story, although it does lag in the middle and the ending is not entirely satisfying. Still, there is a quiet, troubling undertone to Lauren that lends the story its ominous atmosphere. Ultimately, Be Safe I Love You deftly tackles complicated issues like PTSD with thought-provoking characters, emotions and conversations.
