Kevlar, Tattoos and Invisible Scars

Editorial Reviews

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/kevlar-tattoos-and-invisible-scars

• Reviewed by Makeda Cummings for Readers' Favorite
• In Kevlar, Tattoos and Invisible Scars, Matthew West-James gives us a zero-filter look at the mental conflict of coming home from Iraq and feeling like a complete fraud. As an 88M truck driver, he saw combat and earned the medals, yet spent years convincing himself that his role and experiences still didn’t count. He treats his own trauma like a secondary issue, constantly comparing his own war experiences to the horror stories of others and deciding that his own pain just doesn't count. Matthew maps out his life through the ink on his skin, using his various tattoos to build a version of himself that can survive the guilt of being fine on the outside. For example, there are tattoos of an Omega symbol for teenage finality and an Ordnance shell for an identity he lost almost as soon as he earned it. This is an incredibly real account of a man who is his own worst enemy and spends years gatekeeping his recovery, yet eventually realizes that smoothing over the truth just to make it cleaner only makes things worse.Kevlar, Tattoos and Invisible Scars by Matthew West-James is a military memoir that feels more like an open wound than a history book. The author avoids the typical hero ego and instead gets really honest about the emotional and mental side of veteran imposter syndrome. He describes it perfectly as the gap between what is true on paper and what feels true in your chest. His writing style is blunt and raw, and I loved how he didn’t try to hide the rough edges in his story. He’s incredibly vulnerable about the times he let his own internal rules run his life, and I value how he admits that the toughest battle was often within himself. It gives the book so much depth because he’s willing to show that his resilience was often just a mask for the deep insecurity he was feeling. For me, the way he tackles the invisible scars of the VA process and personal identity is just masterfully written. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who thinks they need to earn the right to ask for help.
• Reviewed by Leonard Smuts for Readers' Favorite
• Military service, however noble, can result in unresolved trauma. When Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is added to existing mental health conditions, the impact is profound. Matthew West-James endured such a combination. He shares his story in Kevlar, Tattoos and Invisible Scars. Matthew came from a family that cared. They led lives dedicated to service and exemplified the hard work and sacrifices that this entailed. His father had been a military man who served with pride, but tended to downplay his achievements. This created an identity where struggle was expected and accepted without question. This set a family precedent. The author felt inadequate at times, as if he was cheating or unworthy. He forced himself to try harder in the midst of doubts and fears. The sense of not belonging was a heavy burden. The war in Iraq left him with repressed thoughts and post-traumatic stress. He divorced, hit rock bottom, and moved back home to live with his parents. He was later diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury. What emerges is a portrait of a man of honor who just wanted to do his job. His sense of honesty and integrity shone through as he began the healing process.Matthew West-James downplays his combat experiences in Iraq. At the time, he dismissed his military service as not counting. This was part of a pattern that came back to haunt him in later life. Kevlar, Tattoos and Invisible Scars is not a war story. In fact, combat is barely mentioned. It is about the road to recovery from trauma that begins when the problem is acknowledged and faced head-on. In this case, an incident in a parking lot was the turning point. Reality had to be reconciled with his belief in what actually happened in the past, without minimizing events. This book is a reflection on what matters and the need to understand yourself. It became a quest for identity in the face of self-doubt. Writing this book was therapeutic for the author. He looks back on wrong decisions and situations that could have been handled differently. He reminds readers that trauma is not always visible. Dealing with it was the key to a new start. This is a strong plea for others in similar circumstances to seek help. That help is available, so they should not delay. This frank, poignant, and heartfelt work will provide the necessary inspiration.
• Reviewed by Stewart Brian for Readers' Favorite
• Kevlar, Tattoos and Invisible Scars by Matthew West-James is a well-written book that offers hope to readers who are stuck with a mindset and internal struggle that is preventing them from making consistent progress, as a result of pride, fear, or doubt. Matthew starts by recounting experiences that reinforced his beliefs and shaped his approach to life, beginning from his childhood. Mathew thought serving in Iraq would prove his identity and solve his insecurity, but this was not the case, as he lived in denial, admitting to himself that his invisible wounds did not count. Rather than asking for help, he resorted to patterns and questions that ruined any possibility of receiving it. He also writes about mindsets that became identities, such as not being able to tell the difference between persistence and stubbornness, the idea that doing the hard thing and the right thing is the same, and more.Stories and experiences of veterans are always inspiring to me. The author's honest writing about his struggles appealed to me, and I could relate to some of them. He took responsibility for the times he was wrong and lived in denial, which was courageous, and I sincerely commend him for that. I loved the picture of Matthew’s tattoos and the stories behind them. From this book, I learned the value of seeking timely help. The writing is concise, organized, well-paced, and easy to comprehend. It featured themes on trauma, emotional healing, identity, mental health, self-acceptance, and more. I recommend Kevlar, Tattoos and Invisible Scars by Matthew West-James to all self-help fans and anyone struggling with identity issues and needing healing from past trauma.