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When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart. But he doesn't feel like a hero.
There's a memory that haunts him: an image of a young Iraqi boy as a bullet hits his chest. Matt can't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in his death. But because of a head injury he sustained just moments after the boy was shot, Matt can't quite put all the pieces together.
Eventually Matt is sent back into combat with his squad—Justin, Wolf, and Charlene—the soldiers who have become his family during his time in Iraq. He just wants to go back to being the soldier he once was. But he sees potential threats everywhere and lives in fear of not being able to pull the trigger when the time comes. In combat there is no black-and-white, and Matt soon discovers that the notion of who is guilty is very complicated indeed.
National Book Award Finalist Patricia McCormick has written a visceral and compelling portrait of life in a war zone, where loyalty is valued above all, and death is terrifyingly commonplace.
Sean94
Posted April 5, 2011
The book, Purple Heart, captivates your attention not only on the plot but also the way in which it is told. Patricia McCormick not only focuses your reading on the many aspects of war but also, the drama that goes along with being in battle. I think the author could have added e a little bit more detail about the action and more detailed flashbacks to the alley where Matt was wounded and killed the little boy. Also McCormick could have focused more on the fact that Matt wanted to recover faster from his injury. I think that Patricia could have added another chapter at the end to extend on the story a little bit more. The author did a great job describing the relationship between Matt and the psychiatrist. She also could have gone into more detail about where the hospital was exactly in Sadam's palace. Over all my rating for this book would be an eight point seven.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Purple Heart is a wonderful book that keeps you hooked the whole way through. Its based on the men and women who serve in Iraq. Many of the soldiers in Iraq were are yet teenagers when this war began. What they and the children of Iraq are experiencing is not a political issue-it is a human issue. Purple Heart is a visceral and affectiong portrait of their world. I highly recommend this book. Though Patricia McCormick does use some strong laungage at many times it show the realism that goes on every day in Iraq.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Going to war wasn't a first choice for Matt Duffy, but it seemed like the most sensible. He hadn't done that great in school, so college for him didn't really make sense. On the other hand, his little sister was a good student, and joining the Army would provide the necessary funds to send her to college when the time came.
Whatever his reason for joining up, Matt found himself in the middle of Iraq doing the patriotic thing for his country. Even though they warned the young soldiers during basic training, he was surprised by the heat, the noise, and the people. There were slow days with routine missions; welcome days after some of the scary attacks Matt had witnessed. Recently, they'd lost their squad leader, a fellow named Benson.
Amazing that this fact is one of the few things Matt can remember as he wakes up and finds himself in a hospital, answering questions from a man in scrubs standing at the foot of his bed.
When Matt begins to ask questions of his own, he learns that when he and his partner, Justin, followed an insurgent into a dead-end alley, there was an explosion and he suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury). With the exception of a weakened right leg, everything else seems to be in working order. Doctors are prescribing rest and saying he'll be back with his unit in no time.
With time to think, Matt is trying to remember just exactly what happened. As events of the attack begin to come back to him, he realizes he may have been responsible for something terrible. How can he bring back the memories - and does he really want to remember?
Patricia McCormick shares the life of an American soldier in Iraq. YA novels dealing with the Iraq War are beginning to appear on bookstore shelves, and PURPLE HEART offers readers a chance to experience the war through the eyes of a young soldier trying to make sense of why he is fighting and whose lives he is effecting in this controversial war.
McCormick reveals not only the point-of-view and mindset of American troops, but also a glimpse of the life of the regular Iraqi citizen trying to cope in a country at war. Teens thinking about military service, teens that have family and friends stationed in Iraq, or teens just curious about the distant place they hear about on the news will all benefit from and appreciate the service and story of Matt Duffy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Hughes5
Posted January 21, 2012
My son who is in 7th grade and 13 LOVED this book. In fact, he is on his third time reading through the book.
Heartwarming story and educational in the fact of a different perspective of war from a teenagers point of view.
Great read!
davidjh
Posted September 27, 2011
This book is one of the worst I have ever read in my life! I had to stop reading the book early, because of the bad language. If you want to keep your mind clean, do not read this book.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 15, 2011
I could not put it down. I brought it every were. Its a page turner thet you never want it to end.
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Posted February 27, 2011
this book gives a clear understanding of what can happen to people in war. A great book.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was amazing because of the realism and truth. The story is a very good look into the real life situations that American soldiers are facing over in Iraq, Iran, and Afgan. It is a great read for any war fan or anyone considering joing the military. Great eye-opener.
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Overview
When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart. But he doesn't feel like a hero.
There's a memory that haunts him: an image of a young Iraqi boy as a bullet hits his chest. Matt can't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in his death. But because of a head injury he sustained just moments after the boy was shot, Matt can't quite put all the pieces together.
Eventually Matt is sent back into combat with his squad—Justin, Wolf, and Charlene—the soldiers who have become his family during his time in Iraq. He just wants to go back to being the soldier he once was. ...