52 pages • 1 hour read
Purple Heart
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Book Brief
199
Novel • Fiction
Iraq • 2000s
2009
YA
12-18 years
Super Short Summary
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick follows 18-year-old Army Private Matt Duffy, who wakes up in a military hospital in Iraq with a traumatic brain injury and partial memory loss from an RPG attack. As Matt struggles to recall the events leading to his injury, he pieces together fragmented memories involving his squad mate Justin and a local Iraqi boy named Ali. Matt's journey to regain his memory reveals critical truths about the incident, his relationships, and the impacts of war.
Dark
Suspenseful
Emotional
Challenging
Mysterious
Reviews & Readership
3,043 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick has been praised for its realistic portrayal of war and the psychological effects on soldiers. Readers commend the engaging narrative and well-developed characters. However, some critics feel that the story sometimes lacks depth and complexity in handling its themes. Overall, it's seen as a compelling, insightful read suitable for a young adult audience.
Who Should Read Purple Heart?
Readers who enjoy compelling, realistic war novels with strong emotional depth will appreciate Patricia McCormick's Purple Heart. Those captivated by the psychological and moral dilemmas faced by young soldiers in books like Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried or Walter Dean Myers’ Sunrise Over Fallujah will find this novel equally engaging.
3,043 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
199
Novel • Fiction
Iraq • 2000s
2009
YA
12-18 years
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