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Purple Heart

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 977 ratings · 276 reviews

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, Mat...more

Hardcover, 208 pages

Published September 1st 2009 by Balzer + Bray (first published August 18th 2009)

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Apr 11, 2011 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ala-ya-2010, 2011, ya

3.5 stars

18-year old soldier Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Baghdad. His memories of the events leading up to his hospitalization are spotty at best, he is suffering from TBI - traumatic brain injury. Matt is told that an RPG exploded next to him while he and his partner were pursuing a suspicious vehicle down a dark alley. But private Duffy feels that that is not all. His dreams are filled with the images of a 10-year old Iraqi boy shot through the chest. Matt starts to think he mig...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Anne Osterlund rated it 3 of 5 stars

Matt can’t remember. Not how he arrived in the army hospital. Or what year it is. Or who won the world series.

Though he misses his unit. He knows he’s in Iraq. He knows he wants to get back to Wolf and Justin and Charlene. He knows he’s a soldier.

But he doesn’t know why the army’s giving him a purple heart. Or why they won’t really ask him questions about what happened in the alley. With the dog with the broken tail. And the kid that floated-up, up, until all Matt could see was his sneakers.

Mayb...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-gold-star-award-winner, trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

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...more Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

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. (less)

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Dec 10, 2010 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

My overall opinion on the book is that is a pretty good book. There were a lot of parts that made you think and then there were a lot of parts that made you wonder what was going to happen. When the book starts out it seems kind of boring but it gets better throughout the book. The middle part where he is getting questioned and finally gets to go back is my favorite part. The one part that I absolutely hated was the ending. It was one of the worst endings if ever read in my opinion.
If you like w...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Nick rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is about a Private in the army, Matt Duffy, who suddenly wakes up in an army hospital in Afghanistan. Once awoken, Duffy is very nervous and unsure of what is going on. A little while later, Private Duffy is awarded a Purple Heart in honor of his service by a lieutenant colonel. In shock, Duffy tries to mutter a “” Thank you sir,” but nothing comes out. He later finds out that he has suffered from a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) but isn’t quite sure what it means. One memory specificall...more This book is about a Private in the army, Matt Duffy, who suddenly wakes up in an army hospital in Afghanistan. Once awoken, Duffy is very nervous and unsure of what is going on. A little while later, Private Duffy is awarded a Purple Heart in honor of his service by a lieutenant colonel. In shock, Duffy tries to mutter a “” Thank you sir,” but nothing comes out. He later finds out that he has suffered from a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) but isn’t quite sure what it means. One memory specifically haunts Matt: the image of an Iraqi boy who was shot and Matt feels like I is his entire fault. Once he is able to walk around, he begins going to a couple of other hospital beds to find out more information. He comes across many injured soldiers, just like himself and he is very interested in their stories. Eventually, Matt returns to his squad and he is very emotional but it does not feel the same as before he got injured. He also figures out that the situation with the person to blame is very confusing. Matt becomes very nervous about threats and feels like he is not able to pull the trigger in the right time.

I have always enjoyed learning about the war and the experiences that soldiers have to go through. I, myself, would like to join the military once I get older so this book was very interesting to me. I loved the way this book was written and I loved how the author put an image in my mind with every single situation that he could. This book flowed from page to page very well and I was able to fully understand every part in it. I also enjoyed the type of character that Matt Duffy was. He wanted to find out lots of information about anything, which made it easier to understand the specifics about what was going on. The only thing that I would watch out for would be the age of the readers reading this book. It was not super violent but it was still based around the war and what goes on during the war and it can often be disturbing to some people. All in all though, it was a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it to others interested in this subject.
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Dec 30, 2012 James (JD) Dittes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this story at the same time I listened to Kevin Powers's The Yellow Birds, and it suffered in comparison.

What's at the center of this novel isn't a battle, per se, but the murder of a young, Iraqi boy, an image the McCormick returns to again and again throughout the novel. As details of the murder slowly filter back into the concussed mind of private Matt Duffy, the broader picture of this war becomes fleshed out for the reader.

Matt is the last person to really give up on the dead boy. Th...more I read this story at the same time I listened to Kevin Powers's The Yellow Birds, and it suffered in comparison.

What's at the center of this novel isn't a battle, per se, but the murder of a young, Iraqi boy, an image the McCormick returns to again and again throughout the novel. As details of the murder slowly filter back into the concussed mind of private Matt Duffy, the broader picture of this war becomes fleshed out for the reader.

Matt is the last person to really give up on the dead boy. The commanders in the Green Zone have a falsified version of the attack that they expect Matt to rubber-stamp. Matt's colleague, Justin--the only other witness of the murder--refuses to offer the slightest shred of evidence. Matt's sergeant seems to be on constant look-out for excuses to look the other way instead of punishing insubordination in his unit.

The closest anyone in this book comes to making a value judgement about the murdered boy is in an aborted letter that Matt writers to his high-school-aged girlfriend back home:

This is a strange place. You think there are rules and there's right and wrong and you think officers are all assholes who only want to make your life miserable. And then you find out that everybody has a different idea of what's right and wrong. And that a lot of people act like they want to know what's going on but that they really don't--because then they might have to do something about it. Like I said, it's strange.

This book is a fascinating introduction to the 21st-century American warrior for young readers. I wouldn't recommend it as a source on the Iraq War because the scenes of war are so very limited (urban patrols, a suicide bomb attack). While the scenes of war are more detailed in The Yellow Birds, both books share a disinterest in the reasons for the war and the overall scope of the characters' respective missions.

Of course, these books share a hyper-focus on the individual soldier and an ignorance about the war in general with the American public and the nation's leaders who launched the war and waged it so tragically. THAT book has yet to be written. I only pray that it can be before a future president starts rattling sabers for the next "pre-emptive war."(less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature-fiction

Story Description:

HarperCollins Publishers|February 7, 2011|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-06-173092-4

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...more Story Description:

HarperCollins Publishers|February 7, 2011|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-06-173092-4

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 this squad; Justin, Wolfe, 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.

My Review:

Private Matt Duffy woke up in a hospital ward with someone sticking what felt like pins in his feet and legs and asking: “can you feel that, Matt?” Yes, he could feel it and that was a good sign. Panic washed over him as he strained to understand what was going on. He’d heard the doctor say “cognitive problems” and “traumatic brain injury.” He wanted to ask what was going on but the doctor had already left his beside, and he drifted off to sleep.

Next time he woke, he heard: “On behalf of the President of The United States and the citizens of a grateful nation…I award you the Medal of the Purple Heart, for wounds sustained in combat.” Matt didn’t want a medal he just wanted to know what was wrong with him. He felt his mouth flopping open and closed, gulping like a fish, but no sound came out. He then heard: “Your mission now son is to get better and get back out there.” Again, fatigue crashed down on him and he fell back into a thick, hazy sleep as he heard the man’s footsteps echoing across the marble floor as he walked away. Soon enough Matt would find out what happened to him.

Purple Heart is a story about war often “being fought by young people, like the ten-year-old Iraqi boy who finds himself in harm’s way in the story and two eighteen-year-old soldiers who must cope with his death and their part in it. All of them are children under pressures no – adult or child – should ever have to face.”

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May 17, 2012 Blake Hamar rated it 3 of 5 stars

The American soldiers in Iraq go through a lot everyday. The book, "Purple Heart" really does a great job describing the mental pain along with the physical pain. This book really makes you sit back and be thankful for the men and women who fight for our freedom.
The lives of the soldiers are at risk at any time of the day. They never know what will happen,and this book proves it by an incident that puts the main character, Matt Duffey, in the hospital for weeks. The book really expresses the tho...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Tammy Dahle rated it 4 of 5 stars

My Thoughts:
A Middle School Librarian asked me to preview this book before putting it on the shelf for her students. Purple Heart is a book I would have totally judged by it's cover and passed it over. I don't normally seek out books about war. I'm so very glad I had the opportunity to read Purple Heart and experience Patricia McCormick's amazing story.
Purple Heart gives you a chance to experience the War in Iraq from a soldier's point of view. It's not pretty. Matt is laying in a hospital bed...more My Thoughts:
A Middle School Librarian asked me to preview this book before putting it on the shelf for her students. Purple Heart is a book I would have totally judged by it's cover and passed it over. I don't normally seek out books about war. I'm so very glad I had the opportunity to read Purple Heart and experience Patricia McCormick's amazing story.
Purple Heart gives you a chance to experience the War in Iraq from a soldier's point of view. It's not pretty. Matt is laying in a hospital bed with a traumatic brain injury. As Matt lays there recovering he tries to piece together the moments he and a fellow soldier were caught in cross fire and a young boy was killed. We are with Matt as certain truths are revealed and the chain of events leading up to the explosion start to become more clear to him. Soon he is back in the field with his squad-but can he still trust them and can he still protect them. Everything is different and he is changed. He still needs to know what happened to this little boy and if he was the cause of his death. He can't move forward until he finds answers.
Matt is a very likable character and very soon you find yourself rooting for him and his quest for truth.
I loved having a first hand look into the Iraqi War, The soldiers and The civilians. It gave me better understanding into the relationships that have been built between the Iraqi people and soldiers and the politics that rule both their worlds.
My 16 yr old saw me reading this book and became interested in reading it for his English class. Hopefully he enjoys it as mush as I did.
I added this blurb from Patricia McCormick that I found on Amazon.com.
From the Author:
Patricia McCormick(taken from Amazon.com)
Sometimes a book begins with a single, unforgettable image.
A few years ago, I had the privilege of working on an unusual peace demonstration─one that united Vietnam vets with recent veterans from the war in Iraq and old-fashioned peaceniks. These unlikely groups were brought together by the American Friends Service Committee, the Quakers.
As a group, we arranged more than 3,600 pairs of combat boots, each one tagged with the name of a soldier who'd died in Iraq or Afghanistan, in a display that was meant to symbolize the real human cost of the war. Nearby, we laid out a pile of civilian shoes to symbolize the uncounted men, women and children who'd died in Iraq.
One pair of shoes caught my eye. It was a pair of sneakers, just the right size for a ten-year-old boy. I instantly saw that boy being shot in the chest, his small body flung into the air from the force of the blast. As much as I tried to forget such a horrific image, I couldn't. And so I spent the next few years imagining how such a thing could happen.
Purple Heart is a fictionalized look at that death, and how two young American soldiers may or may not have been involved in it. It isn't an anti-war book. It isn't a pro-war book. It's an attempt to portray how three children─two eighteen-year-old Americans and a ten-year-old Iraqi boy─have been affected by war.
It's estimated that more than 650,000 civilians have died in Iraq. Because this war has been fought in cities, in and amongst families, civilian fatalities have become the "signature" of this conflict─causing profound moral conflicts for soldiers and profound losses for those families.
I finished this book with as many questions as I had when I started. I came away with a deepened respect for our soldiers, a better appreciation of life in a war zone, and a strengthened commitment to peace. My hope is that readers will, too. (less)

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Aug 10, 2011 Lydia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary

Eighteen-year old Matt has been stationed in Iraq. He and his best friend Justin have adopted a kitten they call Itchy and play soccer with a young kid named Ali. On patrol, Justin and Matt are pinned down by enemy fire. Matt is hurt and Justin pulls him to safety. Only Matt can't seem to remember some things that happened; except seeing Al hit, and slowly fly backwards, showing the soles of his shoes.

This is an extremely powerful book. While there is very little actual violence, the reader can...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-reader-2011-2012

Matt Duffy awakes in an Iraqi military hospital with little memory of what happened to land him there. He has a traumatic brain injury resulting from from a run in with a rocket propelled grenade fired by hostile enemy combatants. As he begins his physical recovery, his memory returns in bits and pieces, jarring and troubling. He is awarded the Purple Heart medal for sustaining injury during combat but is troubled that he may not have acted nobly or with valor. He remembers the death of a young...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Mrs. Foley rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a Gateway nominee for 2011-2012. Patricia McCormick did such a great job on showing the human cost of a difficult subject in Sold (human trafficking and child prostitution). She does the same in this book about the Iraqi War.

Review from Publishers Weekly:
In this suspenseful psychological thriller, 18-year-old Matt Duffy, a private with memory problems following a traumatic brain injury, receives the Purple Heart in Iraq and gradually unravels the contradictory events that led to the hon...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Milly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, male-pov, young-adult

Audible Review

2 stars. I know. I just didn't connect with Purple Heart. I was waiting for that emotional connection one disc after another but it failed to evoke any strong emotions from me. I still could not pin point as to what made this experience just two-dimensional and forgettable. The narrator was just okay, his voice rather too mature for an 18-year old teenager. Perhaps that's a factor, perhaps not. It was just lackluster IMO.

Purple Heart starts with Private Matt Duffy, an 18-year old...more Audible Review

2 stars. I know. I just didn't connect with Purple Heart. I was waiting for that emotional connection one disc after another but it failed to evoke any strong emotions from me. I still could not pin point as to what made this experience just two-dimensional and forgettable. The narrator was just okay, his voice rather too mature for an 18-year old teenager. Perhaps that's a factor, perhaps not. It was just lackluster IMO.

Purple Heart starts with Private Matt Duffy, an 18-year old soldier, in the infirmary suffering from a traumatic brain injury after an RPG exploded next to him during an encounter with Iraqi insurgents in Baghdad with his mate, Justin. Matt finds himself having retrograde amnesia and mood swings due to his brain injury, not fully recalling what happened in the alley after they ran after the insurgents. As days go by and Matt begins to heal, Matt begins to remember fragments of that horrible day in the alley but eventually realizes that they are different from Justin's account of that eventful day. And he fears that the death of a young Iraqi boy, Ali, was his doing.

This book gives us a good insight of American soldiers' lives in Iraq and the friendships they develop with their comrades who become brothers and sisters to them. It also gives us a glimpse of the possible dangers innocent friendships made with the Iraqi people could pose. Something so innocent could turn into something so deadly especially in a place where enemies hide behind children and women. Likewise, we see how our American soldiers are tested time and time again from all the killing and the deaths of their comrades they feel responsible for or mourn. It's no wonder many of them come out of this war (or any war) with post traumatic stress disorder and are haunted all their lives by the atrocities of war. Matt is no exception. And the only reason why Matt joined the army in the first place was so he could start helping with the expenses at home early and hopefully get his younger sister a chance to go to college.

The ending IMO was predictable. I wished more from Matt's characterization. I should feel more for him but despite the challenges and inner turmoil he goes through, none of that seem to transcend through pages for me. When my heart should be breaking and my tear ducts emptying, they didn't. This book failed to melt my heart of Tin unfortunately. Perhaps a re-read will result to more stars.
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Jun 05, 2011 Karen Ball rated it 4 of 5 stars

Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, with a traumatic brain injury -- think massive, massive concussion from being near an explosion. Matt is awarded the Purple Heart, a medal given to soldiers who are injured in battle, and something usually associated with heroism. He doesn't feel very heroic, mostly because he can't really remember what happened, and he has weird memories that he thinks are part of the events of that day... but they don't make sense and he can't figure out...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Bryan Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a well-written look at a young soldier's life in the Iraq war, with language that is accessible for YA readers. In many respects, Matt Duffy, the protagonist, and his compatriot Justin are just kids, dealing with the ups and downs of life in combat. As the book begins, we learn that Matt has been "on the business end" of an RPG and is being evaluated for TBI (traumatic brain injury). The investigation into "the incident" dominates much of the early part of the novel, shedding light on th...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Dan Thorson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-materials

Patrick Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq. He is awarded the Purple Heart, but does not feel honored. Something isn't right. He can't remember most of the events leading up to his injury. What he does remember haunts him-an Iraqi boy he befriended floating in the air, a dog with a broken tail, and a candy wrapper caught on a fence. Duffy has suffered a traumatic brain injury; recalling simple words and picking up on jokes can be as difficult as remembering what happened when he was on t...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Eileen Corbett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Eighteen year old Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an Army hospital in Iraq suffering from a traumatic brain injury after an RPG exploded in his vicinity. Matt receives the Purple Heart medal for his injuries, and yet he struggles to remember the details of what took place and make sense of it all. He is especially troubled by visions of a small Iraqi boy, Ali, whom he had befriended. Matt questions whether Ali was also injured in the fighting and whether Matt himself could have been responsible....more

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Nov 28, 2010 Halei rated it 4 of 5 stars

From an adults perspective the story is weak in most parts, but it's not fair to be too critical of a YA novel, especially one that does give them some perspective of this war. Children who are turning 18 and eligible to join the military were 9 when this this political situation began. I work as a YA librarian and had a 12 year old ask me "what does 9-11 mean?"... :0 ... This was in reference to 9/11/01. It was in fact on 9/11/10 that I was asked. Kids live blindly in their world of Team Edward...more

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Oct 11, 2010 Judah Bruce rated it 3 of 5 stars

Purple Heart
Purple Heart, by Patricia McCormick, is a war story in current time. The novel takes place overseas in Iraq. Some settings include the barracks in which the soldiers stay, the hospital where the main character is treated, and the streets of Iraq, either in combat or just to parole. This story is told by a narrator in the 3rd person point of view.
The main character of the book is a young soldier named Matt Duffy. Because he is in his early twenties and new to the military, he is ign...more
Purple Heart
Purple Heart, by Patricia McCormick, is a war story in current time. The novel takes place overseas in Iraq. Some settings include the barracks in which the soldiers stay, the hospital where the main character is treated, and the streets of Iraq, either in combat or just to parole. This story is told by a narrator in the 3rd person point of view.
The main character of the book is a young soldier named Matt Duffy. Because he is in his early twenties and new to the military, he is ignorant as far as warfare is concerned, and faces various life- threatening obstacles. At some points, he is forced to make decisions based on what he feels is right. Matt is immature, and his ignorance is what often breaks him. He is your average soldier, a hero to some, but not to all.
The novel begins its story right after Matt is hit with an RPG (rocket- propelled grenade). This blast gives him a TBI (traumatic brain injury) and a spot in the hospital. The brain injury he had received was common in war. It was a concussion, only worse, and he had forgotten much information, from common facts to details. Before the story began, Matt and his other comrades befriended a local boy named Ali. He was a poor, homeless kid, who appeared no trouble at all. In battle, before Matt was hit with an RPG, he remembers seeing Ali shot, and risen into the air, but remembers nothing else. Throughout the book, Matt tries his best to remember what had happened that horrific evening. At points he thinks he has figured it out, but then it takes a turn that he was not expecting.
I found this book to be very enjoyable to read. Because it is a war story, I would not recommend this novel to all. Some imagery is very war- like, and the language is often the same. I took pleasure in reading this book because of the loyalty and leadership often portrayed in Matt and other characters. I also enjoyed the mystery element coped with the action element. These two elements together make for a good story.
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Jun 29, 2010 Ms. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read Purple Heart as a part of my never ending search for compelling YA lit for my classroom library. Several of my students had read and enjoyed Cut, also by Patricia McCormick, so when I saw Purple Heart on the shelves I decided to give it a try.

Purple Heart tells the story of Private Matt Duffy, stationed in Iraq. At the opening of the action, Matt wakes in a hospital ward with intense head pain and a fuzzy memory of the events that got him there. The majority of the book focuses on Matt's...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't like reading books about war, but I feel it's my social responsibilty to try and understand what young men and women go through in these situations. I am glad I read Purple Heart and have come to appreciate the service that Matt Duffy, an 18-year-old young man fighting in Iraq has given our country. Matt is in a Baghdad hospital t recovering from a traumatic brain injury, trying to recall the details and make sense of what happened. Where did the attack come from? Did he really shoot and...more

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May 25, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall, I liked this book and think it is notable because it is one of the first fictionalized accounts of the Iraq War (at least that I am familiar with). I enjoyed most the psychological elements of the story and trying to piece together Matt’s memories. However, I felt the ending was a bit rushed and would have liked to had the opportunity to get to know some of the others in Matt’s squad. This aside, I think students will really be able to relate to him as he struggles to remember the event...more

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Mar 15, 2010 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is a plethora of young adult literature being published of late concerning contemporary warfare, its effects on those left behind,and the impact on those who serve. "Purple Heart" focuses mostly on the ramifications of warfare on the soldiers who fight. Eighteen-year-old soldier, Matt Duffy, wakes up not knowing where he is or what has happened. He is in a hospital in the "Green Zone" in Baghdad, Iraq, suffering from TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury. After receiving a "purple heart" for being...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Sam Taylor added it

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormic is an excellent book that will make you think of what it is really like to be in Baghdad. It is the story of Private Matt Duffy, who wakes up in an army hospital with traumatic brain injury (TBI). He doesn’t understand what’s happening until someone walks to his bed and hands him a box with a purple heart inside it. The story shows his recovery from not remembering anything, and having flashbacks, to him going back to his squad and finding out just how he got hi...more

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Dec 27, 2009 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Readers will be quickly drawn into the experiences of Matt Duffy, an 18-year-old engineer serving in Iraq during the most recent war there. He has woken up in a hospital in Baghdad's Green Zone as he recovers for a head injury that he incurred in an alleyway altercation. There seems to be some sort of mystery involved with what happened in the alley because a young boy, who had been hanging around with his unit, was also killed during the altercation.

Due to his head injury, he is unable to remem...more

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Nov 09, 2009 Yvonne Powderly rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel explores the impact the Iraqi War has on a young American soldier.

When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart - the army's medal for those wounded in battle. But he doesn't feel like a hero. He can't quite remember what happened in the Baghdad alley where he was hurt. Matt has suffered a traumatic brain injury and must slowly work to recover his memory and full brain function. The first half of the book deals with Matt’s struggle wit...more

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May 08, 2013 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult-lit

This is on the 2014 Abe list.

I struggle with Patricia McCormick... I absolutely loathed Never Fall Down; it felt appropriated, colonialist. With Purple Heart, once again she's done a lot of research and seems to have immersed herself in interviews with Iraq war vets and family members. She used the 3rd person to flesh out Matt's story of surviving an RPG with traumatic brain injury and his return to the front. And even though I was intrigued by Matt's story and horrified by the deeply layered "...more

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Jun 29, 2010 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Jan 07, 2010 Siri rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book just fine. At first, I was disappointed because McCormick's work is usually "meatier". However, as I kept reading, I really got into it. This book gives you a terrific idea of what it's like to be on active duty in Iraq, and the tough situations the soldiers often face. In this book, an injured 18 year old American soldier can't quite remember what happened to him when he got injured, but he's sure it involved a young child. As the book moves along, the soldier returns to activ...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Monica Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This book is completely outside of my normal reading range, but I found myself fascinated. I'm note one for books on war or military life, but I like how McCormick shows both the positives and negatives of life in the military and all the areas of grey that exist. I felt in some small way that I actually understood a bit about miltary life, even if it was if you are not there you will never truly get it.
Matt, an eighteen year old young soldier, wakes up in the military hospital in Iraq. He...more

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About Patricia McCormick

Patricia McCormick is a journalist and writer. She graduated from Rosemont College in 1978, followed by an M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1986 and an M.F.A. from New School University in 1999. Her first novel for teens was Cut, about a young woman who self-injures herself. This was followed by My Brother's Keeper in 2005, about a boy struggling with his brother's ad...more

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“That first phrase-please bless me, Father, for I have sinned-was so humbling and so total, Matt always felt a kind of absolution as soon as he said it” — 2 people liked it

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