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Apr 12, 2011

Tatiana rated it:

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 th More...

1 comment like (11 people liked it)

May 10, 2011

Anne rated it:

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 s More...

5 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 10, 2010

Ryan rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Lydia rated it:

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 r More...

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Jul 20, 2011

Lisa rated it:

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:

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 t More...

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Jun 12, 2011

Milly rated it:

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 Du More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 05, 2011

Karen rated it:

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 o More...

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Feb 19, 2011

Bryan rated it:

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, More...

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Feb 18, 2011

Dan rated it:

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 rated it:

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 responsibl More...

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Nov 28, 2010

Halei rated it:

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 More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Oct 11, 2010

Judah rated it:

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 m More...

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Jun 29, 2010

Ms. rated it:

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<u/> 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 More...

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Jun 15, 2010

Nancy rated it:

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 an More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 25, 2010

Sarah rated it:

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:

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 " More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 03, 2010

Sam 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:

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 una More...

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Nov 09, 2009

Yvonne rated it:

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 M More...

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May 27, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 29, 2010

Christine rated it:

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 focus More...

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Jan 07, 2010

Siri rated it:

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 return More...

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Apr 30, 2010

Brian rated it:

I loved Sold, and I've heard good things about Cut, so I picked up this newest one by McCormick, hoping that I found a modern 'war' book that would appeal to my reluctant 9th and 10th grade male readers. I was disappointed.

The majority of the novel focused on the main character's rehabilitation after being injured in Iraq. His difficulty with remembering what actually happened to him causes conflict. Did he kill the young Iraqi boy or did someone else? Will he be prosecuted for More...

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Feb 03, 2011

Aimee rated it:

It starts out he is in the hospital and doesn't know why. Someone says something to him about having a brain issue. He is awarded a Purple Heart but doesn't know why. He cant remember what happened to him in the last couple of days. He has flash backs of a boy and as time goes on his memory slowly returns and he begins to recover. Eventually he is released back into the field and is able to function again. Throughout the story he uncovers the truth about the mysterious boy that he remembers from More...

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Mar 01, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

Purple Heart is a very engaging, tormenting, and depressing book. It is a story about a soldier who wakes up in the hospital of the USA army in Iraq. He has been diagnosed with TBI, causing memory loss. At his time spent in the hospital (before recovering, to join his squad) his brain keeps taking him back to this memory of him in an alley. It was what had happened before he had been injured and brought into the hospital. This memory consists, of a dog walking across the street, his friend Justi More...

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Nov 11, 2009

Cornmaven rated it:

Excellent historical novel about the war in Iraq, involving a soldier who has a traumatic brain injury which has affected his memory. His journey is to recover the truth of the incident. The author researched the realities of the current war there, using interviews with soldiers who have been there, so I guess we could say it is a realistic portrait of the conditions. I am glad to see novels coming out about this war. WWII is still the champion of historical fiction, but we need to start pro More...

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Oct 23, 2010

Eleni rated it:

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick was very good. Just like Sold, another one of McCormick's books, it was intense. Matt Duffy the main character was in a medical center in Iraq. He was sent there after having TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury. When he was conscious, he didn't really recollection of his memory. It took him a long time to remember names and people.
Matt was pretty upset with himself during the book. He thought he had killed this little boy, Ali. He thought he had shot him. Matt tho More...

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Jan 23, 2012

Austin rated it:

The title was the thing that made me want to read this book. A purple heart is something a soldier gets when he or she is injured in battle. This book is about a soldier, Private Matt Duffy and his story is about what he had gone through in war. He wakes up in a hospital with TBI (traumatic brain injury) and wants to know what happened to one of his Iraqi friends. The thing that was interesting about this book was that I got to see what a soldier would go through if he got injured in war. The au More...

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Jun 28, 2010

Lee rated it:

Easy fast reading, the typical McCormick style. Lots of impact. I think I like this book almost as much as I liked SOLD. It's a different place, one where most of us will never go, the dusty, hot, craziness of the war in Iraq, into a soldier's squad, his bunk, his mind. Excellent snapshot of an unknown place most of us will never go. A story of two wars.......the actual declared war and the war inside a man's head as he tries to reconcile his American upbringing, his basic trust and love o More...

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