"Purple Heart" by Patricia McCormick follows the story of soldier Matt, who is serving in the Iraq War. After being injured in combat, he grapples with the physical and emotional scars of war while recovering in a military hospital. Through his experiences, Matt reflects on friendship, loyalty, and the brutal realities of conflict. He confronts his fears and the trauma of war as he navigates the complexities of identity, courage, and healing. The novel poignantly captures the struggles of young soldiers and the impact of war on their lives, emphasizing resilience and the pursuit of hope amidst despair. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book is the winner of numerous awards

This book is aimed at children at US 8th grade+.

This book has been graded for interest at 12-17 years.

This book is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed. This book was published in 2015 by HarperCollins .

Patricia McCormick is a writer and teacher of creative writing. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Cut is her first novel.