Poppy by Mary Hooper

Publisher: Bloomsbury UK Childrens
Date: May 8th 2014         
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher for review
Age Range: Young Adult

England, 1914. Poppy is fifteen, beautiful and clever, but society has already carved out her destiny. There's no question of her attending the grammar school - it's too expensive and unsuitable for a girl. Instead, Poppy will become a servant at the big house. And she'll 'keep out of trouble'. But Poppy's life is about to be thrown dramatically off course. The first reason is love - with someone forbidden, who could never, ever marry a girl like her. The second reason is war. Nothing could have prepared her for that. As she experiences what people are capable of - the best of humanity and the very worst - Poppy will find an unexpected freedom and discover how to be truly her own person.

There aren't that many YA books about World War I, actually I have never read a book about it. Poppy by Mary Hooper is the PERFECT read about this topic, and a fun way to learn young readers what it was like to live during that time and to be a war nurse. The style of writing that Mary Hooper is famous for is even more fabulous in this historical teen novel. She always takes care that the research of her books is perfect and the historical accuracy is just the same. The story is very touching and shows the cruel of the war but aso touches on the changes in the position of women and the lower classes in society brought about by the war. I also really enjoyed the references to the white feather campaign where men who did not enlist were given white feathers to shame them. I ended up feeling rather sorry for the men who received them!
As in all Mary Hooper books, Poppy is a very heroic girl a who is inspiring and admirable. They tend to be girls who are poor and uneducated, but who are resourceful and have integrity. Poppy is no exception and you do care what happens to her. This is a book not to miss and I highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you like historical fiction!!