This was much better than I expected. It was a nice peek into WWI through the eyes of a child and the best part was that it didn't dumb down any important aspects. While children wouldn't get everything that this novel manages to show about life in England during that time, as an adult there is so much you can learn from this and take away from each character's experience. The book was clearly well researched and it hit so many good points. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it even though the experience (through a child's eye) didn't entirely appeal to me.

This really got me fired up. In modern times, at least here, we don't have the same blind love for our country and the same ignorance about the trials of war on everyone involved. It got me so angry to see the poor conchie getting abused for his beliefs, men that haven't signed up yet - or were mistook for them - getting white feathers, and the population not understand just how bad an effect on the soldiers combat had. It really got me riled up and I feel like no children would fully be able to grasp these concepts and how important they are to keep in mind with how society has progressed since then.

At least the book was simplistic in its scope. Through a young narrator we don't have to deal directly with the issues, we just have to see them unfold around him. We can understand the problems without having him do anything about it. But perhaps him not taking action in the same way one is used to in novels for an older audience is what bothered me. What the main character did do, though, was at least interesting enough to drive the plot but it was still too simplistic. I also found it a bit difficult to believe that he could shine shoes, as a complete beginner, well enough to make money and more so that he was able to run off with his dad, a patient from a fully operational hospital. Him making a pretty good recovery at the end was very unbelievable, as well. I don't believe the author treated mental illness as well as he could have, but at least it brought light to it. It just felt like a child's solution to the problem and considering how grown up so much of the material in this book is it fell so flat.

For a clever child this book would do very well, though, and even adults should read it to remind themselves of the events of the past and how far we still have to go. It really does provide food for thought and stirs up so many passionate feelings with all the subject matter that it does touch on and because of that I think it would make for great reading material for people of all ages.