Michael Grant is a great author. I read the first book in this series, which I did enjoy but not enough to continue with the series. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Can’t believe this trilogy is finally coming to an end! It has been so interesting seeing it span WWII.

Unfortunately I no longer wish to review this book as the first few chapters did not reel me in. Thank you for the opportunity.

I absolutely love Michael Grant and this trilogy did not disappoint!! The genre of this series was slightly out of my comfort zone as war stories are not something I usually read but I was seriously blown away by all three books. Highly recommend!!

This review has been a long time coming since I love the other two book in the series it was no surprise that I devoured this one. Purple Hearts is a wonderful end to this series. I laughed. I cried. It was just great.

I think that why I am so attached to this series is because I adore all of the characters. They are just so great. I wanted them to be OK throughout the whole thing which is probably why I was close to tears by the end. Scratch that I think I did let out a couple at the end. The finale of this was just so heartbreaking and if it would have ended like that I would have been very annoyed but we are given obituaries for all of the characters after which I loved. I felt like their journeys were complete and we had gone full circle and their character development was so great.

The story was also told with an unknown narrator from the first book which was finally revealed in this book and I was happy to say that I got it right. I was actually happy that I got it right as they were one of my favourite characters and deserved all of the hype. They were still all important but I really like that they were given their time.

I also enjoyed the plot in this book especially Rainey's arc because at the end it was so raw and emotional, I can't get over how good it was. All of their arcs were really strong and I do love Jenou and Rio's arc especially as it touched on cowardice which is something that is not explored in WWII stories so I loved this. Of course, there was a lot of action and violence which is Michael Grant's trademark. This is obviously done well and I loved it especially as my faves were in danger and I wanted them to survive. Basically, I love the Soldier Girl series and Purple Heart is no except. It is one of my favourite books of the year and I loved it.

The Verdict:

Purple Hearts is a perfect finale to the series. I just wish there were more books so I can live with all the characters forever.

I liked this series. I really did. But all through reading it and even now, I just can't help wondering why. Why write an alternative history? Why set it in WW2? As books like Code Name Verity have showed, there are so many women who were brave and worked hard as spies or resistance workers or pilots during WW2. And if you want female soldiers, why not look at the real integration of women into the military? It's an interesting concept, but it feels like it's undermining a lot of the real women who put themselves in danger to stop Hitler.

That and the swearing are the problems I have with it really. I know it's the way publishing does it but I don't see how putting the word "fug" in everywhere is any different than actually using the word. We all know it's the word. All the kids know it's the word. Just let the authors say fuck.

The characters and the friendships formed throughout the book was really what made the series worth it for me. These characters are the sort that I'm going to miss. I really liked seeing Frangie making something of herself as a black woman in the army. All the emphasis on keeping each other alive and how close the girls got to one another despite being in different units was amazing as well.

Rio Richlin will be my hero for a while I think. Though Frangie was my favourite. I'm a bit sad to have no more books about Rio, Frangie and Rainy to read.

Purple Hearts is the final instalment in the Soldier Girls series which imagines a world where girls as well as boys are subject to the draft in WW2. Grant does not shy away from horror and violence and Purple Hearts is no exception. Gut wrenching in places the action is realistic and the pace relentless. Grant has provided a fictional account of real events but the level of research is clearly evident. throughout the book. Grant forces us to consider not only gender politics but those of race, class and power. His views on the current American political situation are well known and part of me feels that these books act not only as historical dystopian fiction but as a warning to the future. An excellent end to the series which I urge everyone to read!

Michael Grant can turn his hand to all sorts of fiction, but his Front Lines trilogy is just magnificent. Since the first book I've been in turns fascinated, horrified and terrified by the stories of Rio, Rainy and Frangie. I've laughed, cried, sat in crowded ships, dugouts, in hospital beds, in tanks and jeeps and never lost interest for a moment.

The horrors of war are vividly rendered, even more so in this book than in the previous two, and I didn't think that was possible. While I was reading Purple Hearts I was both desperate to get to the end, but also petrified, because I really felt visceral fear for all three women. All three books in the series are powerful, but the intensity in this one was palpable. There were many scenes where I was reading in a cold sweat, with my heart racing and my teeth on edge, mouth tasting of metallic fear.

I still can't decide if I have a favourite of the characters, but that doesn't really matter. Each brought a unique perspective to the book and I cared strongly for all of them. A very emotional read, I loved it.

I felt a little lost with it being part of an already published series, but the writing was strong as with all Grant's other work. Anyone who has read those that came before it will enjoy it.

In this final Front Lines book, the characters we’ve grown to know so well over the last two books are firmly overtaken by history. It’s 1944, the tide has turned in the war but things are far from over yet. D-Day, the Hurtgen forest, the Battle of the Bulge and the horrifying discovery of the camps, VE Day and the aftermath are all covered, with our heroines slotting in here and there inside these well known pieces of history.

The action is compelling, even if the well known events mean the plot itself jumps from one set piece to the next. It’s these battles and moments that the book is built around, rather than the characters, but it still made for a fascinating read.

Rio doesn’t really change throughout the book. She’s still brave and gutsy, unwilling to accept the responsibilities that keep getting thrust upon her, but getting on and doing the job anyway. She’s a bit too much of a perfect solider and I felt like she was lacking a little in real substance by the end.

Frangie remains my favourite. She’s the one least suited to the war, but who still makes a serious impact. Like Rio she’s also gutsy and brave, with a core of solid steel that really comes to the fore in this book. I loved how much she grew and changed across the series, yet still managed to keep her sweetness in tact.

Rainy really comes into her own in this book. Her missions are dangerous and harrowing, but her strength really shines. Unlike Rio, who is just a little too perfect, Rainy is very human, pretty dark and fearsomely competent. I almost expected her to end up assassinating Hitler after all, and was disappointed when this didn’t happen. (Darn you, historical accuracy!)

As always, the historical content is incredibly well done and never tries to glamourise the horrors of war. Death, lice, trench foot, dwindling supplies, desertion, incompetent officers, futile bravery, massacres, murder and the shocking discovery of the concentration camps are all dealt with in plain, often stark terms. It’s an exceedingly well known period of history, but Grant still manages to convey the hardship and the horrors without going overboard.

The aftermath section was fun and often pretty cute. I’ll admit a few extra details wouldn’t have gone amiss (such as how certain marriages came about), but the obituary section at the end was a great way to say farewell to the many characters.

So overall this was a fitting end to a great series. Fans of history will love them, but it’s also good for anyone interested in reading about ordinary girls become strong women against incredible odds. Women might not have actually been on the front lines during WW2, but they definitely had their own roles to play – and it might have been nice if the author’s note at the end could have focused on that. Regardless, if you’ve enjoyed the series so far, this final installment will not disappoint. And if you’re just discovering it all, go back to the beginning and read them in order – you’re in for a treat.

This is the finale in the Solider Girls trilogy (following Front Lines, and Silver Stars) , and follows Rio, Frangie, and Rainy, through WW2 and their deployment to Europe (particularly, Omaha Beach, Hurtgen, and the Battle of the Bulge).

With finale books you always worry that they aren't going to deliver, and it isn't going to be wrapped up as well as you hope, but this one is brilliant. You follow the characters through their experiences of war through Omaha Beach, to the discovery of the death camps at Dachau, and Buchenwald.

The story is written so beautifully, and you really feel for these characters and hope that they are going to make it through to the end. I also found myself crying in places, as you really become invested in the story, and know we are coming to the end.

As with the other two novels, this was just so hard to pick a favourite character, I loved them all equally, and yes I am still on the Rio and Jack ship.
I will admit that I really did not like Strand in this book, he was such a A**E, how he wanted RIO to be when the war was over, and how he felt belittle because she had saved him in the previous book.

Overall a great ending to the trilogy, and one I think should be read, as I never knew anything about the atrocity at Oradour-sur-Glane.

Full review to come but for now please know I am fairly sure this is my favourite series of all time.

It desperately needs more attention- nothing I've ever read has come anywhere near as close to capturing the horror and futility of war as this series.

These girls have my heart. I am broken and fixed all at once.

Rainy Schulterman is queen.

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I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

See, the thing is? They don't know we're the good guys. They think they're the heroes

This book is a masterpiece.

I'm struggling to find the right words to properly articulate how I feel about this book and the series as a whole and can't compare it to anything because I've genuinely never read anything like it.

There is constant action throughout the series, the character development is absolutely incredible (especially the three main girls) and the emotions it made me feel were extreme and amazing.

Rainy is my favourite of the girls- she's so badass and just generally incredible. She goes through so much and it's all a little bit more real for her because she's Jewish.

Frangie is also unreal, she's basically fighting 2 wars. One against Nazi Germany and one against white Americans. She's graceful and helpful and lovely all the way through.

Rio is just amazing. I can't actually describe how wonderful she is. Her character development is something else entirely and she is faced with so much throughout the series, especially this final book. She handles everything so well.

Basically I can't explain how much I love these books. Everyone should read them. There is also so much closure it's the most satisfying end to a series ever.

I was sent a copy of ‘Purple Hearts’ from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

‘Purple Hearts’ is the third and final book in the Front Lines trilogy by Michael Grant. I’ve really enjoyed the previous two books in the series and the world book day short story so I was so excited to get approved for a copy of ‘Purple Hearts’

The story follows Rio, Frangie and Rainy through the liberation of France, concentration camps and on to the end of the war. After being awarded Silver Stars in the previous book and encouraged to return to war instead of going on a press tour. Rio struggles with her role as Sergeant, Frangie carries on doing her best to heal wounded soldiers and Rainy is back on a new mission.

‘Purple Hearts’ is a great conclusion to Michael Grant’s alternative history trilogy. In my opinion the best one in the series. As with the previous two books Rainy’s perspective was my favourite, the mission she’s sent on introduced me to some horrific things that I hadn’t realised had happened in the war. I also liked Rio a lot more in this book than the previous ones, seeing how she dealt with being in charge of people’s lives was really interesting. This book had me tearing up at points - a mix of me really caring about the characters and thoughts of what soldiers and prisoners of the Nazi’s actually went through during the war.

Everything in this series feels real. The amount of research that has gone into the trilogy is immense and it shows. The Front Lines trilogy has become my second favourite Michael Grant series and I am really sad that it’s over.

5*

Thank you NetGalley and ElectricMonkey for the chance to review ‘Purple Hearts’ and all of the other books in the Front Lines trilogy.

A fitting end to the brilliant Front Lines series; the end of the war is nigh, but Rainy, Rio and Frangie have much to face before their work is done. Will they all survive? And if they do, how will they ever return home only to be potentially forced back into traditional feminine roles?
The scale of the story is huge; the descriptions of D-Day and the soldiers on the ground are vivid and traumatic. The characters face horrors that left me breathless and relieved that they survive. But at what price?
The ending was satisfying and poignant; I'll miss reading about these characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for my review copy of this book
The dark circles under my eyes are testament to how good this book is. Just had to stay up and finish the characters stories. Michael Grant should be applauded on his work here and it has brought up so many areas of history that I want to go out and read about now. I will definitely be recommending to all of my family and friends. It was just a shame that the main books in the series have come to an end.

Well written, well researched. Satisfying conclusion.

Hands down this was Grants best series to date and this conclusion to the trilogy does not disappoint. Explosive, gritty, harrowing and challenging, the Front Lines series asks not just ‘what if girls went to war during WWII?’ but also looks at how war blurs lines, at questionable moral decisions, at circumstances where there is no win just a white knuckled attempt to hold on to some kind of faith in humanity, and about questions of equality both racial and gender based. Gripping entertaining story that nevertheless asks some very hard questions about war, with three of my favourite ever female protagonists. Five well deserved stars. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

I am utterly in love with this series. A moving, powerful story of war and equality that manages to challenge, educate and entertain in equal parts. The author does a brilliant job yet again very cleverly blending fact with fiction to create a believable alternate history of WWII.

Readers of the first two books in the series will already be familiar with our wonderful trio of protagonists - Frangie, Rio and Rainy. They are such compelling, unique, memorable characters that I became utterly invested in them over the course of this series. I was so glad to see them return, although all is not as it once was. In Purple Hearts it becomes evident how much of a transformation they've all gone through. The story feels brutally realistic and my attachment to the characters made it a tough read at times; but that is why it's so good. It is as captivating as it is shocking. I know for sure that in putting this book down it is not the last time I will think of our soldier girls, nor the last time I will read this series I am sure!

A brilliant end to a remarkable series. I can't recommend it enough.

I’ve been a huge fan of this series from day one, and Purple Hearts did not disappoint. In fact, it’s probably the best ending to a trilogy I’ve ever read. THE CLOSURE WAS REAL. We got to see what the characters got up to post-war AND their obituaries so we know what they did with their lives as a whole. Thank you, Michael Grant, I’ve never been more satisfied with an ending. Not to mention, we finally learn who’s been writing these stories! (And I guessed right!)

I feel like in each book, the girls have an identity breakthrough, and I’m glad that I’ve loved a different girl most strongly in each book. In Front Lines it was Frangie, in Silver Stars is was Rainy, and in this book, I’ve rolled round to loving Rio. She’s arguably been through the most, because her character is almost unrecognisable to the girl who stepped into training. In Purple Hearts, Rio got a particularly wonderful scene about femininity and I cheered her on the whole way through. I really love the hardened person she became. She might have lost her innocent view of the world, but in the end she’s better for it.

I also loved that in the book, more than ever, it felt like the girls were interconnected. We’d often see Frangie talking with Rainy or Rio, and I love it best when they’re all aware of each other because, well…it’s just nice, isn’t it? Their moments take you out of the action, (in welcome reprieve) even though there was more explosions and death than ever before! Purple Hearts is gritty and harrowing in all the right places, perfectly capturing the terrors of war. There was also a bigger discussion on deserters and loyalty, which I don’t think has been touched on, but I’m sure if you’d asked the girls in Front Lines what they thought of deserting they’d be giving very different answers to now!

Overall, Rainy’s in top from being a bad-ass spy character, Rio has more responsibility and she handles the weight on her shoulders admirably, and Frangie’s still following close behind, patching everyone up. They all make me so proud, and I’m so pleased I picked up Front Lines, and have followed these girls on this truly epic journey.

I can’t recommend this series more, it’s got sustained action, lush, well developed characters, and brilliant narrative architecture. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pick up Front Lines again.

Thank you NetGalley.
What is there to say, beyond if you’ve come this far with the girls and their compatriots you get more of what you’ll have come to love. This was a tough emotional read, but my goodness is it a necessary one.