Powerful and moving teenage novel set during the First World; 1915 - Scotland. It begins with a group of teenagers from two families, friends despite their social differences, on a picnic on a beautiful sunny day. Mostly romance is on their minds, but the peace of the day is shattered by the sound of a plane flying overhead - an omen of how the reality of the war across the Channel is soon to tear them away from such youthful pleasures. All too soon the horror of what is to become known as The Great War engulfs them, their friends and the whole village. From the horror of the trenches, to the devastating reality seen daily by those nursing the wounded, they struggle to survive. They are luckier than some - all but one return home - but they know that nothing will ever be the same again. Remembrance is a powerful and engrossing novel about love and war, from the Carnegie Medal winning author Theresa Breslin.
Quite honestly, I had not heard of Theresa Breslin and I hadn't read any of the reviews of Remembrance before I read it. So, it was a bit of an unexpected read when I noticed this is a YA novel. However, it was a thoroughly enjoyable book about a group of teenagers who are thrown into the insanity of the First World War.
Had I read this as a kid, I probably would have enjoyed it more, and could have ignored the contrived storylines that obviously contained every imaginable conflict that society went through in the course of the war. In short, this obviously is a book that aims to educate young readers about the historical facts. It also tries to convey a plethora of ideas and issues to young readers - from emancipation to pacifism. The only problem I had with the book is that it tries a little too hard at times.
