'This book is excellant and the details are very accurate and factual. I really enjoyed it and felt very connected to the young children of 1916'
Catriona
'Whelan immerses readers in a harsh, yet poignant, journey that finds Jimmy learning much about the Irish people, his family, and most important, himself. The exciting plot moves effortlessly, enhanced by plenty of details to add character depth and historical context, and Whelan wisely avoids both extreme tragedy and overzealous triumph. The result is a fine adventure, with some realistic, genuinely heart-tugging twists.'
Roger Leslie, Booklist
'We sweat it out with Jimmy as he confronts horror at every turn. Physically and emotionally in a no-man's land, the boy's perceptions of good men killing one another leave him more scarred than any bullets.'
Tribune Magazine
'A striking first novel endowed with a strong sense of the conflicting passions of the time. Some of the scenes are as searing as anything in O'Casey's trilogy'
Children's Books in Ireland
'A sensitive portrayal of a boy's forced and traumatic emergence into adolescence'
Books Ireland
'A fine, humane anti-war novel which young people will relish'
Books Ireland
'An impressive first novel'
The Sunday Independent
