Book Blog #199: War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Title: War Horse
Author: Michael Morpurgo
# of Pages: 165 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Animal
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?
Review: The Young Adult genre spans a great range of books, some being appropriate for those early in their elementary school years to those well into adulthood. There are a few tell-tale signs of a book border-lining the children's section; the size of the font (with the exception of the large print editions), the design of the cover/binding, the absence of graphic details of the war that is such a key part of setting the scene for this story, not to mention some of the questions on Goodreads asking for the answers for the AR quiz.

I've been avoiding children's books like the plague because many of them have predictable, simplistic plot with overused themes that I have no interest in. But War Horse has been sitting on my to-read shelf for too long, and I figured I might as well try to read it as I am a glutton for anything involving horses.

While I was correct that this book was written for the younger end of the Young Adult readers, the story had more maturity than other books of similar outward appearance to this one. I was surprised to find the story told through the perspective of a horse, which is incredibly refreshing as many stories told about animals would more easily by through a human. The only complaint is that the narration of the horse sounded a bit too human. Although I wouldn't know how horses perceive the world around them, it would have been more interesting if the horse more descriptively depicted his surroundings rather than using so much human terminology.

And while I did cry during several point of this book, I can't credit the story 100% for this. There were a few lines that reminded myself of my current situation and mental state which made me cry in empathy. But perhaps that since it did such a great job being relatable, I should credit it after all...?

Although it still is a children's book and reads similarly to a children's book, it has exceeded my expectations and was a touching, short read that I don't regret. I would recommend it, especially to those in late elementary school and middle school age.