She must think her own thoughts and work things out for herself, which is conveyed very well throughout the story. Although she is being looked after by two very respectable (if not a little meek or stern) adults, she still must live almost by her own wits.

The nicest thing of this novel is how we see the world through Carrie's eyes, and the way she must navigate her life away from her parents. Carrie and her brother Nick are wonderful little characters, as are all the other people that create the atmosphere of this book.

It won't challenge your opinions or make you think too much, but it is a joy to read. It is written well as the text flows seamlessly and we follow the lives of these children, not a story. Much like Swallows and Amazons (and probably a lot of other books from that time), the plot and writing style are simple yet extremely effective. We are living in a child's world and seeing it through their eyes, and they are not selfish and boring and self-righteous like a lot of YA protagonists seem to be, but are from a different kind when childhood meant childhood and growing up was done a little bit slower. I was reminded a little of Swallows and Amazons, for both the innocence of the world and the simplicity of the story telling. Immediately they are thrown from the comfort of a family life to a strangers house, where the war might be miles away but they are still living their own kind of war. We follow Carrie and Nick, two children of London who are evacuated with little labels like parcels to a small mining village in Wales, away from the bombings and the terrors of the war. I'm not entirely sure why, but it is a pure and simple tale that would take a lot of overthinking and analysis to not enjoy. As soon as I finished Carrie's War I instantly felt a little silly for enjoying it.

Carrie's War by Nina Bawden