Fourteen-year-old Tacy's father is an army doctor, and two of her three older brothers are soldiers in the Union Army. Her other brother, David, has an injured foot that prevents him from joining the army, so their father has tasked him with caring for his mother and sister at their home in Gettysburg. Tacy used to have a good relationship with her brother, but the war has changed that: he's now domineering and repressive, while she has grown more headstrong and sassy. But with soldiers on both sides of the conflict arriving in town, there are many dangers facing a young woman of Tacy's age -- not to mention the dangers that her father and brothers face on the battlefield every day. Will Tacy and her family make it through the battle unscathed?

I'm usually a fan of Rinaldi's writing, but this is not one of her stronger books. Part of the problem is that Tacy doesn't have much agency, nor does she gain any over the course of the story. This is historically accurate, but frustrating for readers who might be expecting one of Rinaldi's typical strong heroines. Tacy does have a certain strength of will, but the story is less about her and more about day to day life in Gettysburg during the battle. Moreover, Tacy's voice is prosaic, even when describing events where she is experiencing heightened emotion. This lends a certain level of detachment to the story; I never felt like I really connected with Tacy. I found myself easily pulled out of the story, therefore, when I encountered small, irksome details, like David saying "I've given her a lot of crap lately," a distinctly modern turn of phrase. I also don't feel that the title of the book is a good fit, especially considering that there are other Civil War books out there with the same or similar titles (notably Jeff Shaara's The Last Full Measure). A little more originality would help reduce confusion. On the other hand, Rinaldi's careful research is evident, both in the book itself and in the Author's Note at the end. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as an introduction to Rinaldi's writing, her fans are likely to enjoy the book, as well as those who are particularly interested in the Battle of Gettysburg. ( )

Tacy is fourteen and living through the historic events in Gettysburg during the Civil War. Her father is a DR. and two of her brother's are soldiers in the Union Army. She is home with her mother and older brother David, he has a twisted leg from an accident and cannot enlist in the war.

David and Tacy struggle to make peace with their circumstances. David feels like a failure and wishes that he could be serving in the war. Tacy wishes she had her kind brother back, instead of the stern and strict person he has become trying to control her.

Rinaldi did a wonderful job at telling Tacy's story. She described the horror of fighting in the streets, sleeping in the cellar because you don't want to be upstairs in case your roof is shelled. Having rebel soldiers enter your home demanding food, stealing horses, etc.

One point that she made that I really liked is there is a place in the story where rebel soldiers are eating in their kitchen, and they see Tacy's best friend, Marvelous. Marvelous is black. They ask if Marvelous is free or a slave. Tacy states that Marvelous is free and the soldiers threaten to take her away to the South to be forced into slavery. Tacy pleads with them and tells them that Marvelous is her best friend and that is why they cannot take her. One of the soldiers says that he has lost friends to the war and that Tacy can keep her friend. He wants her to remember that not all of the Southern soldiers are bad people.

The story is sad. War is sad. Rinaldi did a great job in pulling this story together. I would say that this is Historical Fiction at its finest. This book is appropriate for all reading audiences.

I received a copy of this book to review from NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my honest thoughts and feelings ( )

This was the first novel by Ann Rinaldi that I have read, and I have to say that I can't imagine a better introduction to her works of YA historical fiction. The story being told from the first person perspective, I loved the way even the narration contained what we now consider to be antiquated ways of speaking, turns of phrase and attitudes evident of the time period in which the novel takes place. That little touch made a big difference in being able to fall into the story.

Tacy's story was not one of grand adventure or romance or saving the day. Ultimately, it was the story of someone trying to get by in difficult times, when it feels like the world is falling apart around her. It's not heavily action-based, and you're not going to find yourself on the edge of your seat with excitement, but you're going to see real people in a real situation from history, and if you're the sort to love character-driven stories, then the pages will keep turning and you'll find yourself engrossed in the story, wondering what happens next in spite of the fact that there's no major personal conflict or resolution. There is fear, though, and a great sense of loss that's very easy to empathize with, even if you haven't lost somebody to war.

Above all else, Tacy is believable. She could easily be a friend from school, a sister, someone across the street. Her thoughts and feelings come across well, she's a very well-rounded and fleshed-out character (as they all are, really, even the ones we don't get to see too much of), and I like her spunk.

What struck me the most when reading this book is that war doesn't change. Certainly, the technology used in war changes, but war itself is always going to be full of death, of broken bodies and limbs and blood, of the stench of the dead and people mourning for them. It's the same today as it was a hundred years ago, two hundred, and so on back. People die as often for the right cause as the wrong one, and more often than not, those lines aren't as clearly drawn as some would have people believe. There are gentlement enemies and bastard allies.

I can say with certainty that if I got the chance to read more of Rinaldi's novel, I'd take that chance. I love her style, the way she writes to let the reader fall into the story and become a part of it rather than just seeing it from the outside. Very smooth, easy to grasp. Not the most spectacular novel ever written, but still very enjoyable nonetheless, and I was glad to have read it.

if you're the sort to like character-driven stories (as I said before), or just have an interest in historical fiction, you should definitely check this one out. ( )

In the heart of Gettysburg in 1863, Tacy is learning to cope with the effects of war. She sees soldiers wounded every day and at only 14 she has already lost people. As two of her brothers and her Father are away fighting with the Union, she looks up to her older brother David, who is not allowed to fight due to a bad leg. David is bitter that he cannot fight and takes his anger out on Tacy often, wishing she was less spoilt so he could control her better until their Father returns. Close friends are killed, the free black community is captured as spoils of war and Tacy has to learn to grow up - fast.

This is a cute little book, quite a quick read. Tacy, at the beginning, is an extremely likeable character but as the book progresses, instead of growing up like I'd expect her to, she seemed to grow more spoilt. Near the end of it I actually disliked her. David is an intensely dislikeable character for me, I hated him throughout most of the book. I would have liked Tacy to meet a soldier and fallen in love with him (properly, not the quick kiss that does happen, although I'm not asking them to like, have sex with each other) but that doesn't happen. Probably because she has such a young mind at times.
The Last Full Measure is an excellent piece of historical literature and I found myself learning a lot about Gettysburg, although I had never learnt about it before.

(Received free from NetGalley to review) ( )

When Tacy Stryker was a little girl, she was very close to her older brother, David. But then an accident left one of David’s legs twisted, leaving David very bitter. After that, their relationship never was the same. David only became even more angry and resentful when the Civil War began and he couldn’t join the army along with their brothers, Brandon and Joel, and their father, a doctor in the Union Army.

With their father gone, David is left in charge of looking out for Tacy and their mother. Tacy still loves her older brother, but she hates that he has become such an angry person and constantly bosses her around and punishes her, especially since she is fourteen now, and not a little girl. When the war comes to their home town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in July 1863, and the residents must hide in their homes in fear of their safety while listening to the battle raging outside, Tacy begins to see hints of the old David, and starts to rebuild her relationship with him.

The Last Full Measure is another good historical novel by Ann Rinaldi. Unlike many books about Gettysburg that focus on the soldiers, this book was about an ordinary family, their relationships, their daily struggles, and how the battle affected them. One thing I would have liked to read more about was Tacy and David’s prior relationship before his accident, because sometimes I was a bit frustrated at Tacy tolerating how mean he could be since there wasn’t much in the book about how he was before his injury. Still, I overall enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction, particularly those who have read other books by the author.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher. ( )