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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I've got two books I really wanna read coming out on Christmas and the sequel to this is one of them.
Why'd this hit me in the feels like that? I didn't come here to cry.
Why'd this hit me in the feels like that? I didn't come here to cry.
This was one of the war books that I've read and enjoyed. I really loved the humor (yes, it's funny!) in this book, and even though war stories bore me, I really felt intense at times in this book. If you love war books then you should definitely read this!
A classic from Walter Dean Myers. A really important YA novel historically. Very interesting to read about war experiences from this perspective. The relationships between the young soldiers were moving and beautifully written.
Young Adult Classic
Target Audience:
This book is listed as Young Adult. I think it is most appropriate for older high school students because of the raw language and the honest portrayal of the brutality of war.
Summary:
Main Characters: 17 year old soldier Perry (narrator); fellow solider, Pee Wee; fellow solider, Monaco; fellow solider, Lobel
Setting: Vietnam, during the Vietnam War.
Narrative: Perry is a volunteer solider, fresh out of high school and newly landed in Vietnam. His platoon is on the front lines of the conflict, forcing Perry and his squad mates to confront the daily horrors of war. In addition, Perry must also wrestle with the racial tensions of the time, which followed him all the way from Harlem to Vietnam.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
One of the main strengths of Fallen Angels is how realistic it feels. Myers was in the Army for four years and he must play on some of his own experience to capture how the men spoke to each other and related to each other. This helps make the story seem more alive and more impactful.
A possible weakness might be how graphic the language used by the soldiers is. It makes the characters seem true to life but it might also be off-putting to some readers. For example, there are some moments where the narrator is describing women he's fantasizing about as a way to distract himself from his situation that might create a disconnect for girl readers. Or, now that we are no longer at war with the Vietnamese, the ways the soldiers talk about even the South Vietnamese could be hard for some readers, even those not of Vietnamese heritage.
Personal critique:
I don't particularly enjoy war stories -- I find long scenes describing battles or fights confusing -- so I would not recommend this book in general. However, I do think it was very well done for its genre: the characters are realistic and interesting, the story handles many different issues of the 1960s well, and the reader definitely comes away with a sense of what the war must have been like for those fighting it. It is a book I'd suggest for addition to a history or English curriculum or for students interested in reading an honest book about the Vietnam war.
Illustrations:
Not illustrated
Notable awards:
Coretta Scott King Award (1989)
Lesson Planning:
This book would go well with a history unit on the Vietnam War or the 60s in America. It would also be a good example text for first person narrative where the narrator is not all-knowing or on how to weave a broader setting into a narrow story.
Target Audience:
This book is listed as Young Adult. I think it is most appropriate for older high school students because of the raw language and the honest portrayal of the brutality of war.
Summary:
Main Characters: 17 year old soldier Perry (narrator); fellow solider, Pee Wee; fellow solider, Monaco; fellow solider, Lobel
Setting: Vietnam, during the Vietnam War.
Narrative: Perry is a volunteer solider, fresh out of high school and newly landed in Vietnam. His platoon is on the front lines of the conflict, forcing Perry and his squad mates to confront the daily horrors of war. In addition, Perry must also wrestle with the racial tensions of the time, which followed him all the way from Harlem to Vietnam.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
One of the main strengths of Fallen Angels is how realistic it feels. Myers was in the Army for four years and he must play on some of his own experience to capture how the men spoke to each other and related to each other. This helps make the story seem more alive and more impactful.
A possible weakness might be how graphic the language used by the soldiers is. It makes the characters seem true to life but it might also be off-putting to some readers. For example, there are some moments where the narrator is describing women he's fantasizing about as a way to distract himself from his situation that might create a disconnect for girl readers. Or, now that we are no longer at war with the Vietnamese, the ways the soldiers talk about even the South Vietnamese could be hard for some readers, even those not of Vietnamese heritage.
Personal critique:
I don't particularly enjoy war stories -- I find long scenes describing battles or fights confusing -- so I would not recommend this book in general. However, I do think it was very well done for its genre: the characters are realistic and interesting, the story handles many different issues of the 1960s well, and the reader definitely comes away with a sense of what the war must have been like for those fighting it. It is a book I'd suggest for addition to a history or English curriculum or for students interested in reading an honest book about the Vietnam war.
Illustrations:
Not illustrated
Notable awards:
Coretta Scott King Award (1989)
Lesson Planning:
This book would go well with a history unit on the Vietnam War or the 60s in America. It would also be a good example text for first person narrative where the narrator is not all-knowing or on how to weave a broader setting into a narrow story.
This book blew me away. The descriptions are vivid and the emotions and characters are almost too real.
*4.5 stars
"Lord, let us feel pity for Private Jenkins, and sorrow for ourselves, and all the angel warriors that fall. Let us fear death, but let it not live within us. Protect us, O Lord, and be merciful unto us. Amen."
In the morning, in the mess tent, I asked Lieutenant Carroll why he had called Jenkins an angel warrior.
"My father used to call all soldiers angel warriors," he said. "Because usually they get boys to fight wars. Most of you aren't old enough to vote yet."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-three," he said.
"How come you aren't retired?"
I love this book. Absolutely love this book. I usually don't read YA books, but this one doesn't read as YA. Not really. The story is told from Richard Perry's point of view. He has just graduated high school and entered the Vietnam war, because he didn't know what else to do with his life. The story follows his squad, which consists of Peewee, his best friend, Monaco, Brew, Brunner, Lobel, Jenkins, Johnson, and Walowick, all from different backgrounds of life, all brought together during the war. The characters are written so in depth that you become really attached to them, and it almost breaks your heart when somebody gets injured, or worse. The guys feel like your own friends, and the sense of camaraderie they have between them is something that's actually quite beautiful.
The character of Peewee is absolutely hilarious, and I found myself literally laughing out loud at some of his dialogue. Perry is also pretty funny too. What I think I liked most about this book was that you get a chance to see that. There's action, sure, but half of the book consists of the guys in their hooch talking, making jokes, almost falling in love a little bit (though not romantically, more brotherly) and sitting around waiting for something to do, and I think it really captures what war is all about. There are days of action where people get killed and you kill people, but it doesn't happen every single day.
Another thing I also really liked about this book was the fact that, the things that haunted the characters also haunt you. You can feel what they feel, and understand how war messes with their minds. The descriptions of everything are great.
My one complaint about this book was that the ending felt a bit rushed. It stands at 320 pages, which may be a little too much for a YA book, but up until the end it was so well written that I think it could have stood to have a couple of more pages. For instance, *spoiler* we don't really find out what Peewee's wound is, and we don't learn exactly what happened to Perry's leg. They're in the hospital getting treated, and all of a sudden, they're on their way home. I also thought the last fight was a little rushed too. The squad just gets ambushed, and we don't really find out what happens to the other characters in the squad either, besides Monaco, and the fact that he said everyone was alright. That's my only complaint. And it's a shame because the book is so good and the ending just lost it a little bit.
Other than that, this book is an amazing insight into the psychology of war and what it does to the young men who fight in it, how they become friends, almost brothers and somewhat lovers, really, and how the act of war haunts soldiers, no matter if they kill anyone or not. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.
"Lord, let us feel pity for Private Jenkins, and sorrow for ourselves, and all the angel warriors that fall. Let us fear death, but let it not live within us. Protect us, O Lord, and be merciful unto us. Amen."
In the morning, in the mess tent, I asked Lieutenant Carroll why he had called Jenkins an angel warrior.
"My father used to call all soldiers angel warriors," he said. "Because usually they get boys to fight wars. Most of you aren't old enough to vote yet."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-three," he said.
"How come you aren't retired?"
I love this book. Absolutely love this book. I usually don't read YA books, but this one doesn't read as YA. Not really. The story is told from Richard Perry's point of view. He has just graduated high school and entered the Vietnam war, because he didn't know what else to do with his life. The story follows his squad, which consists of Peewee, his best friend, Monaco, Brew, Brunner, Lobel, Jenkins, Johnson, and Walowick, all from different backgrounds of life, all brought together during the war. The characters are written so in depth that you become really attached to them, and it almost breaks your heart when somebody gets injured, or worse. The guys feel like your own friends, and the sense of camaraderie they have between them is something that's actually quite beautiful.
The character of Peewee is absolutely hilarious, and I found myself literally laughing out loud at some of his dialogue. Perry is also pretty funny too. What I think I liked most about this book was that you get a chance to see that. There's action, sure, but half of the book consists of the guys in their hooch talking, making jokes, almost falling in love a little bit (though not romantically, more brotherly) and sitting around waiting for something to do, and I think it really captures what war is all about. There are days of action where people get killed and you kill people, but it doesn't happen every single day.
Another thing I also really liked about this book was the fact that, the things that haunted the characters also haunt you. You can feel what they feel, and understand how war messes with their minds. The descriptions of everything are great.
My one complaint about this book was that the ending felt a bit rushed. It stands at 320 pages, which may be a little too much for a YA book, but up until the end it was so well written that I think it could have stood to have a couple of more pages. For instance, *spoiler* we don't really find out what Peewee's wound is, and we don't learn exactly what happened to Perry's leg. They're in the hospital getting treated, and all of a sudden, they're on their way home. I also thought the last fight was a little rushed too. The squad just gets ambushed, and we don't really find out what happens to the other characters in the squad either, besides Monaco, and the fact that he said everyone was alright. That's my only complaint. And it's a shame because the book is so good and the ending just lost it a little bit.
Other than that, this book is an amazing insight into the psychology of war and what it does to the young men who fight in it, how they become friends, almost brothers and somewhat lovers, really, and how the act of war haunts soldiers, no matter if they kill anyone or not. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Dang, what a ride. I know this book is about known somewhat for not glorifying war, and it shows. But it had something I love in books- tons of characters who I now love. Unfortunately bad stuff happened to alot of them. All these characters deserved better:
Perry: Main character, bad at writing letters but good at writing letters, 2nd best boi
Peewee: BEST BOI #1, weird mix of aggressive snarkiness/sincerity, good at holding hands
Monaco: Deserved alot but didn't get much, supportive, very, very, very, very traumatised
Lobel: Movie freak, messes with everyone's gaydar on a constant basis, which is bad for him as he’s the target of nearly every homophonic slur in the book rather concerning mental issues
Lieutenant Carroll: Brave Bible Boi, calm, wants whats best for everyone,you were the best angel warrior ;-;
Johnson: Spooky, country kid, character development on point, unofficial leader character, really a decent guy
Jenkins: Spooked and forgotten, all in three-five pages
Judy Duncan: Snacc girl, nurse, should have had more lines because she was honestly the best,and um excuse me why is she dead ??
Why do I always get so attached to the characters in war books? (See Catch 22 and Going Solo)
Especially when they have to die? (See almost all the characters in Catch 22)
Though I liked this book, I don't give it five stars because it was entertaining and well written, but it would be good to maybe have an overarching plot. Near the end there was a short plot line from Perry and Peewee, but otherwise it was just random encounters from Perry.
But hey, I get that, as this is supposed to be a book about the Vietnam War... Not much else ??
Just stories about particular people in in surrounding the main character, Perry. And that's what you get.
I think I'll probably be thinking about Perry's story for a long time.
Theme song: Bright Eyes by Art Garfunkel
Happy Ending Rating: 8/10
Perry and Peewee get to go home but none of the others do. Plus the news of Judy's death was not contributing to a happy ending feeling. However, it was great to see Perry able to go home.
Perry: Main character, bad at writing letters but good at writing letters, 2nd best boi
Peewee: BEST BOI #1, weird mix of aggressive snarkiness/sincerity, good at holding hands
Monaco: Deserved alot but didn't get much, supportive, very, very, very, very traumatised
Lobel: Movie freak, messes with everyone's gaydar on a constant basis,
Lieutenant Carroll: Brave Bible Boi, calm, wants whats best for everyone,
Johnson: Spooky, country kid, character development on point, unofficial leader character, really a decent guy
Jenkins: Spooked and forgotten, all in three-five pages
Judy Duncan: Snacc girl, nurse, should have had more lines because she was honestly the best,
Why do I always get so attached to the characters in war books? (See Catch 22 and Going Solo)
Especially when they have to die? (See almost all the characters in Catch 22)
Though I liked this book, I don't give it five stars because it was entertaining and well written, but it would be good to maybe have an overarching plot. Near the end there was a short plot line from Perry and Peewee, but otherwise it was just random encounters from Perry.
But hey, I get that, as this is supposed to be a book about the Vietnam War... Not much else ??
Just stories about particular people in in surrounding the main character, Perry. And that's what you get.
I think I'll probably be thinking about Perry's story for a long time.
Theme song: Bright Eyes by Art Garfunkel
Happy Ending Rating: 8/10
Book #1 in the mother/son book club. Just kidding my reluctant reader would never agree to that. He has to read it for school and I am reading along in hopes it will show him reading isn't just something you have to do, but something you can want to do.
Well, that was the hardest book to get through as any I have ever read. I'm thinking this won't do anything to help a reluctant reader enjoy reading. High school assigned reading, I realize, needs to mean something. This story was an extreme coming of age story. It is a highly detailed account of how war changes those who fight from children into hardened adults. It became a deeply disturbing story to read having a good friend serving in Iraq right now. Some of the feelings of being in a war I heard first from him. First you know the person before war, and you can see how it has shaped and changed them. The book strives to do the same thing. I guess I just wish my 9th grader didn't have to think about all that quite yet, and to the degree that the book portrays and soldiers are living through again... Never.
Well, that was the hardest book to get through as any I have ever read. I'm thinking this won't do anything to help a reluctant reader enjoy reading. High school assigned reading, I realize, needs to mean something. This story was an extreme coming of age story. It is a highly detailed account of how war changes those who fight from children into hardened adults. It became a deeply disturbing story to read having a good friend serving in Iraq right now. Some of the feelings of being in a war I heard first from him. First you know the person before war, and you can see how it has shaped and changed them. The book strives to do the same thing. I guess I just wish my 9th grader didn't have to think about all that quite yet, and to the degree that the book portrays and soldiers are living through again... Never.
Perry is a Harlem teenager who find himself in the trenches in Vietnam. He and his squad are fighting to stay alive and asking themselves what they are fighting for and if it is really worth the cost. An amazing coming-of-age story that looks at Vietnam and the African American experience there. A great tale for this generation of teenagers who know nothing about the 60s, and a poignant reminder for those of us who lived them.
War - through the eyes of the young soldier - isn't pretty or glamorous or even honorable. Rather it's terrifying and chaotic and frustrating and, at times, boring and inexplicable. This book - intended for younger readers - offers a useful, instructive perspective for kids who think that war is about good and evil and heroes and villians. As a generation of American soldiers (volunteers, of course) experience Iraq and Afghanistan (the former which the author tackles in Sunrise Over Fallujah), this book - a classic Vietnam tale - has been re-released and again gained popularity - deservedly so.