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A review by sarahberra14
Heroes by Robert Cormier
4.0
CATEGORIES SATISFIED: REQUIRED READING
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I was afraid it would be too dark for me, and it was quite dark, but in a way I found touching and meaningful. Francis, the main character, has just returned from war, and during the war he lost most of his face to a grenade. He was awarded a Silver Star for sacrificing himself to protect his comrades, but he doesn't feel like he deserves it. He returns home, but doesn't tell anyone who he is and no one recognizes him. His only goal is to kill a certain someone who should also be returning to the town. You eventually learn that the man he wants to kill was his childhood hero who raped his (Francis's) girlfriend. Francis knew what was happening but didn't do anything to stop it and has felt terribly guilt since. Instead of killing himself he decided to go to war to find a war to die in battle (it's less dishonorable that way), and his desire to die is what led him to jump on the grenade that took his face. Now Francis just wants to kill his childhood hero, and then himself. Ultimately he confronts his childhood hero, and then the childhood hero kills himself. Francis visits his old girlfriend planing to kill himself afterward, but the story ends ambiguously, and you don't actually know whether or not Francis decides to kill himself.
This book was very well written. It explores the horrors of war and the effect war has on soldiers, who can rarely talk about their experiences. It also questions what a hero really is as it explores the lives of the "war heroes" returned home who don't feel like heroes, because really they were just there.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I was afraid it would be too dark for me, and it was quite dark, but in a way I found touching and meaningful. Francis, the main character, has just returned from war, and during the war he lost most of his face to a grenade. He was awarded a Silver Star for sacrificing himself to protect his comrades, but he doesn't feel like he deserves it. He returns home, but doesn't tell anyone who he is and no one recognizes him. His only goal is to kill a certain someone who should also be returning to the town. You eventually learn that the man he wants to kill was his childhood hero who raped his (Francis's) girlfriend. Francis knew what was happening but didn't do anything to stop it and has felt terribly guilt since. Instead of killing himself he decided to go to war to find a war to die in battle (it's less dishonorable that way), and his desire to die is what led him to jump on the grenade that took his face. Now Francis just wants to kill his childhood hero, and then himself. Ultimately he confronts his childhood hero, and then the childhood hero kills himself. Francis visits his old girlfriend planing to kill himself afterward, but the story ends ambiguously, and you don't actually know whether or not Francis decides to kill himself.
This book was very well written. It explores the horrors of war and the effect war has on soldiers, who can rarely talk about their experiences. It also questions what a hero really is as it explores the lives of the "war heroes" returned home who don't feel like heroes, because really they were just there.