holtfan 's review for:

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

4.0

---

I picked up and put down this book several times before I finally forced myself to finish. The thing is, my little brother read this book and loved it. There are very few books Sam can claim to have read that I haven't and that meant I HAD to finish this one. I am not particularly fond of coming of age stories or war books and Fallen Angels is a very realistic story about coming of age in the midst of the Vietnam War. However, despite how much I disliked it while reading it, I find I enjoyed the story. It was realistic and painful to read but it was the sort of painful that means you remember it. This wasn't a forced, sappy sorrow but a look at the rawness and realness of war. The main character, Perry, is really just a teenager without much of a clue about what is going on. The story covers a relatively brief amount of time in his life but it feels like you get to know him quite well. The book looks at racism, patriotism, and fear.
I didn't want to read it but I am glad I did.

Lots of language, sexual commentary, and general reference to bodily functions. I'm kind of surprised Sonlight had it in their curriculum. It is cool that they did.