A war story, a teen drama, and a political statement all in one

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	• Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers Scholastic Paperbacks, 2008 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 286 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A war story, a teen drama, and a political statement all in one

I was assigned to read this in college as an example of how "young adult" fiction is difficult to define. Fallen Angels definitely defies labeling, and adroitly demonstrates that young adult fiction can be every bit as weighty as adult fiction.

The book reminded me of Richard Price's "Clockers," in that it was a very unglamorous look at the harshly real life of a young black American trying to make his way through a dangerous world.

The characters in this book are much more fully fleshed out than they would be in an after school special; Myers takes advantage of the flexibility of the novel format to give us after school special themes done right. The characters are fully realized, and they grow over a period of years. There is plenty of introspection, even though the book is well-paced and consistently interesting.

More, the book poses some interesting questions-- what would I do if I were on the front lines of a war? What if my children wound up in this situation? Why, in our supposedly enlightened society, does race matter in this kind of situation?

This is a great, great book for an adult, but it's even better for a young person. The writing has the ring of truth about it, and most young people will recognize that. The themes are very relevant to the young adult who may be considering a tour in the military (almost certainly, he or she will have friends who enter the armed forces).

The clear, simple writing allows the story to move forward at a tolerable pace, and allows the readers to easily absorb the lessons contained therein.

I highly recommend this book as a bridge between lighter fare and more serious reading.

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Parents of Younger Readers Beware!

Excellent story, but parents of younger kids may want to know that it is realisticly profane. My nine year old son read it AFTER I previewed it for him and had to cross out all of the profanity in it with a black sharpie. Lots of "F" words and various other colorful language was used, as well as some talk of losing virginity.(Had to cross that out too.)
That being said, my son absolutely loved this story. He couldn't put it down. I also enjoyed it. Excellent account of a soldier's journey in Vietnam.

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Courtesy of Teens Read Too

FALLEN ANGELS takes place among the rice fields and swamps of Vietnam.

Teenager Richie Perry is sent to Vietnam when he enlists in the war. For the first time in his life, he is far away from his mom and younger brother, who are back in Harlem, New York. Perry meets many friends along the way, such as Lieutenant Carroll, Peewee, and Monaco. Perry has to not only survive the war, but also the effects of the war -- both physical and emotional.

Walter Dean Myers writes a touching story of a seventeen-year-old boy fighting in a very controversial war. This book gives readers a personal viewpoint of the infamous war that no history book can. Myers creates relatable characters that all readers are sure to love. This real-life, action-packed tale is one to please all readers, regardless of age.

Reviewed by: Steph

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Unfallen

This book is brilliant. While in my local library, being bored as hell like always, I picked it up and started reading it. After reading the first five pages, I couldn't put it down so I ended up borrowing it and paying a late fee for holding onto it for much too long.
Parents:
This book is great. It brings your kids into the real world, informs them about what actually happened, and I'm sure you'll like them reading this over watching T.V. Yes, this book does contain lots of swear words and there are somewhat graphic scenes in it. But honestly, kids will start swearing at around 6 or 7th grade (speaking as a teen I know this)in school and obviously not around you guys. There's nothing you can do about this unless you follow them around school and they'll find out eventually anyways. However, I would not recommend this book to ANYONE below 6th grade.
Kids:
Just read the book. 'nuff said

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The awful truth

"Get Down!!!" is the cry that rings through Perry's ears as a napalm bomb bursts near by sending a wave of roaring heat all around him. Fallen Angels is a sensational tale about Richie Perry's time in Southern Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Richie leaves his hometown to join the war because he figures it will be much better than his grim life style in the slums of New York City. When he reaches Nam and begins his patrols he finds that his home back in NYC is wondrous compared to the firefights and ambushes of Nam.
I would recommend Fallen Angels for ages 14-17 and for those who like the Jeff Shaara books. Shaara and Myers use not only the same genre, but the same writing style, only Walter Dean Myers is for a younger group of readers.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

A coming-of-age tale for young adults set in the trenches of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, this is the story of Perry, a Harlem teenager who volunteers for the service when his dream of attending college falls through. Sent to the front lines, Perry and his platoon come face-to-face with the Vietcong and the real horror of warfare. But violence and death aren't the only hardships. As Perry struggles to find virtue in himself and his comrades, he questions why black troops are given the most dangerous assignments, and why the U.S. is even there at all.

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