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Fallen Angels

Fallen Angels

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Author: Walter Dean Myers
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Category: Book

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Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 286 reviews
Sales Rank: 85367

Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: Anv
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.2 x 5.2 x 0.8

ISBN: 0545055768
EAN: 9780545055765
ASIN: 0545055768

Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: New - Has remainder mark. Fast shipping from trusted wholesaler with many exclusive publisher contracts.

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Review
A coming of age tale for young adults set in the trenches of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, Fallen Angels 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 there at all. Fallen Angels won the 1989 Coretta Scott King Award.

Product Description
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.




Customer Reviews:   Read 281 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars Loved this book!!!!   December 29, 2008
Im also a sophomore i high school an i absolutely loved this book. It is a book about Vietnam so it is expected to be graphic. The language is strong...which is probably also expected if you have ever read a war novel and you are familiar with the language habits of young soldiers. As I said before the war aspects are not something meant for anyone under the age of 15. I would also not recommend reading this book right before you go to bed if you are easily disturbed. However if you can get past the gruesome scenes it is worth it. The book really delves into the narrators thoughts...assuming it is becasue of the first person poit of view. Overall i HIGHLY recommend this book to any war novel enthusiast.


3 out of 5 stars A war story, a teen drama, and a political statement all in one   August 23, 2008
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.



4 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too   July 12, 2008
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



5 out of 5 stars Unfallen   June 28, 2008
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



5 out of 5 stars The awful truth   June 23, 2008
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

"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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