Fallen Angels

Jan 31, 2009 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: margaret-a-edwards-award

This is the story of one soldiers tour in Vietnam. It shows the war through his eyes. He is a soldier mostly for economic reasons, not because he has a particular position for or against the war. It details both the boredom and life threatening action of the Vietnam war.

This will appeal to teens who like war violence. Boys who want to be soliders or like war will like this book. It is very realistic, not a "James Bond" type of violence, and the soliders reaction to it is very realistic. Some tee...more

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Oct 08, 2012 rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-lit, 2006-and-prior, this-is-america, re-read, 2012, favorites, loved, own

In the past four months, I've changed jobs, been forced to move out of my apartment back in with my parents temporarily, and begun the arduous task of DIYing a long neglected house into a livable space without, y'know, electrical wires dangling into the sink and cracked wood-paneled walls. I am finding it hard to have the attention span for any reading above an eighth grade level, and even find myself momentarily overwhelmed by Tess Gerritsen. (Let's meditate on that for a moment. Body Double? C...more In the past four months, I've changed jobs, been forced to move out of my apartment back in with my parents temporarily, and begun the arduous task of DIYing a long neglected house into a livable space without, y'know, electrical wires dangling into the sink and cracked wood-paneled walls. I am finding it hard to have the attention span for any reading above an eighth grade level, and even find myself momentarily overwhelmed by Tess Gerritsen. (Let's meditate on that for a moment. Body Double? CURRENTLY TOO COMPLICATED.)

So I decided that this would be a good time to return to an old childhood favorite. Fallen Angels was read, by me, several times in approximately sixth grade to junior high school, and I still can't believe that pre-teen Rachel chose to wrench herself from an endless diet of RL Stine and Christopher Pike for a serious book about a serious moment of historical relevance like the Vietnam War. But this one had a huge effect at the time. I remember reading about those young men in the trenches, killing, hearing shots and not knowing where the shots were coming from, and feeling suffocated by how helpless they must have felt. At the time, I remember thinking that there is a kind of fear (guerilla warfare in a needless war) that is incomprehensible to my generation. This is obviously not true any longer, because of Iraq, but at the time I wanted to know even more about what it was to have that experience that was so foreign to me. I read several non-fiction books about Vietnam after Fallen Angels, glossing over descriptions of artillery and military maneuvering to the parts about what it was like to actually be in the shit seeing your friends die as teenagers and fearing the same for yourself. I was stunned into something like reverence for war veterans, which is still a complicated emotion for me as I fundamentally hate war and what happens during war.

Reading this book again as an adult, I am happy to say that it is still easily one of the best YA books I have ever read -- one of the most realistic books of war, YA or adult, easily. WDM's writing is unsentimental, letting the subject matter and Perry's fear of dying carry the appropriate gravitas. As an adult I appreciate the race relations element of the story more, the feeling of the black soldiers that they were being used as fodder on point or holding up the rear. The feeling that their lives mattered less to their commanders, even though they were fighting the same war next to the white boys in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement. WDM's story captures a whole generation.

The other cool thing about Fallen Angels is that as soon as I started reading, Peewee, Johnson, Lobel and Perry came back to me immediately, like old friends. For as poor as my reading recall is, that's really something. I would never call it "comfort reading" given the subject matter -- it is more like discomfort reading, as it should be -- but oh, I do love this book and was happy to revisit it.(less)

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Madeleine Regardless of content, there's something special about revisiting a long-standing favorite.

I still can't believe that pre-teen Rachel chose to wrench...more
Oct 09, 2012 09:37am

rachel I am just so curious about what led young me to pick up a book about a war with soldiers on the cover. I have no idea what my rationale was or why I a...more
Oct 09, 2012 11:34am

Feb 28, 2008 Skinnywhitedude19 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Walter Dean Myers wrote the book Fallen Angels. It is about America and the Vietnam War. Well as said by the main character in the book, Richie Perry. He goes through a lot of changes and sees some of his good friends die in battle fighting for a cause that no one could agree upon. The book has 4 other main characters, Lobel, Johnson, Brunner, and Peewee. The book starts off talking about the experiences of Perry while he is serving in Vietnam. His best friend, Peewee becomes instant friends wit...more Walter Dean Myers wrote the book Fallen Angels. It is about America and the Vietnam War. Well as said by the main character in the book, Richie Perry. He goes through a lot of changes and sees some of his good friends die in battle fighting for a cause that no one could agree upon. The book has 4 other main characters, Lobel, Johnson, Brunner, and Peewee. The book starts off talking about the experiences of Perry while he is serving in Vietnam. His best friend, Peewee becomes instant friends with each other when they meet in the barracks. Peewee helps Perry by standing up for him during several disputes. Peewee and Perry wake up the next morning and find out that they are to go on patrol in order to search out and destroy any Vîet Công soldiers that they encounter. The patrol lasts for a few hours and Peewee and Perry are just about to camp, when a mutual friend of Peewee and Perry drops out of formation for a second and steps on a land mine, killing him instantly. Perry is so upset by this and needs Peewee to help him talk out his feelings of grief for the loss of the friend. Peewee and Perry have a few days to rest, because they have a weekend pass and it grants them 48 hours of freedom. They go to Saigon and have a few drinks and generally have fun, before they have to report back to their unit, which is stationed in the northern highlands of South Vietnam. When they return, they are happy that they made good use of their weekend passes in Saigon.
The next day, Peewee and Perry are sent on another patrol, but this time they are sent in by helicopter. They are sent to an area known to have active Vîet Công troops in the vicinity. It does not take long for the patrol to run into a huge unit of Vîet Công in a rice paddy. They end up getting into a firefight for their very lives. Perry and Peewee shoot a few Vîet Công soldiers, before the firefight ends in a draw, with neither side gaining a clear victory. The toll for the unit is 2 dead out of a 10 man unit, including one of Perry's friends. When the troops are taken back to camp, Peewee and Perry talk about the experiences that they have gained from the firefight that they had with the Vîet Công soldiers and what was going through their minds at the time of the firefight. A few days later, Peewee, Perry, and a few other soldiers are sent out in a patrol to sweep out Vîet Công positions on a hill that overlooks the American camp. The patrol that is sent out is so badly organized that when it meets a Vîet Công patrol, the entire unit falls apart and Peewee and Perry find themselves on the hill, with none of their comrades in sight. Peewee and Perry hear something and hide in a small cave, hoping to evade capture. A Vîet Công soldier stands above looking around for the American servicemen. Peewee and Perry grab the enemy soldier, and kill him, to make sure that he does not give away their position. Peewee and Perry then try to get back to camp, but Peewee is wounded as a Vîet Công soldier finds them. A few hours later, Peewee and Perry make it back to camp and Peewee is treated for his wounds at the medic station. The story then summarizes the last few months of Peewee and Perry's service in Vietnam before they are sent home on a plane to the United States.

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Feb 16, 2008 Boyd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadulthighinterest

Once again, a young adult author surprises me with a piece of hard hitting fiction transcending the inadequate categorizations that we try to slap on literature. At this point I don't know why I'm still surprised when I pick up a YA book and it blows me away with its authenticity and depth, but it keeps happening.

Fallen Angels is a quick read. Once I started rolling on it, I finished it in a few hours. The plotline is standard, though the fluctuation between mundane and boring to hellish and vi...more

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Feb 26, 2009 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The title of the book is Fallen Angles and the person who wrote it is Walter Dean Myers. Myers wrote the book in honor of his brother who died in Nam and to show the mind of the fighters in the war. This book focuses on high school teens to show them that the army is a tough place and should take thought before enrolling. Myers writes the book in the view of a solider named Richard Perry because it shows what a solider goes though and what they have to deal with. Myers uses Perry and other soldi...more

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May 19, 2013 Chris Thompson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers is about a group of black teenagers who enlist in the Vietnam War because they have little to no hope for a good future back home. Vietnam doesn't prove to be a much better option, they soon find out, and they face an experience that, if it doesn't kill them, scars them psychologically for the rest of their lives. Myers wants to make a point that wars are fought by youths, and he does this by convincingly writing from the perspective of a youth. These youths lo...more Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers is about a group of black teenagers who enlist in the Vietnam War because they have little to no hope for a good future back home. Vietnam doesn't prove to be a much better option, they soon find out, and they face an experience that, if it doesn't kill them, scars them psychologically for the rest of their lives. Myers wants to make a point that wars are fought by youths, and he does this by convincingly writing from the perspective of a youth. These youths lose their lives, and their sanity, in a chaotic environment, where unseen mines explode or snipers pick them off from a distance. These are kids who are still learning about themselves and the world, and now they face the sad realization that they may not get a chance to experience life in its full.

The novel is told in the first person from the perspective of Richie Perry. Perry leaves his mother and younger brother to join the war effort because he can't stand living on the dangerous streets of New York, and college isn't an option. He briefly befriends a nurse named Judy, but before any love interest sparks up the two are shipped to separate separate parts of the country. However, Perry finds a close companionship with his squad mates, who are also black. His closest friend is Peewee, one of those teens who seems to know everything and really wants to kill some congs, man. He's a prickly fellow and looks for fights with anybody who throws a racial slur his way. Also in the squad are Johnson, a large and quiet young man; Jenkins, the most nervous of the group; Brunner, who is very religious; and Lobel, a lover of movies who comforts himself with the belief he is just living out a movie. Their squad is headed by Simpson, who only has a few months of service left and warns the newcomers not to get him killed.

Fallen Angels begins just before the Tet Offensive, when the U.S. seems convinced the war is almost over. Because of this, Perry and his squad face long moments of tedium, waiting for somewhere to go and something to do. They watch a Julie Andrews movie again and again. Their nightly patrols are their main source of action, but even these turn up nothing. Is there even an enemy out there? The answer is yes. On one patrol they return only to trigger a newly-planted mine. The enemy seems like a ghost. Perry is fired at from the dark, and he fires back into the darkness. Most of the battle sequences are quick and chaotic. They involve a lot of retreating. Myers wants to avoid making battle seem exciting in the fun sense of the term. Any excitement comes from fear. Out in the wild, these young soldiers are vulnerable and there's nothing to protect them.

Perry is a very reflective person. The death of a squad member haunts him for a long time. He also thinks about his other squad mates, his friends and family back home, and the enemy. He wonders what it's like from the perspective of the vietcong, which is only natural. Perry wonders about God. It's clear that he believes, as he often prays to himself, but there is an uneasiness about the mention of God. Brunner is the most open about his belief, and this openness causes friction within the squad. Is this friction due to guilt, or is there a sense that God has failed these young men?

Perry also reflects about race, which is an important theme in the novel. The blacks in the platoon stick together. These blacks feel isolated both at home and in the war. At times they are deliberately placed in the most vulnerable positions of a formation, and they feel a strong sense of injustice. They are afraid some white sergeant will not hesitate risk their lives for a promotion. However, the racism isn't directed at just blacks, but the Vietnamese as well. Every Vietnamese citizen is suspected as a vietcong, and they are referred to derogatorily as congs. There's a sense of distrust even with the South Vietnamese troop, and at one point this manifests itself as a near showdown between them and the Americans. Race seems most striking during times of war or intense conflict. We see this in our post-9/11 world where Muslims and Arabs face discrimination because of the actions of a small group of radicals.

If I have one misgiving, it is that the novel sometimes feels detached from its experience. There is a certain lack of attention to details that would otherwise help the novel feel more life-like. Sometimes the novel feels more like chaotic first-person shooter video game than a realistic war narrative. Some writers have a talent of bringing details to life. Cormac McCarthy is one of the best examples among modern authors. Myers does have talent, though. There are plenty of moments of great power that do bring the experience to life. The novel makes effective use of raw emotion. Men panicking. Men crying. Men in mortal terror of their lives. I cared about Perry and his friend Peewee and wanted them to survive, and when they come into trouble later in the novel I was afraid for them. The fact is, these are just a bunch of kids. They're innocent, and they're suddenly being thrust into one of the worst experiences life has to offer: war. (less)

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May 12, 2013 Igor Kovalyov rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

• Igor Kovalyov
• APA citation: Myers, W. D. (1988). Fallen angels. New York: Scholastic Inc.
• Genre: Multicultural
• Awards (If applicable): Coretta Scott King Award Book
• Format: Print
• Selection Process: Recommendation
• Review:
Fallen Angels is a gritty realistic tale of young adults and their experience through the Vietnam War. I think that this book was amazing because of the sense of reality that is painted all throughout and our main characters grow with each and every experience. There is m...more • Igor Kovalyov
• APA citation: Myers, W. D. (1988). Fallen angels. New York: Scholastic Inc.
• Genre: Multicultural
• Awards (If applicable): Coretta Scott King Award Book
• Format: Print
• Selection Process: Recommendation
• Review:
Fallen Angels is a gritty realistic tale of young adults and their experience through the Vietnam War. I think that this book was amazing because of the sense of reality that is painted all throughout and our main characters grow with each and every experience. There is much vulgarity and crude images that depict the realities of the Vietnam War, very similar to the films of Full Metal Jacket and other Vietnam War classics. This is another one of those books that is able to capture the bond that develops when these young men, straight out of high school, are faced put into a war. You see how the lack of transition really hits hard as they experience their first battle.
I really enjoyed this book being a history junky because it really did a great job at showing the horrors of the Vietnam War and not just from their experiences but how the horrors of war affects the human psyche. Experiences like this will remain with a person for the rest of their lives. "At his feet the soldier, still alive, was moaning in pain. I looked and saw that they had cut his finger off. I looked up into the face of the Cong soldier. He was young, no more than a teenager. He looked scared and tired, the same as me. I squeezed the trigger of the sixteen and watched him hurtle backward", (p.251). As the whole world viewed in to watch this televised war, this is another great telling of a story.
During my undergraduate studies I was able to interview several Vietnam War veterans as well as listen to hours of interviews and some of these individuals carry these terrible memories to this day. Many suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and even through interviews you could see how an individual telling a story goes into a trance almost like they are transformed back in time, reliving the same event. Walter Dean Myers does a great job at showing the reality of this tragic event in our history.

• Recommendation: Highly Recommended
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Mar 15, 2013 Lance rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

**spoiler alert** This has to be the best book I ever read, honestly. The action, horror and the characters like Richie, Peewee, Johnson, Brunner and Lobel just never gets old.

For me, there were a few gruesome parts but they didn't honestly disgust me.

An example is when Richie shoots the Viet Cong who is attempting to kill him with his AK but Richie gains the upper hand and shoots Two full clips of M16 rounds (40 rounds because it was a M16A1) into the face of the Cong. Richie then describes the...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Jeremy Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my favorite book of all time. I like that even though it is a work of fiction it still depicts an accurate picture of how it was to be in the Vietnam War. It shows both the most mundane moments that occurred there, but also the most action-packed. I have two favorite parts in the book. Although both of the moments are very disturbing and scary they still create a very vivid and interesting picture. The first event is when the mom brings her kid to the US soldiers and then runs away. As...more This is my favorite book of all time. I like that even though it is a work of fiction it still depicts an accurate picture of how it was to be in the Vietnam War. It shows both the most mundane moments that occurred there, but also the most action-packed. I have two favorite parts in the book. Although both of the moments are very disturbing and scary they still create a very vivid and interesting picture. The first event is when the mom brings her kid to the US soldiers and then runs away. As she runs away the baby explodes killing numerous soldiers. This was a very sad and disgusting part, yet it is my favorite part because it shows expertly what the soldiers had to go through. The other part is when Richie has to go into a Vietnamese spider hole. It is a very intrnse moment and leaves the reader wondering what will happen next. There is no way it could of been better.

Meyers uses diction and syntax to help articulate the meaning of the book. He uses colloquial diction like profanity and slang. These words help create a much more realistic experience and help intensify the story. They also give an inside peek into the actual war. They also help depict what the soldiers had to go through and the effects it had on them. The author uses mixed syntax in the story. In fast-paced moments like the shoot outs he uses short, punchy sentences to get his point across quickly. However, he also uses lengthy sentences in more suspenseful moments like when he is behind enemy lines.

The author effectively and clearly gets his message across. His message is to relay to regular people what truly happens in war. The message is mainly showing this about the Vietnam War. He attempts and succeeds at revealing what the soldiers went through and the effects the war had on them. It also gives a rarely heard or seen perspective of a US soldier. In the end, Meyers gives the readers and an experience that will help the reader grow as a person and effectively understand the horrors of war.(less)

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Mar 05, 2013 Tracey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hardcover-feedback

Wow. Just...wow. Walter Dean Myers accomplishes the high-wire task of writing about war for a younger audience with all its attendant boredoms, brutalities, and nightmares while making the telling unnervingly easy to comprehend and the characters too easy to identify and sympathize with. Myers shows us the Vietnam war through the eyes of Perry, a young man whose enlistment seemed like his best option for a future, until he's actually in country. We are with him whether he's bonding or clashing w...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Jake Hedges rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers is an action filled account of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a teenage soldier. The story is told from the perspective of Richie Perry, a 17 year old African American boy from Harlem who enlisted in the army during the Vietnam War because he could not afford to go to college. He is told he wouldn't be seeing much combat during his tour but that is proven to be false. While in Vietnam he searches for answers as to why the war is even being fought.
I loved t...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Zakeria Aminzada rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a young soldier named Richie Perry fighting in the Vietnam war along with the other people in his unit. Perry had believed that the war was almost over, so there wouldn't be much fighting going on, but once he experiences how life in Vietnam truly is he understands that everyone here in Vietnam just fought to get back home. Soon even Perry longs for his family back in Harlem, but as he experiences friendship with the some of the guys in his unit, like Pewee his closest friend,...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Dustin S rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Review of Fallen Angels

I have just finished reading the book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. This is a very good realistic fiction war book about a guy named Richie Perry. He goes into the Vietnam War. When he is there he meets four other guys that become his friends. Their names are Lobel, Johnson, Brunner, and Peewee.

“We spent another day lying around. It seemed to be what the war was about. Hours of boredom, seconds of terror.”

Richie Perry is a good person. Throughout the book thats w...more My Review of Fallen Angels

I have just finished reading the book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. This is a very good realistic fiction war book about a guy named Richie Perry. He goes into the Vietnam War. When he is there he meets four other guys that become his friends. Their names are Lobel, Johnson, Brunner, and Peewee.

“We spent another day lying around. It seemed to be what the war was about. Hours of boredom, seconds of terror.”

Richie Perry is a good person. Throughout the book thats what I kept thinking of him. When other people were fighting he would try to calm them or just stayed out of it. The other thing that Richie did a lot was he would write to home. He would always say how he would want more people to write to. Richie is a young man that is friends with other young men that are fighting a war. This is what helps the reader understand the big picture.

“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.”

One conflict is that a lot of the people in the war are really young. They hint about it in some places in the book like in the quote above. This helps the reader understand the big picture because it show how they have barely lived their lives and they could die at anytime.

This book a lot alike another book that Walter Dean Myers wrote and its called Sunrise Over Fallujah. This book is also a very good book where there is a guy named Robin Perry and he becomes friends with a few other guys but he isn't in the Vietnam War. He is in the War in Iraq. This may help other people connect because it is a more recent war.

The thing that you should take from reading this book is that friendship is important in hard times because innocent people die and they need someone with them when they do die. By the time you finish this book you will think differently about the word friendship. You will think that it is more of an importance in life than you did before.
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Oct 28, 2012 Phillip Flanagan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

M-16s AND YOUNG MEN DREAMS: A BOOK REVIEW OF FALLEN ANGELS

FALLEN ANGELS Scholastic, 1988, 309 pp.,$6.99
Walter Dean Myers ISBN 0-545-05576-8

The year is 1968 and the Vietnam War is starting to display its ugly face to the rest of the world. This also happens to be the year 17 year old Richie Perry graduates from high school. Unable to afford college, Richie enlist up for the Army. However, this might be the greatest mistake he has ever made.

The book “Fallen Angles by author Walter Dean Myers is...more M-16s AND YOUNG MEN DREAMS: A BOOK REVIEW OF FALLEN ANGELS

FALLEN ANGELS Scholastic, 1988, 309 pp.,$6.99
Walter Dean Myers ISBN 0-545-05576-8

The year is 1968 and the Vietnam War is starting to display its ugly face to the rest of the world. This also happens to be the year 17 year old Richie Perry graduates from high school. Unable to afford college, Richie enlist up for the Army. However, this might be the greatest mistake he has ever made.

The book “Fallen Angles by author Walter Dean Myers is a representation of how innocence is destroyed and how brotherhood is created during the horrors of war. The main character Richie Perry who is a Harlem resident is experiencing these things, after enlisting for the army. Stationed in Vietnam, Riche meets Peewee, Lobel, Johnson, Brunner, and many more people who are all in Vietnam for different reasons. Despite their differences they all pursue one goal and that is to survive. Although it is non-fiction, this action packed drama accounts for all the young men and women who served in Vietnam, and is a perfect tribute to veterans. The author uses the main characters flashback from his teenage years to cause sentimental emotions within the reader, because you remember that Richie is only 17 and must battle in a war. And although Richie is 17, it seems like he is at least 24 because of the abridging of his innocence. Richie voice is so compelling that you feel like you are right beside him fighting for survival.

“Fallen Angels” by Walter Dean Myers is a very exciting book. It was impossible for me to go one day without reading it. This war story is great for veterans and people who enjoy stories about survival. I find it as a tribute, a memorial even to the lives lost in battle. Reading this book made me feel like I was paying homage to those warriors by knowing their story.
So, if you like war stories and survival stories, then I recommend this book. However, even if you don’t favorite this genre I would still recommend and encourage everyone to read this book because I feel that it is our duty to pay respect to remember these soldiers’ stories, because they deserve it, because of their sacrifice.
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Oct 11, 2012 Robert Bickers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: taught

This review is from the perspective of a Sophomore English teacher who likes a good war novel but has a general distaste for Vietnam in pop culture.

Fallen Angels succeeds on many, many fronts and fails on only one, so let's start there. I kept getting lost due to the first-person style and Myers' choice to portray the story as realisticaly as possible. As a reader, this falls on me. The style works and the characters are interesting, but I can only take so much calm-fight-calm-boredom-calm-fight...more This review is from the perspective of a Sophomore English teacher who likes a good war novel but has a general distaste for Vietnam in pop culture.

Fallen Angels succeeds on many, many fronts and fails on only one, so let's start there. I kept getting lost due to the first-person style and Myers' choice to portray the story as realisticaly as possible. As a reader, this falls on me. The style works and the characters are interesting, but I can only take so much calm-fight-calm-boredom-calm-fightfightfight before I lose track of who's who and where they geographically are. Again, this ultimately falls on me, but it did detract from my enjoyment of the novel.

Beyond that, Fallen Angels is one of the better war novels I've read.

One of its strongest features is the lack of politicization. The major characters - Perry, the average-guy narrator, and Peewee, the rascal joker - are Black Americans, as are many of the supporting cast. Atypically, race is only a minor issue, an aside to the central narrative. Myers also avoids picking sides in teh right or wrong argument about US involvement. His characters question why they are there, but they never preach.

The comraderie developed between the characters is nicely developed, with each of the supporting cast, from the possibly gay Jew to the not-all-there Italian, given a moment in the spotlight. It's easy to imagine the men in Perry's company as real individuals, complete with lives lived outside the pages of the novel. When one is killed, the sense of loss is immediate and painful.

The setting? Well, it's Vietnam so jungles and grass huts are de rigour. The description's sufficient, but we've already got a good image from other sources so Myers doesn't have to do much to get the sense of place across.

The best part of the novel is its lack of pretension as it sets about showing the daily gind of a regular Joe in 'Nam. Many pages of boredom (for the characters, not the reader) are punctured by snippets of intense, graphic violence and unadulterated terror. There's no Rambo here, just men trying to survive against an almost invisible enemy. Here is where Myers scores his greatest success among the many found in his tribute to Black soldiers in America's most debated "war".(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Christian Westbrook rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

When I first heard of Fallen Angels from my best friend at school I recently moved away from, I can honestly say I dismissed it. Busy with life, mind on other matters, I didn't give it a chance.

But for some reason, during a recent visit to the local library, Fallen Angels caught my eye and reminded me of my friend, so I decided to check it out.

Expectations low, I began the journey of Richard Perry into the jungles of Vietnam completely unaware of what was about to happen. Starting off at a slow...more

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Jul 19, 2012 YingYing rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I normally do not go for war novels, but studying the Vietnam war this year in APUSH really piqued my interest in the time period. But I didn't like this at all.

First of all, let me say that I loved The Things They Carried, which is also a war novel. But I felt like Fallen Angels got bogged down by details of the equipment, the terminology, the battles, and lost sight of the larger audience.

I did, however, enjoy the new perspective. Fallen Angels talks about the African American soldiers, thei...more

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May 24, 2012 Jeremy Cain rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book Fallen Angels, written by Walter Dean Myers, is truly a masterpiece. The story was great and rarely got boring or pointless. The novel takes place during the Vietnam War and is about a young black teen who joins the military only to escape what bothers him at home. Throughout the story we see this young man, Richie, grow bonds with his fellow squad members. It't not as happy as it sounds though. Richie is constantly contemplating the meaning of his life and it's purpose in the war as he...more

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May 24, 2012 Zack rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fallen Angels is a novel written by Walter Dean Myers that takes place in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and is told through the eyes of Richie Perry a young African-American soldier. Perry joins the army after his dreams of attending college fall through. He is sent to the front lines where he witnesses the true terrors of war. As his fellow soldiers are being killed around him Perry begins to contemplate why the U.S. is even in Vietnam at all and why the African-American troops are given the...more

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May 18, 2012 Jerome rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first war novel. I read this three years ago, in seventh grade.

The author knows very little about Viet Nam or the army. He apparently thinks the 60 in M-60 stands for .60 cal. and that soldiers put stamps on their letters when they were in the war zone. A patrol goes out without a radio, a soldier calls a latrine a "bathroom," and the final bit of silliness---soldiers fly back to the states not on a jet transport, nor on a C-130, but on a C-47, a two-engine prop job built in the 1930s and nev...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Danielle Wright rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fallen Angels is a novel about the Vietnam War and the hardships faced by a young man who is sent there to fight any enemy he is told to hate. The main character, Richie, is a young African American from Harlem who leaves his single mom and younger brother to fight in the war. He is only 17 years old when he joins the army and is shipped over to Vietnam. When Richie was younger he witnessed a drive-by shooting but the violence of the Harlem streets is nothing compared to what he is thrown into w...more Fallen Angels is a novel about the Vietnam War and the hardships faced by a young man who is sent there to fight any enemy he is told to hate. The main character, Richie, is a young African American from Harlem who leaves his single mom and younger brother to fight in the war. He is only 17 years old when he joins the army and is shipped over to Vietnam. When Richie was younger he witnessed a drive-by shooting but the violence of the Harlem streets is nothing compared to what he is thrown into when he gets to Vietnam. Making friends with a rash, but strong squad member, Peewee, Richie finds that during war friendship is not based on color or religious background but on staying alive. Peewee and Richie fight through the war, relying on each other to survive and keep their sanity. Richie is a very good writer and this is noticed by the other soldiers. He is given the task of writing to deceased soldiers families and even writes a letter to Peewee’s girlfriend. This is an added stress but brings Richie to the realization that writing could be his calling. Richie and Peewee make it through the war and on the flight back to the states, in a very moving scene; they hold hands to symbolize their friendship.
This novel was really interesting and we think students would enjoy it too. This book is mainly geared towards male students but we think it would be good for all students because it covers the Vietnam War, which we feel is glanced over in history classes. It also covers a lot of themes such as the reality of war, the power of friendship, the disconnect between the battle field and people back home, and the abuse of power by fame hungry captains. It also covers racial issues and how racial walls can either be built or torn down depending on the situation. The theme of two men loving each other based on friendship is also important because we feel in today’s society that if two male friends are “too close” it is stigmatized. This book has a lot to offer students in the way of literary analysis, history, and life lessons.

Stephen and Danielle (less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Stephen Tori rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fallen Angels is a novel about the Vietnam War and the hardships faced by a young man who is sent there to fight any enemy he is told to hate. The main character, Richie, is a young African American from Harlem who leaves his single mom and younger brother to fight in the war. He is only 17 years old when he joins the army and is shipped over to Vietnam. When Richie was younger he witnessed a drive-by shooting but the violence of the Harlem streets is nothing compared to what he is thrown into w...more Fallen Angels is a novel about the Vietnam War and the hardships faced by a young man who is sent there to fight any enemy he is told to hate. The main character, Richie, is a young African American from Harlem who leaves his single mom and younger brother to fight in the war. He is only 17 years old when he joins the army and is shipped over to Vietnam. When Richie was younger he witnessed a drive-by shooting but the violence of the Harlem streets is nothing compared to what he is thrown into when he gets to Vietnam. Making friends with a rash, but strong squad member, Peewee, Richie finds that during war friendship is not based on color or religious background but on staying alive. Peewee and Richie fight through the war, relying on each other to survive and keep their sanity. Richie is a very good writer and this is noticed by the other soldiers. He is given the task of writing to deceased soldiers families and even writes a letter to Peewee’s girlfriend. This is an added stress but brings Richie to the realization that writing could be his calling. Richie and Peewee make it through the war and on the flight back to the states, in a very moving scene; they hold hands to symbolize their friendship.
This novel was really interesting and we think students would enjoy it too. This book is mainly geared towards male students but we think it would be good for all students because it covers the Vietnam War, which we feel is glanced over in history classes. It also covers a lot of themes such as the reality of war, the power of friendship, the disconnect between the battle field and people back home, and the abuse of power by fame hungry captains. It also covers racial issues and how racial walls can either be built or torn down depending on the situation. The theme of two men loving each other based on friendship is also important because we feel in today’s society that if two male friends are “too close” it is stigmatized. This book has a lot to offer students in the way of literary analysis, history, and life lessons.

Stephen and Danielle (less)

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Feb 10, 2012 Alec B rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alec Bachman

Fallen Angels is a story of a one year tour in Vietnam during the war. It is told through the eyes of 18 year old Richie Perry, who once lived in the ghetto in Harlem Mass. and lost his chance to go to college. He is sent to the front lines deep in Vietnam. It mainly goes through his life at camp and him and his comrades trying to relieve themselves from the extreme boredom that comes from sitting in a military camp all day. Also, it describes the fighting against the Vietnamese sold...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: younger-readers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Richie Perry is a young soldier from Harlem fighting in Vietnam in 1968. Richie wasn’t drafted but joined the army because he didn’t think he could afford to go to college and didn’t know what other options he had. Like Sunrise Over Fallujah (and Patrol), Fallen Angels deals with the issue of racism, both within the army and in the war. Myers is not disrespectful of the soldiers and the sacrifices they make, but he addresses the systematic dehumanization of the “enemy” that happens during war. L...more Richie Perry is a young soldier from Harlem fighting in Vietnam in 1968. Richie wasn’t drafted but joined the army because he didn’t think he could afford to go to college and didn’t know what other options he had. Like Sunrise Over Fallujah (and Patrol), Fallen Angels deals with the issue of racism, both within the army and in the war. Myers is not disrespectful of the soldiers and the sacrifices they make, but he addresses the systematic dehumanization of the “enemy” that happens during war. Late in the book, several of the characters argue about whether it can be considered killing if the target doesn’t seem human to the killer and how that kind of killing turns the killers into animals themselves. Both novels also deal with the issue of “friendly fire” in a sensitive manner.

Richie Perry and his fellow soldiers struggle to identify the enemy at times. Myers captures the sentiment, “Maybe we would stop pretending that we knew who the enemy was and let ourselves believe that all the Vietnamese were the enemy… The women, the babies, the old men." That attitude would presumably also help ease the guilt associated with civilian casualties. He also laments his squad has to prove that they’re the “good guys.” He also reflects on how the fallen soldier to one side is a trophy to the other and not respected as a human being. Myers captures the ambiguity of how difficult it is to define a hero when it’s not always clear who the enemy is, a feeling that probably bothers some but seems true to what many soldiers experience.

The novel also expresses the surrealism of the experience, with characters arguing that the movies are more real than real life and discussing how the killing does not feel real until the victim is close enough to see. Myers’ depiction of Richie’s unconscious effort not to think about certain things and inability to block certain memories feels authentic and is very affective. One of the dominant images can be captured with the line “Hours of boredom, seconds of terror.” The novel may appeal to a lot of young readers who may not be interested in more traditional literature, but it doesn’t glamorize the fighting or violence of war.
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Jan 01, 2012 Ricky Ganci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It’s a very emotional story about the Vietnam war. I spent most of the last 100 pages hoping earnestly that Peewee wouldn’t die, then, after I was finished, spent time wondering how (and maybe even why) he didn’t. The images and the emotions of what combat in Vietnam (and, most likely, in Iraq) must be like are the reason to read this book, to teach it, and to recommend it to others. The hint at what flashbacks must be like for those who have seen human atrocity was chilling: Monaco, rolling out...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Gary Hamilton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gary Hamilton

Book: Fallen Angels
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Characters : Richie Perry main character , Kenny who is Richie’s brother , Richie’s mother, Harold “Peewee” Gates ,Lobel , Monaco ,Captain Stewart, Sergeant Simpson, Lieutenant Carroll, Lieutenant Gearhart , Brew ,Corporal Brunner, Sergeant Dongan ,Judy Duncan ,Earlene , Jamal ,Jenkins ,Johnson ,Johnny Robinson, Turner, and Willowick.
A man by the name of Richie Perry went to fight the war in Vietnam because it was an easy way to get out...more Gary Hamilton

Book: Fallen Angels
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Characters : Richie Perry main character , Kenny who is Richie’s brother , Richie’s mother, Harold “Peewee” Gates ,Lobel , Monaco ,Captain Stewart, Sergeant Simpson, Lieutenant Carroll, Lieutenant Gearhart , Brew ,Corporal Brunner, Sergeant Dongan ,Judy Duncan ,Earlene , Jamal ,Jenkins ,Johnson ,Johnny Robinson, Turner, and Willowick.
A man by the name of Richie Perry went to fight the war in Vietnam because it was an easy way to get out of Harlem. He had heard stories of going to the war and thought that he would never truly see battle or take place in it because of where he was stationed. When he first came unto the camp he gets to know his squad and there sergeant tells them that they will be in limited battle. When they finally arrived at there camp a man name Jenkins was killed by a land mind from the first squad’s patrol. Not knowing what to do or how to think about what has happened Richie and his team began to fear for there lives and begin to look over life as they know it , and begin to see what truly matters in the world.
Richie goes through hardship with his Captains wanting promotions instead of thinking about safety ,them getting a new Captains that is racist that always would put people of color in the most dangerous positions possible, and him thinking about his family and there future . Various questions begin to come to mind as he services time for his country one of them was why was he there to begin with? Is it really worth losing his life over? And what would he do after he goes back home to Harlem? If he ever goes back. After Sergeant Dongan is killed they were assigned a new Sergeant Brunner who was a soldier who led his men to a dangerous territory. After shots have been fired Richie and Peewee gets wounded. Both Richie and Peewee try to help the new soldiers that are coming to the war by telling them what they have been through and what to expect. In the end both Richie and Peewee’s medical records get looked over and they get to go home with the caskets of the fallen soldiers.
Basically this book was about a young man who wanted to find a way out from poverty and found it with serving in the army. He thinks that’s its going to be easy money for his family but in the end learns that war is not a joking matter. He grows during the course of this story from a boy to man and begins to value life, family and begins to have hope for his future. He learns to depend on others to survive and to value what he has. This was a really good book.
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Dec 11, 2011 Dena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Summary: This is the story of Perry, a young man from Harlem who decides to enlist in the military. Perry quickly finds himself in the jungles of Vietnam, where he is exposed to racism, death, and the ethical conflicts that come with war.
Personal Reaction: I read this book several years ago, and I felt that for the intended audience, it was an appropriate depiction of the Vietnam War. So many students of this generation have uncles or grandfathers (or aunts or grandmothers who were nurses) who m...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Chauncey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Myers, author of the fantastic young adult novel "Monster," delivers another fantastic read in "Fallen Angels." Richard "Richie" Perry volunteers to serve in the Vietnam War as a way to escape the tough life he's living in Harlem and earn some money to help support his family. He quickly learns, though, that was is far uglier than he could ever have imagined. Although he has trouble writing about the war to his brother, Richie finds some solace in living side by side with his "Army brother," Pee...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Lori Holbein-Gutierrez rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, young-adult, historical-fiction

Personal Reaction:

I had no idea what to expect from looking at the cover of the book. I opened the book to read the summary and I was then on my way. The book intrigued me because it was written about a group of men from various parts of the U.S. fighting in the Vietnam War. My father fought in the Vietnam War and never really talked about it other than to say he was a cook. It was funny to read about the hard time the soldiers gave the cooks since my Dad was one of them. I wondered if he too wa...more Personal Reaction:

I had no idea what to expect from looking at the cover of the book. I opened the book to read the summary and I was then on my way. The book intrigued me because it was written about a group of men from various parts of the U.S. fighting in the Vietnam War. My father fought in the Vietnam War and never really talked about it other than to say he was a cook. It was funny to read about the hard time the soldiers gave the cooks since my Dad was one of them. I wondered if he too was given a hard time for what they served.

Each of the men were there for different purposes and it made it interesting to read about why they were there, who they left behind, and how they felt each time they were to be sent out on mission. Most people assume most people in the military want to be there, because they want that life and it was obvious in the book this is not always the case. The main character Perry was there because he could not afford to go to college and there was nothing there for him in Harlem. I admired his bond and love for his younger brother, Kenny. I also admired him for not ever complaining about the fact that he had a medical profile for his knee that gave him trouble. He fought right there next to each of the men in his unit. The author did a great job of getting into his head during those moments in battle or as he attempted to sleep. Those thoughts are what made me have a better understanding of what Perry was feeling. I also liked reading from the perspective of an African American fighting in the Vietnam War. I'm glad the author chose to write about such an honorable and courageous young soldiers that served their country well.

The graphic nature of the attacks made it difficult to stomach the gruesome images that the soldiers were encountering. It makes you wonder if anyone can fully recover after seeing such horrific things.Though I am not one to pick up war books I'm glad this book was about the Vietnam War since it made me think of my Dad and the sacrifices he made willingly for our country. The personal connection made it easier to read than I had expected. By the way, after reading the book I really liked the title.(less)

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Oct 17, 2011 Kelly Herta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a story of 17 year old Richie Perry who cannot make enough money to care for his little brother, Kenny, or his alcoholic mother so he joins the Army during the Vietnam War. He is a good basketball player during basic training but blows out a knee and ends up with a medical profile, one that should get him a desk job.The profile is delayed and Richie is sent overseas. He meets up with people that are like him, frightened and scared. Some are killed and Richie kills a NVA soldier. He asks...more

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Ariel Reading Review	2	13	Apr 04, 2013 11:08am
Kevin Torres,Per. 9,T1,Fallen Angels	1	8	Sep 13, 2007 01:15pm

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