BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA:
Myers, Walter Dean. 2008. FALLEN ANGELS. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780545055765
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
After graduating from high school, seventeen-year-old Richie Perry enlists in the United States Army and travels to Vietnam to join the war effort. However, young Richie is disillusioned about what it means to go to war, and he believes that a knee injury will prevent him from having to actually fight in the war. Richie’s hopes are further bolstered by a sergeant’s assurances that he and his new friends will only encounter light, easy work. Inevitably, Richie’s illusions are quickly shattered when one of the new recruits is killed by a land mine. The harsh realities of war begin to set in with Richie, but he is too horrified even to tell his mother and brother back home. Richie must confront his own thoughts on the morality of war, and he is left confused and emotionally shaken. While stuck in the middle of a horrendous war, Richie also begins to look within himself as he questions the worth of his own life and what he will do with it if he survives to rejoin “the World.” Richie faces extraordinarily difficult situations while at war, such as terrifying wounds, facing racism within his own military unit as a black man, and the harsh, frightening, and confusing life of a soldier. Intelligent and ambitious Richie will pull readers into the story with him, and readers will find themselves grappling with the heavy questions he poses about war and heroism. FALLEN ANGELS is an adventure story that takes a deep and serious look at the realities of war and the impact it has on soldiers. In addition to the action-packed plot, the emotional subtext of FALLEN ANGELS will draw readers into Richie’s difficult situation and stick with them long after the book is put down.
CONNECTIONS:
FALLEN ANGELS may increase students’ interest in the Vietnam War. Encourage students to research more about the history of this war. Students can even create a factual timeline chronicling the major events throughout this war.
Richie is emotionally affected by his experiences at war in a variety of ways. Encourage students to write a diary entry from Richie’s perspective, expressing the emotions and confusion that he experiences.
Pair this story with poetry related to war, such as Lee Bennett Hopkins’ AMERICA AT WAR: POEMS.
REVIEWS AND AWARDS:
From KIRKUS REVIEWS:
“With dreams of college fading, Ritchie Perry (17) enlists, buying time to consider his future. By mistake, he's ordered to Southeast Asia and into a bloody, violent nightmare where he sees his fellows gunned down (sometimes by their own side), women and children mutilated and killed, desperate heroism and equally ... More desperate cowardice; his articulate, dispassionate telling only accentuates his story's horror, Myers masterfully re-creates the combat zone with its "hours of boredom, seconds of terror," its crushing tension and the distortion of values brought on by the relentless proximity of death--Ritchie says, "We were in the middle of it, and it was deeply within us." He survives racist officers, pitched battles, guerrilla raids, and multiple wounds—not all of them physical; whether his numbed spirit will eventually thaw is a question the author leaves open. War-story fans will find enough action here, though it isn't glorified; thoughtful readers will be haunted by this tribute to a ravaged generation.”
Wilson’s Junior High School
Wilson’s Senior High School
ALA Notable Best Book
Coretta Scott King Award Book 1989
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