Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

1.        I think that the book Fallen Angels was a great book for me. The book got my attention right away in the first chapter. It started with, what I thought was, an excellent attention- grabber. I whole theme of the novel was war, specifically between the U.S. and South Vietnam against North Vietnam. The war theme was something I thought would be interesting and exciting to read about. Nevertheless, my proposition was correct. In truth, I indeed liked the book. As I got deeper into the novel, more action and conflicts occurred which got me eager to read more and finish the book. I admit, thought, the book had a rather slow start.

2.        The author, Walter Dean Myers, seems to be a proficient writer. I say this because I really enjoyed his book. Like I said, the book grabbed me right- away. Once I had started reading it, there wasn’t any way out because I was already caught into the action in the book. Walter Dean Myers’s writing style seems to be simple. I believe the book was written in first person; to me, I think first person is awfully easy to understand. Astonishingly, I didn’t get lost and confused that much throughout the book. I stayed right on task majority of time. I am willing to read another book by Walter Dean Myers. I feel that would enjoy his others as much as I enjoyed this one, Fallen Angels.

3.        The main characters are Richie Perry, Harold Gates (Peewee), Lobel, and Monaco. Richie Perry, the protagonist, is about 17 years old from Harlem in New York. Perry is a black high- school student. At first in Vietnam, Perry was lost and confused. He didn’t know what to do in a war. AS the story progressed, Perry started to learn a few essentials about life, such as, how to build his life, friendship, and trust. Harold Gates, or Peewee (his nickname), is from the harsh streets of the Chicago ghettos. Peewee is a black young adult, and Perry’s closest friend in Vietnam. The streets shaped Peewee’s personality of having a rash behavior. This personality was carried over to the war. Peewee faced a battle with a brutal, savage mentality. Later on, Peewee began to show compassion, kindness, and loyalty. Lobel is a Jewish man. He suffered through many prejudice remarks like his other fellow black comrades. Lobel is addicted to watching movies. He basically compared life in Vietnam with how life in movies is. Monaco is an Italian man on Perry’s squad. He showed lots bravery in battle. He was the courageous in the squad that took risks. Unfortunately, that attitude of his got him to deep danger.

4.        I do recommend this book to other students. However, I believe this book isn’t for everyone. The book contains many curse words throughout the whole book. The curse words doesn’t necessarily make the book bad because Walter Dean Myers wanted to give the full war- time experience, and soldiers like to trash talk when in war. Also, there were a few sexual references. The book even has some gory scenes since the plot is during a war. I would recommend this book to teens from 8^th grade to 10^th grade. I don’t think the reading level is high enough for teens past 10^th grade. More specifically, I would recommend this book to boys because of the war- content. I can see a guy like this book more than a girl, but I am not saying a girl can not read Fallen Angels.

5.        The story begins with a 17 year-old black male from New York named Richie Perry, who joins the army. The Vietnam War was going on at this time. During training camp, Perry injures his knee while playing basketball. The injury made Perry have a medical profile which should have him not go in combat. With paper works all mixed up, Perry was issued to fight in the war anyway. On his way to Vietnam, Perry meets a nurse named Judy Duncan and a comrade, Harold Gates or Peewee (his nickname). At their first base, Perry meets Jenkins. Here, Perry, Peewee, Jenkins all gets transported to a new base in Chu Lai. Perry meets another soldier named Johnson. That night Jenkins steps on a land mine and dies. The following day, one of the Lieutenants, Carroll, leads a prayer. Carroll called Jenkins an “angel warrior”.

After a few days, Perry meets Monaco, an Italian, and Lobel, a Jew. Lobel and Perry become friends with young Vietnamese girl named An Linh during an expedition.  That night, Perry and Lobel was put on guard duty, and Lobel tells Perry that how likes to compare his army life to a movie. During a patrol, Perry’s squad accidentally lays fire on their soldiers. Many Americans were killed out of carelessness. That night, the squad goes on a journey to a nearby village. Here, they try to set an ambush attack on some Vietcongs. Perry becomes wild and randomly shoots in this battle. Lieutenant Carroll was hit and later died in a hospital in Chu Lai. That night, Perry writes a letter to Carroll’s pregnant wife that her husband has died, but died with great honor.

Perry’s squad got a lieutenant and his name is Gearhart. Gearhart accidentally renders their position to the enemy during a patrol. Only one death took place. In a random village, the squad got some rest. Perry goes in a hut and he gets taken by surprise by a Vietcong. Perry turns around and shoots the Vietcong with multiple bullets with desperation. Later, the squad gets sent to another new base, Tam Ky. At some point in a current patrol, the squad was ambushed by the enemy. Luckily, the squad was able to unleash some heavy firepower on them and defeats the ambush. Many were injured though, and some were even killed. Even Perry got injured; he suffered from a broken wrist and a few flesh wounds around his upper leg. The soldiers who were just injured got a purple heart for their bravery.

Perry was sent back out to the squad because his injury was not too serious. In a recent patrol, Perry and Peewee become separated form the rest of the squad. The two guys spend the night in a spider hole. In the morning, Peewee peeks out and sees a battalion of North Vietnamese. One of them even checks the hole they were in; in self defense, Perry and Peewee kills in the soldier. When the choppers came in, the two guys opened fire onto the battalion to let the choppers know where they are. Once the choppers found them, they began to open fire.  Both the men were wounded in the battle. In the hospital, the two men finally get sent home to because they were both seriously injured. On the plane ride home, Perry finds out that Judy Duncan has died in a hospital bombing.

Setting: Vietnam

Exposition: Richie Perry joining the army & headed to Vietnam

Rising Action: When Lieutenant Carroll dies and when Lieutenant Gearhart releases a flare

Climax: When Perry and his squad all get brutally injured in an intense battle against the Vietcongs in a slope with rice paddies everywhere

Falling Action: Perry and Peewee stays in a spider hole for the night

Resolution: When Perry and Peewee finally gets sent home because of major injuries and when Perry learns that Judy Duncan is dead

Characters: Richie Perry, Harold “Peewee” Gates, Lobel, Monaco, Lieutenant Carroll and Gearhart, Judy Duncan, Johnson, and Jenkins (Others not mentioned in summary: Sergeant Simpson and Dongan, Corporal Brunner, Brew, Turner, and Walowick)

Conflicts: Prejudice & racism, Heroism, the truth of war- good vs. bad, and loss of purity- morality vs. immorality