Fallen Angels

Generally, war stories are targeted towards a male audience; however, this does not mean they cannot have merit for females as well. War is (unfortunately) a major part of the world we live in and it is important for all teenagers to have exposure to war narratives to help them understand why that is and to be aware of the people involved in fighting those wars.
Fallen Angels is a 1988 novel by Walter Dean Myers about the Vietnam War from the perspective of a young soldier. The narrator is Private Richard “Richie” Perry, a seventeen year old from Harlem. He is smart and ambitious, but short on options. He joins the army and faces some harrowing combat while at the same time endures coming to terms with his alcoholic mother and maintaining correspondence with his younger brother Kenny.
Richie’s story involves a unique cast of characters (My favorite were Private Harold "Peewee" Gates, Richie’s friend and fellow soldier from Chicago who uses his sarcasm and wit to fight the emotional scarring of battles). Richie and his fellow soldiers face many challenges. Their battles are not just with the Vietnamese, but are also for their own place within the military and for their inner desire to continue to survive throughout hardship.

Spoiler Alert/ Parent-Teacher Advisory Section: This novel contains a good deal of profanity and some extremely violent images and situations. It also contains a very frank portrayal of the military, particularly race relations within the military.

Overall recommendation: Fallen Angels does an exquisite job of portraying a harsh, yet realistic example of a soldier’s experience. Though it is a novel about the Vietnam War and was written in the 1980s, it is still relevant in the issues it addresses even today. The heroism of these characters is not tied to their military prowess, but rather to their humanity. This allows the reader, male or female to find the heroism within themselves.