Teen Book Review: Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

Since its publication in 1988, Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers continues to be a book both beloved and banned in school libraries across the country. A realistic novel about the Vietnam War, the day to day struggles of young soldiers, and a soldier's view about Vietnam, this book is bound to be found offensive by some and embraced by others. Read this review to learn more details about this high profile book by an established and award winning author.

It’s 1967 and American boys are enlisting to fight in Vietnam. Seventeen year old Richie Perry just graduated from high school, but he feels lost and unsure what to do with his life. Thinking the military will keep him out of trouble, he enlists. Richie and his group of soldiers are deployed immediately to the jungles of Vietnam. They believe the war will be over very soon and don’t plan to see much action; however, they are dropped down in the middle of a war zone and discover the war is nowhere near being finished.

Richie discovers the horrors of war: landmines, the enemy lurking in spider holes and murky swamps, the accidental shooting of soldiers in your own platoon, burned out villages full of old people and children, and the children who are strapped with bombs and sent among the American soldiers.

What began as an exciting adventure for Richie is turning into a nightmare.  Fear and death are tangible in Vietnam and soon Richie begins to question why he is fighting.  After surviving two encounters with death, Richie is honorably discharged from the service. Disillusioned about the glory of war, Richie returns home with a renewed desire to live and an appreciation for the family he left behind.

Walter Dean Myers is a war veteran who first enlisted in the military when he was seventeen. Like the main character, Richie, he saw the military as a way to get out of his neighborhood and away from trouble.  For three years Myers stayed in the military and when reflecting on those years he calls them “numbing” (Source: Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers). Myers wrote Fallen Angels in memory of his younger brother, who was killed in combat on his first day in Vietnam.

When asked in an interview why he wrote Fallen Angels, Myers replied, “I wanted to dispel the notion of war as either romantic or simplistically heroic.” (Source: Publishers Weekly)

In 2008 Myers wrote a companion novel to Fallen Angels called Sunrise Over Fallujah. Robin Perry, the nephew of Richie, decides to enlist and fight the war in Iraq.

To learn more about Myers, see Walter Dean Myers: His Life, Books and Views on Censorship. For other recommended fiction by Myers, see my reviews of Monster and Shooter.

Fallen Angels is the winner of the prestigious American Library Association’s 1989 Corretta Scott King Award, but it also ranks 11 on its most challenged and banned book list between the years 2000 and 2009 (Source: American Library Association). How could one book garner so much attention? Depicting the reality of war, Walter Dean Myers, who is a veteran himself, is faithful to the way soldiers talk and act. The newly enlisted soldiers are depicted as boastful, idealistic, and fearless. After the first exchange of fire with the enemy, the illusion is shattered and the reality of death and dying changes these young boys into tired old men.

Fallen Angels is a war story. Walter Dean Myers did not write a fairytale nor did he create characters who are unbelievable. The soldiers in this story swear. They also scream and cry and die. The details of combat can be as gruesome as the description of a soldier’s final breathing moments. This is the nature of war. Due to the graphic nature of the language and fighting, Fallen Angels has been challenged by many groups.

Here's the bottom line: if you are going to read a novel about soldiers engaged in a war, then be prepared for harsh language, graphic combat scenes, and deep introspection on the purpose of war. Walter Dean Myers is a war veteran. His brother died in Vietnam on his first day in combat. One of his sons is a military officer. Myers knows his topic and wants to ensure that his readers know the truth about war. With this knowledge, a reader should be prepared to read Fallen Angels and not be surprised by its content.

My only wish for this book was that Myers had included a military glossary at the back to help me understand some of the jargon used by the soldiers. An added bonus would be a section with historical notes on the Vietnam War and how it tied into the story. Besides these two wishes, I felt Fallen Angels was an accurate representation of war and very realistic. This book is not for everyone. It will appeal to readers who enjoy reading historical war novels and who are not squeamish about language or violence. Publishers recommended age for this book is 14-up. (Scholastic, 2008. ISBN: 9780545055765)