Fallen Angels....

This book was an educational read and a fun one for me. War novels are a great way to understand parts of history which may have flown under the radar the first time we learned them. Fallen Angels seemed to be real. I felt the imagery of the novel. When I say I felt it, I mean I was there with this one. I envisioned myself being a part of their unit in each area. It helps to have seen numerous Vietnam War movies to see how things were. Each time Perry talked about boarding the choppers, I felt his uneasiness. If you have ever seen the movie "Apocalypse Now," you would be able to see his fear of boarding and leaving helicopters. A VC would have no problem losing his life to the greater good of their cause, running up to a helicopter with an explosive was not uncommon. The amount of death made me realize how hard it must have been to stay focused and stay alive. Perry was hit 2 times while in 'Nam and that was in a very short time span as far as the timeline of the war.

I also had a great connection for Peewee and Perry's relationship. I know what it is like to not want to lose a close bond. It isn't unheard of to see this type of relationship because war seems to bring people together. I can only imagine having a friend of mine so close to death all the time. It would be hard to care about others in a war you can't seem to win.

The night stories are what made this Novel really stand out. If you go back and read any of the passages, read the ones where Perry has inner thoughts about what is going on while he is sitting on guard. He can't see anything and all he can see is shadow and darkness, it's very eerie. Fallen Angels gave me a greater respect for those who have risked their lives protecting others.

This would be a great book to co-teach a unit with a History teacher. To have a book like this coincide with a war unit would be great. It would help students grasp the reality of what soldiers may have went through. There seem to be so many great ways to teach Fallen Angels. I recommend this book to all young adults and even adult readers looking for a quick read.