Heroes

by Robert Cormier

Book Overview

Francis Joseph Cassavant is eighteen. He has just returned home from the Second World War, and he has no face. He does have a gun and a mission: to murder his childhood hero. Francis lost most of his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385325908
• ISBN13: 9780385325905
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 136 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.7" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

My favorite Cormier

I have heard great recommendations of this book. However, when I started it, I wasn't exactly thrilled. It was okay, but so far it didn't seem like anything completely different or amazing. As soon as I was really starting to feel let down, though, Cormier caught my complete attention with his mysterious ommissions and made me start to wonder "what on earth is going on?" In Heroes, Robert Cormier uses the reader's curiosity as a tool to lure them, absorbing them in the book. When I finally figured out why everything was happening as it was, I was once again left with a question: Does one sin wipe away all the good things? The main character, Francis' childhood hero, Larry LaSalle, is suddenly revealed for a rapist as Francis realizes that LaSalle is ravaging this poor teenager's own girlfriend. Francis struggles to realize if deep down, there is still good in Larry LaSalle. Heroes stirs curiosity, startles with imagery, and completely dissects the word "hero", letting you discover what it really means. Hero will never be the word it was after reading this book.

Heroes by: Robert Cormier

Francis Casavant is an eighteen-year old boy who tells about his life since world war two. Throughout the book you experience the horrors of walking down the streets of French Town with half a face! Francis goes into a depression after letting his true love down when she needed him the most. He joined the military hoping to bring an end to his life. His chance came when a grenade lands in his platoon's bunker, with no hesitation he dives on the grenade. He saved many lives and even his own! Even after receiving a Silver Star for his heroic effort, Francis is convinced he is not a hero. Now he is on a new mission, to kill the man that destroyed his life! When I first started reading this novel I was immediately enthralled. The author's style of first person writing makes this book fun, easy to read and understand. Although the book is small, I feel that it's descriptive and to the point.

A Fantastic Read

"Heroes" by Robert Cormier is, in my opinion, a great book for young adults to read. It has mystery, suspense, and a very interesting take on a moral dilemma. It is a fascinating story about a young man returning home from World War II. His war experiences have changed his life drastically. He no longer has a face because of a grenade and because of that he is no longer recognizable in his home town. To look at Francais Cassavant you would think that the war had destroyed him, but the truth is he had been destroyed before he even enlisted. He had lost the only person in the world he loved Nicole Renard. The worst part is that he knows that he could have helped her when she needed it. Robert Cormier is a fantastic writer. I felt every pain that Francais felt. I wanted to seek revenge on Larry LaSalle and I also understood why Francais hated himself.It was interesting from beginning to end. I liked how it made reference to a war that the kids today are so far removed from and taken to a place where they get an idea of how horrible it was. I liked a lot the moral question of what a hero is and what makes a person one. I would definitely recommend this book.

A Fantastic Read

"Heroes" by Robert Cormier is, in my opinion, a great book for young adults to read. It has mystery, suspense, and a very interesting take on a moral dilemma. It is a fascination story about a young man returning home form World War II. His war experiences have changed his lifedrastically. He no longer has a face because of a grenade and because of that he is no longer recognizable in his home town. To look at Francais Cassavant you would think that the war had destroyed him, but he truth is he had been detroyed before he even enlisted. He had lost the only person in the world he loved, Nicole Renard. the worst part is that he knows that he could have helped her when she needed it.Robert Cormier is a fantastic writeer. I felt every pain that Francais felt. I wanted to seek revenge on Larry LaSalle and I also understood why Francais hated himself.It was interesting from beginning to end. I liked how it made reference to a war that the kids today are so far removed from and taken to a place where they get an idea of how horrible it was. I really liked the moral question of what a hero is and what makes a person one. I would definitely recommend this book.

Wow!

By the beginning of the first chapter, we know that Francis Cassavant: 1. Has had his face blown off in WWII and received a medal for heroism 2. Is thinking about a girl, Nicole 3. Is praying for the man he intends to murderHow could anyone not want to read on?I am a fan of Robert Cormier's earlier books (The Chocolate War, We All Fall Down, etc.) and read this one expecting the same creepiness that permeated his more recent works (especially his latest, Tenderness, told from the viewpoint of a serial killer). I was surprised (pleasantly) to be wrong. While this is certainly a suspense novel, it is much more. The characters are well-developed, and as always, I love Cormier's way of showing the good side, even of his villains. The character of Francis, so tough and steely and determined in the first chapter, will surprise the reader, revealing himself gradually as an idealistic kid, back from being disfigured in a war he never should have been allowed to fight (he was 15 when he enlisted). The best part: You may think you know what the book's surprises will be, but you're probably wrong.A great book!