"It's amazing that the heart makes no noise when it cracks."

Heroes is a teen novel and is a story of Francis Joseph Cassavant, who at the age of eighteen has been horribly disfigured when he lost most of his face jumping on a grenade in France during WWII to save some of his fellow comrades. After a long rehabilitation in England he returns home to Frenchtown in Monument a hero, a recipient of a Silver Star for bravery, but also a man with a mission, to kill his own childhood hero, Larry LaSalle.

Francis gradually slowly his past and his motivation for murder leaving the reader wondering if Francis is punishing Larry for his misdeeds or himself for his own inaction?

As the title suggests the book questions about what constitutes true heroism. Both Francis and Larry have received the Silver Star medal for bravery in combat yet both also have an element of selfishness in their motivation. Larry joins the Marines, not in some noble effort to protect his nation and stop the atrocities that were happening in Europe but instead a lust for revenge after the attack on Pearl Harbour or as he puts it himself, not to let “the Japs get away with this.”

Similarly Larry gains his medal for capturing an enemy machine-gun nest in order to save the lives of his platoon. Although no doubt a brave act but in doing so he also saves his own life and as such could be equally regarded as a simple act of self-preservation. Whereas his rape of Nicole shows a tendency towards violence in and out of uniform.

Likewise when Francis throws himself onto a grenade, it appears to show a willingness to sacrifice his own life to save the lives of his comrades but later on he reveals that his real motivation was a way to committing suicide without disgracing his family. Thus his act of apparent selfless heroism hides a selfish action.

Ultimately both men are flawed, both carry out heroic acts for the wrong reasons. Thus Cormier questions whether 'true heroism' can ever truly exist. Is the notion fact or fiction? Yet he doesn't stop there. The rape of Nicole also seems to question the morality of of society's acceptance of actions carried out during war-time whilst in uniform against those perpetrated when out of it. Which rather begs the question, can might ever be right?

This is a relatively short novel, more of a novella in truth me known, and I read it in one sitting but don't let that fool you, it still has a surprisingly depth to it. The prose is vivid and not a word is wasted and there isn't some neat happy ending either. This is my first book by the author but I doubt if it will be my last. ( )

Very thought provoking. ( )

CATEGORY: Cormier

After a horrible disfiguring "accident" during World War II, teenager Francis returns home to Massachusetts literally without a face. He enlisted under a fake birthday to escape the guilt of not stopping his girlfriend's rape by his childhood hero. Basically, he used the war as an excuse to commit suicide as a "hero" but all that it accomplishes is making his life somehow worse. He then returns home with the intent to murder his childhood hero.

Cormier doesn't mess around. At all. He deals with the already heart-wrenching topic of the fall of childhood heroes and, without hesitating, throws in rape, disfigurement, PTSD, suicide, and murderous intentions in as well. In a book meant for teenagers. Because why not? In all fairness, I actually liked this book (even though I know have questioned my sanity because of it). It was well-written, deep, and handled deep topics with finesse, even if those deep topics were highly saturated and very adult. Cormier certainly does it well, even if "it" is despicable in some conservative circles. ( )

Cormier is a difficult writer to assess. His skills are excellent, and his books provocative and thoughtful, but they are very dark for younger readers. This one in particular is not one I would give to a HS student, even though the incidents related might be meaningful to them, because if something personal causes them to relate to this story, it is best handled with professional care. If the events have no personal application, then it is much too depressing to hit them with. ( )

For those of us who have never known war, there's something chilling about the post-war experience of those who have. For all the bullet-dodging action heroes that Hollywood produces and America consumes, we rarely get a taste for the horrors that the scarred veteran must face upon return to the home-front. Even when a movie does try to convey that horror, it remains a visual experience.

Robert Cormier's "Heroes" has no such problems. Francis, Cormier's young protagonist, has been marred by war, and in the most visceral way. He's lost his face to a grenade. He is unrecognizable, even by those who knew him well, and though cited for bravery, he hides a secret. As we read, we soon learn that he is not the only one. Unlike the gloss and gleam of Hollywood flicks, we are ensconced in Francis' head, fully exposed to his pain and guilt, his regrets and hopes. It's almost too close, and as the novel moves towards a final crushing denouement, we sense as much as we read, guessing and knowing the horrible truth before Cormier lets his protagonist reveal the chilling and even disturbing truth.

"Heroes" develops fast, and it is perhaps the parsimony of words that provides his story with such careful and pointed impact. Each word, section, and anecdote is calculated to one purpose only: the building of a story about a hero, and not just any, but one who is anything but what he seems.

I recommend the read, but because of content (nothing gratuitous or graphic, but merely the subject matter) suggest it for adolescents in their teens. I look forward to reading and discussing with my own children. ( )