Robert Cormier Books

This is a very different format for the author, but very readable. Anyone who has grown up in Massachusetts will surely recognize Frenchtown as Leominster. I could personally relate to the setting, sights and smells portrayed in this short, unique book. It was a nostalgic trip back to my hometown after being away for 50 years.

I really enjoy Robert Cormier's novels. I've read several of them and enjoy the Monument, Frenchtown setting particularly of some of them. I also like YA novels in verse, Hesse's "Witness" and Koertge's "Shakespeare Bats Cleanup," for instance, are terrific. Other reviewers here have quoted the first four lines of the book: "That summer in Frenchtown/ in the days/ when I knew my name/ but did not know who I was./ Perhaps I would have liked Eugene's story more a few years later when he did know who he was. This was uninvolving. Cormier's heroes tend to be lonely and loners, observers as Eugene is, but he's so very cut off.
I imagine I will *love* the next Cormier novel I read.

FRENCHTOWN SUMMER is brilliant. Where other free verse novels
seem to be words thrown together in quick, uneven fashion,
this one (like OUT OF THE DUST and JUDY SCUPPERNONG) has
heart, poetic language and story. Robert Cormier has succeeded
in giving us real, solid, amazing literature.
Page after page is an easy, quick, yet worthy read.

Frenchtown Summer is a book written in verse form. It is written from the point of view of Eugene, a 12-year-old, and tells the story of his summer living in Frenchtown, hence the title.

I was disappointed in this book. When I first saw it, I thought since it was short it would be very easy to read. This book was 113 pages long, but it took me 4 days to read it, which is sad since usually I finish books in this format in a day.

This book has no plot. All it is is this kid telling about different things that happened in his summer. The only thing close to a plot is him feeling separated from his family, especially his father, and then at the end he finally feels close to him. But that is just a minor part of the story, the rest of it is just descriptions of random things. The first few chapters aren't too boring or anything. They set the stage and setting for what seems like a good story. But then the rest of the chapters pretty much just describe random things. All of those random chapters are tied together slightly, but not enough to make it a good story.

If you are looking for an action-packed story, find another book. Even if you are looking for a book that describes a 12-year-old's summer, there are better books out there. If you are looking for a good book of poems that tells a good story, tying in the random chapters really well, there are also better books out there. Try Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse or What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones. If you are looking for a book that you can finish fast and read easily, don't be misled, this isn't one of them. This book just doesn't have that element that good books have that keep you wanting to read more. Sure, it's not the most boring book I've read, but it's sure one of them.

The way the verses are written isn't bad. They are actually written pretty well. This is a talented author, but this book isn't one of his best.

This book was chosin in a book club at my school as the next book to read. I thought when I first saw it that it was small so it would probably be pretty boring, but easy to read. After I had begun to read it I found that it was anything but boring. Many different things occur that are mysterious or hard to understand. After reading the book within a couple of hours I had a couple of questions that lingered in my mind about it, with several different answeres that I could think up. When we were all done my club hada group discussion and answered some of those questions. I reccomend this book just because it is so mysterious yet easy to read. ~4 stars~

This has been so inspiring and a joy to read. The short chapters are easy to absorb. Hope to see more of Father Robert's works SOON!

Finally a book that people of all religions, races, and ages can relate to. This book has become my instruction manual for life. Often people feel that they ask God for guidance and he doesn't seem to be answering them. This is not true at all. Through this book you will find the answers you are looking for. You will learn that God has given us many things to help us get through life one day at a time, you just have to look for them. My copy of this book is filled with post-it notes that mark the sections I need to constantly refer back to. With all honesty I can say that this book has changed my life and when ever I am in a rut I can turn to it to remind myself of God's plan. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a better life through faith and have given it over and over again as a gift.

Robert J. Cormier has a keen insight into the changing world and hope to cope with it. This book guides you through different challenges that you might face. It is written with words and phrases that you can easily understand, relate to, and apply to every day life. He makes you understand that you are not alone in your life's struggles.

This book is very insipring. It changed by attitude tremendously. I would always get annoyed with people when they did thing that got me upset and after reading the book I realized that people are just being people and you cannot change the world so you must accept and work with it. "NO ONE IS PERFECT".

It was a good guideline for me and I will read it again because there are other parts of it that I can benifit from.

I have passed the book along to other family members.

Fr. Bob's book was written with everyone in mind. It is easy to read and thought-provoking. Each chapter can be read in just a few minutes and yet provides enough material for meditation throughout an entire day.

Questions are raised that, when reflected upon, lead the reader to a better understanding of the real meaning of life. This, in turn, brings about a sense of peace and joy that so many of us seek daily.

I've shared the book with friends, family members and co-workers who are looking for help with their faith. I highly recommend it as a reference book in any personal library.

I am a student from Germany and we had to read the book "After the first death"'. Since I am not a native American it was a little hard to understand for me! This book was great and it helped me a lot understanding what Cormier means

I first read this book a few years ago and was impressed by the author's detailing of Robert Cormier's career intertwined with his novels (much is devoted to The Chocolate War). Well worth reading. Hopefully the author, Patricia Campbell, will write a revised version soon.

This is NOT your typical biography. I read it this morning, expecting it to start out: Robert Cormier was born on January 17, 1925 in Leominster, Massachusetts... Not so! Quite the contrary. The book began intriguingly and held me to the last page. I learned a lot about Robert Cormier, who is my favorite author. I hold him in very high esteem and this book made me love him more. There were also chapters about his books, and the ones about I am the Cheese and After the First Death were very helpful in getting me to understand those two very confusing novels. 'Presenting Robert Cormier' was also very funny at times, such as when it described Robert deliberately tripping and falling flat on his face in front of an audience of high-schoolers so they could see that he was human and not be afraid of him. I can see Robert doing that, and it is very funny. Another thing I liked: the part in the back about the movie versions of his books I am the Cheese and The Chocolate War. Did you know that Robert Cormier himself played a role in one? In conclusion I find this a very interesting, funny, informative book. Well done!

Robert Cormier's I am the Cheese (Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1977), tells the heartbreaking tale of Adam Farmer as he journeys to find his father and uncover the truth about his past. Alternating between Adam's 80 mile bike ride to Vermont and mysterious taped sessions with Brint, an interrogator who is supposed to be helping Adam uncover the truths of his past, the reader begins to learn more and more about Adam's troubled and confusing past. Cormier expertly draws the reader in, and allows the reader to distrust and question Brint's motives just as Adam does. By dropping hints ever so slightly, both the reader and Adam begin to look at Brint in another light. Maybe he isn't a helpful doctor trying to help Adam, but a man desperate to find out if Adam knows something he shouldn't, and makes Adam think that they are enemies. As Adam's journey comes to a close, the reader learns that he was never in control from the start. The ending, both shocking and sad, will stick with the reader, and leave questions that will never be answered.

Adam Farmer doesn't know who he is. He's suspected things weren't right since a frenzied midnight bus ride when he was three. In his father's desk, he finds two birth certificates for himself bearing different birthdates. Though his parents have told him they have no living family, he eavesdrops on his mother's phone call with a woman who refers to Adam as her nephew. As the discoveries escalate, so does Adam's paranoia. Things he had accepted before now seem suspicious - even treacherous - like his father's meetings in their basement with the mysterious Mr. Grey and the family's emergency "vacations" following whispered phone conversations. Realizing that Adam "knows," his parents take them into their confidence and reveal the dangerous secret that continues to dictate their every action and demand their constant vigilance.

Robert Cormier's "I Am the Cheese" (Dell Publishing: 1977) reinforces our right - indeed our obligation - to question authority. Cormier weaves a complex narrative in alternating bursts of first person narrative from Adam, third person observation that at times blurs with first person by revealing that Adam has unknowingly spoken aloud his private thoughts, and transcripts of probing interrogations that Adam is subjected to by a sinister man whose professional veneer thinly masks dark ulterior motives. The frenetic pace of Cormier's prose and the unpredictable narrative structure reinforce Adam's growing panic and uncertain grasp on reality. Adam alternately craves the dull comfort of his meds and seeks the harsh clarity of a truth too horrible to confront. Who is Adam Farmer?

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier (Random House, 1997), is the story of a boy on a mission to see his father, a mysterious man in an institution, and Adam, a boy who discovers that his life has all been one big lie. Their stories weave in a suspenseful plot that keeps the reader guessing and thinking at every twist and turn. Readers may be taken aback, or even confused, by the book's use of three viewpoints. All three narrators feel underdeveloped, like mere facets of a real person. At first, the connections are not clear. Careful readers, however, will soon make links between the three characters and get wrapped up in their collective story. As the story builds, the reader is asked to become a detective of sorts, drawing their own conclusions throughout, until the explosive climax, where the reader and narrators all discover together the truth about their lives. This gripping psychological thriller is perfect for mature teens looking for something loftier than the average YA novel.

No one can be trusted. No one. Robert Cormier sends readers on a gripping psychological journey in the chilling mystery "I am the Cheese" (Alfred A. Knopf, 1977). Teenage Adam Farmer climbs aboard his bike destined to find his father and finds along the journey fragments of his own self identity connected to a loving (yet secret) family life. Bits and pieces of the protagonist's life are revealed through three different perspectives, Adam's first person bike ride, an interrogation transcription, and third person anecdotes amplifying the suspense of the story. Readers will be on the edge of their seats, turning the pages as fast as the pedals on Adam's bike trying to make sense of the mystery as a story of lies, distrust, and government corruption unfolds. Why doesn't Amy answer the phone when Adam calls? Who is this "doctor" who is interrogating Adam? Will Adam ever make it to Vermont? Young adults will sympathize with the shy and awkward Adam Farmer on his quest for identity and they will not be able to put the book down until the mystery is revealed in a shocking and powerfully gripping ending. Readers will begin to ask after the last page has been turned, who can really be trusted?

The ending of this book was very surprising btu the book overall was a satisfying read. I'd recommend it for middle schoolers.

Robert Cormier is one of the most renowned authors of young adult literature, yet this one falls short of his signature plot twists. The characters, convicted killer Eric Poole and the runaway teen who fantasizes about him, Lori Cranston, are realistic enough - especially in a society that has watched thousands of women lustfully throw themselves at murderer Scott Peterson. While this is a page-turner that will strike an emotional, obsessive chord with young adults, I believe they will be as disappointed as I was with the conclusion of this work. Cormier knew his audience better than this particular novel suggests and it cannot possibly compare with his others (I Am The Cheese; After The First Death).

If this is the first of Cormier's books that you've tried, please don't allow it to cloud your judgment of his writing. Give the aforementioned titles a try - they are definitely worth your time and guaranteed a re-read.

This is an entertainingly dark novel. Ends in a fairly predictable, anticlimactic way, but is still great to read. I agree with another reviewer that Cormier takes a seemignly "nice" word and turns it into something quite nasty. For lack of a better term, the use of the words "the tenderness" throughout the novel... Eric is looking for "the tenderness" is really quite "skeevy." These characters are either empty or pathetic. I had to keep reminding myself that there are really people like this out there. This novel will make you shudder and feel like you need a shower afterwards, but all in a good way.

I like most of Cormier's work, but this one was awful. The characters are dull, the plot is predictable... it lacks the twists and turns of Cormier's other books. I wouldn't even leave this one behind in the coffee shop because I didn't want anyone else to have to read it!

I am reading Tenderness for a class on young adult literature that has been challenged as being "too edgy" for young readers. I have not read any of Cormier's other titles, but. By the end of the very first page I was bored, anxious, and dissapointed. Tenderness should be challenged as a read for young adults, not because of it's "disturbing and adult" content, but because it was written by an 83 yr old man with no idea what was going on in the minds of Gen Y teenagers, using some of the most obvious and overused cliches of all time - Oedipal teenage killer with no remorse, young troubled daughter in need of attention (drunk "beautiful" mother, abusive father roles) who "doesn't mind it" when older men look at her and touch her, getting-too-old for this cop who works on cold cases, haunted by the spector of a killer he once let go, blah blah blah. It was so out-of touch with the youth culture and mindset, so droolingly juvenile in writing style that I could barely put it down. It was like a study in What Not To Do When Writing For Teens. It should be taught to aspiring writers as an example, but never offered to teens looking to find something to relate to in this cold, unforgiving world. So, so dissapointed.

Eric Poole is eighteen years old and is being released from a juvenile prison. He's been in the prison for three years for the murder of his mother and stepfather. Most people believe his story--that he killed them because he was horribly abused. Police Lieutenant Jake Proctor does not believe this story. In fact, he suspects that Eric is a psychopath who is actually involved in the murders of two teenaged girls in addition to the murders of his mother and stepfather. Proctor is not happy Eric is being released.

Lori Cranston is a teenager with an alcoholic mother and an unstable home life. She tends to get fixated on guys, to see one and not be able to get him out of her mind until she kisses him. She is looking for someone to be kind to her.

When Lori sees on the TV news that Eric has been released from prison, she remembers a time years ago when she met him briefly and he was kind to her, and she becomes fixated on him. She needs to track him down, to kiss him and see if he will be the one to be kind to her.

When Lori does track down Eric, their lives become connected. Things may not work out the way Lori had hoped, though.

I enjoyed reading about these characters, although neither of them had an appealing personality. I absolutely loved the ending of the story; it was perfectly satisfying.

"After the First Death" is a novel written by Robert Cormier in 1979. It is a psychological thriller full of suspense and plot twist and turns. Robert Cormier faces head on issues of terrorism, sexuality, child and parent relationships, and trying to find oneself in situations that lay outside even our worst nightmares.

I enjoyed reading "After the First Death." It is a quick read, but also an interesting one. It is extremely well written and keeps the reader intrigued and wanting to know more. I believe the author wants the audience to gain an appreciation for family. In this book many families are threatened on having their worlds torn apart by horrible people. It is important to cherish those who are closest to us and to love and cherish our families and loved ones. I also think the author wants the reader or audience, to gain a sense of bravery; that no matter who you are, big or small, you can be brave and find in yourself something to keep pushing on and to fight back.

WARNING: This book is depressing and presents certain situations not suitable for children or young adults under the age of 17. It is intended for a mature audience. This book contains explicit language, drugs, brief nudity and sexuality, adult situations, terrorism, and suicide.

After the First Death is a stunning young adult novel that has such qualities that make it appealing to young people and adults alike. The book is narrated by three teenagers who have all been involved in a terrorist hijacking of a school bus full of children in a small town near a top-secret Military project. In a post 9-11 U.S.A. this book explores some real emotions that have rippled through the country in the past seven years.

The first of the young narrators is Ben. The son of a military general, begins the story as he is remembering the events. Although the part he plays in the unfolding of the events on the day of the hijacking is crucial, it is not until near the end of the book that this part is revealed. The second narrator is a young terrorist, Miro. This mission is Miro's chance to prove himself as a man to his commander, Artkin. Miro is all at once a terrifying figure and an innocent boy that doesn't seem to comprehend the horror that his life creates in the world. The last narrator is Kate, a sixteen-year-old girl who took over the bus route on the fateful day for her sick uncle. She is kept alive by the terrorists in order to help them keep the young children calm. She is the first woman that Miro has had such close contact with and tries to use that to her advantage in attempts to keep herself and the children safe.

As I began this book, I had no presumptions of what to expect. The style of writing reminded me of J. D. Salinger's narrator in The Catcher in the Rye, although the action of this story is very different. I found the unfolding plot to be extremely interesting and compelling. I would recommend this book to my fourteen-year-old nephew as well as my friends from college. There is a bit of violence that some may find unnerving but is definitely crucial to the storyline. The ending is what sealed the book as a favorite, I did not see it coming yet felt that it was the only way for it to truly end.

As I've stated about The Chocolate War, (and I am biased since I don't care for Robert Cormier) I hated this book. I read it freshman year of high school, and again the author talked too much about male sexual repression and went to great depths to describe a young woman urinating in her dress. I felt no sense of danger for the characters and wanted them all to die so the story would end. If you can't get your readers to identify with any of the characters in some small way, why would they want to read your book? This is just another example of deplorable writing. While some people may consider this kind of garbage good literature, I consider it to be nothing more than the author's way of working out pent up sexual aggression. While I do respect those authors who can examine the darker side of life and human nature, one must create characters that are at least somewhat like-able, and while not all stories have to have a happy ending, there has to be some form of redeeming quality to the tale, and it may be as simple as in the way in which it is told by the author. This title is well worth skipping, and I am venturing out to say that I would gladly skip any of his other work while I'm at it.

My son had to read this book for his summer reading assigment. I also read this book so I could quiz him on it later. I actually enjoyed reading it. It was in the young adult section of the library and I thought that I would get bored with it. I was surprised. Mr. Cormier knows how to pull his readers in his story, young and not so young. This book was very thought provoking and my 15 year old enjoyed it too. He actually liked dicussing it with me afterwards, which was very surprising.

I don't know how anybody could bear to write this book. It was so creepy! I guess there are a few good parts, but not many. I had to use the book for a book report and it was really freaky. I can't believe I chose it for free choice! Children twelve and under, I don't recommend this book! Please consider this review before purchasing this book for your child or yourself! Consider yourself warned!

This book is easy to read, and not boring, I hope to read some other books by the author

I purchased a class set of this novel for my freshmen class. The enthusiasm for it was overwhelming and although it is a tragic topic, the resolution was appropriate for this age level. It is an easy read and allowed for most reading levels. Vocabulary is fairly basic and the concepts were clear. I highly recommend it as an independent reading book which can also be easily summarized and critiqued by the students

When seven-year-old Alicia Bartlett is mysteriously murdered, Trent, a relentless ace investigator for the police department, finds himself faced with a difficult and irresistible moral decision. Is it worth the risk to sacrifice truth for the sake of his impeccable reputation? As Trent interviews Jason, a thirteen-year-old friend of the victim and the last person to see her alive, he questions whether or not the innocent, naive boy, too, is expendable. With no clues as to the identity of the murderer, Trent's hard-earned, perfect record of criminal confessions is in danger. But young Jason has even more to lose.

Concisely and subtly, yet effectively and without didacticism, Cormier bravely poses a question facing the human condition: what price would one pay for success, love, and reputation? In this dark novel, the protagonist struggles against himself. The reader is afforded a glimpse of the same "foul rag and bone shop of the heart" of humanity that Trent claims to visit in each criminal he interrogates. The backdrop settings, from the freshness of a sunny and carefree early-summer vacation day, to the sweltering confines of the tortuous interrogation room, are highly effective in reinforcing the chacterization and heightening the tension of the plot. The unexpected denouement is thought-provoking and alarming. This novel may not be for everyone, though. Raw emotional brutality is part of the plot and may be too frank and offensive to some readers.

Robert Cormier, the Godfather of YA Lit, gave us one last effort with THE RAG AND BONE SHOP, and this troubling, novella-length book aims squarely at a favorite Cormier theme: the misuse and abuse of authority. The intriguing title comes by way of a W.B. Yeats poem with the lines "I must lie down where all the ladders start/In the foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart."

Foul? There's plenty to go around in this economic cautionary tale (like a short story, it can be read in one sitting). First there's an opening scene with a man named Trent -- a Vermont detective -- extracting a confession from a 17-year-old murderer. In fact, Trent has developed quite the reputation for using psychology to coax confessions from killers. Cormier uses this brief opening scene to show the master at work.

Meanwhile, in familiar Monument, Massachusetts -- home to many Cormier books -- 7-year-old Alicia Bartlett has been murdered. The last person to see her alive was our 12-year-old protagonist, Jason Dorrant. An average kid who has some difficulty making friends, Jason gets along better with younger kids than kids his own age. Little did he realize how risky this odd fact might become. The wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time, young Jason will become the focal point of a witch hunt to find the killer -- fast. Detective Trent is called in to accomplish just that, and then the fun begins.

The book's strength lies in the interrogation techniques used by Trent on Jason. The back-and-forth is riveting and deeply disturbing. If you ever wondered if America was truly the land of "guilty until proven innocent" instead of "innocent until proven guilty"; if you ever wondered if innocent people ever went to the gas chambers or to lethal injection due to rushes to judgment by the police; if you ever wondered if the power of the word and the net of the law could easily entrap -- then this detective vs. suspect stretch of the book is for you and will not disappoint.

What does disappoint is the ending. It comes out of nowhere. As a reader, I have no problem with surprise endings, but they have to be realistic and this one is not. At all. And even if I allowed that the ending WAS possible, it would never occur as quickly in time as this one seems to.

Despite that, I round up a 3.5 rating and give Cormier the lifetime achievement benefit of the doubt here. Not anywhere near the equal to I AM THE CHEESE or THE CHOCOLATE WAR, THE RAG AND BONE SHOP will nevertheless provide a diverting hour or two some lazy afternoon. It's food for thought, this book. Just pass on the dessert (the ending).

When I saw this book, I was very interested in reading it. The plot sounded interesting and I couldn't wait to see the outcome. Jason is a 12 year old boy who is accused of murdering Alicia, the 7 year old sister of one of Jason's "friends". Trent is the interrogator hired to interrogate Jason and make him confess murdering Alicia. I read this book in one day for the same reason I decided to read the book: to see the outcome. It wasn't the most exciting book to read and I found myself confused during Trent and Jason's conversations, but overall it was okay. When I got to the ending, I have to say I hated it. I absolutely hated it. I won't say any more, but this book is not one I would read again. However, I do think it is a worthwhile read for people over 13 due to most of the context within the book. This book is gory at times and for mature readers. Overall, The Rag and Bone Shop was an okay read, but definitely not one of my favorites.

Waffles 02/25/07

Title: We All Fall Down Author: Robert Cormier ISBN-0-385-30501-X


The Real World in a Book


This is a scene form We All Fall Down, a realistic fiction. This book has three main characters, Buddy, Jane and The Avenger. This takes place in two towns. The time is the present. All of the characters take part in things that could happen today.

This book has been one of the first books that I have read the really opened my eyes. This is at the top of my list. Number one reason why this is at the top is because. Cormier is a straight shooter, as in he gives it to you have you think it. Cormier also does not "sugar coat" his writing. There for him not sugar coating it, this book as been banned some places. I would definitely recommend this book. This book is one of those books that everyone should read at some point in there life, just because it is a teenager book does not mean that a 50 year old can not read it. The book makes you think about the real world today. Although the book does not have drugs in it to refer today it has a lot of other things in it. Like I said it is an eye opener, but the stuff in this book is happening all over the world today. People in the age range of 13-80 would like this book. An optimistic person would like this book also people with children would enjoy reading and learning what there kid could get involved in.

I enjoyed the genre, the genre is realistic fiction. The book made the genre by being so real to what the genre name is. Also the scenes in the book were so real to the real world it was scary. Also that it is an average town just like places all around the world. Also the book felt like I was reading a newspaper.
I enjoyed the writing style of this writer. His writing flows very well and is very decrypted. There is a point in the book were I wanted to stop reading. But then I read on and the story put me back on the track to read more. Which I am glad I kept reading.
There were loads of surprises in this book. This also intended me to keep going in the book, because it kept me interested. The first page is one of the first surprises that kept me reading. It is in when the boys are in the girl's house and they are trashing and also doing some important this to the house and a girl. This is one of the major scenes that I thought was a surprise, which kept me interested.

Waffles 02/25/07

Title: We All Fall Down Author: Robert Cormier ISBN-0-385-30501-X


The Real World in a Book


This is a scene form We All Fall Down, a realistic fiction. This book has three main characters, Buddy, Jane and The Avenger. This takes place in two towns. The time is the present. All of the characters take part in things that could happen today.

This book has been one of the first books that I have read the really opened my eyes. This is at the top of my list. Number one reason why this is at the top is because. Cormier is a straight shooter, as in he gives it to you have you think it. Cormier also does not "sugar coat" his writing. There for him not sugar coating it, this book as been banned some places. I would definitely recommend this book. This book is one of those books that everyone should read at some point in there life, just because it is a teenager book does not mean that a 50 year old can not read it. The book makes you think about the real world today. Although the book does not have drugs in it to refer today it has a lot of other things in it. Like I said it is an eye opener, but the stuff in this book is happening all over the world today. People in the age range of 13-80 would like this book. An optimistic person would like this book also people with children would enjoy reading and learning what there kid could get involved in.

I enjoyed the genre, the genre is realistic fiction. The book made the genre by being so real to what the genre name is. Also the scenes in the book were so real to the real world it was scary. Also that it is an average town just like places all around the world. Also the book felt like I was reading a newspaper.
I enjoyed the writing style of this writer. His writing flows very well and is very decrypted. There is a point in the book were I wanted to stop reading. But then I read on and the story put me back on the track to read more. Which I am glad I kept reading.
There were loads of surprises in this book. This also intended me to keep going in the book, because it kept me interested. The first page is one of the first surprises that kept me reading. It is in when the boys are in the girl's house and they are trashing and also doing some important this to the house and a girl. This is one of the major scenes that I thought was a surprise, which kept me interested.

Waflles 02/25/07

Title: We All Fall Down Author: Robert Cormier ISBN-0-385-30501-X


The Real World in a Book


This is a scene form We All Fall Down, a realistic fiction. This book has three main characters, Buddy, Jane and The Avenger. This takes place in two towns. The time is the present. All of the characters take part in things that could happen today.

This book has been one of the first books that I have read the really opened my eyes. This is at the top of my list. Number one reason why this is at the top is because. Cormier is a straight shooter, as in he gives it to you have you think it. Cormier also does not "sugar coat" his writing. There for him not sugar coating it, this book as been banned some places. I would definitely recommend this book. This book is one of those books that everyone should read at some point in there life, just because it is a teenager book does not mean that a 50 year old can not read it. The book makes you think about the real world today. Although the book does not have drugs in it to refer today it has a lot of other things in it. Like I said it is an eye opener, but the stuff in this book is happening all over the world today. People in the age range of 13-80 would like this book. An optimistic person would like this book also people with children would enjoy reading and learning what there kid could get involved in.

I enjoyed the genre, the genre is realistic fiction. The book made the genre by being so real to what the genre name is. Also the scenes in the book were so real to the real world it was scary. Also that it is an average town just like places all around the world. Also the book felt like I was reading a newspaper.
I enjoyed the writing style of this writer. His writing flows very well and is very decrypted. There is a point in the book were I wanted to stop reading. But then I read on and the story put me back on the track to read more. Which I am glad I kept reading.
There were loads of surprises in this book. This also intended me to keep going in the book, because it kept me interested. The first page is one of the first surprises that kept me reading. It is in when the boys are in the girl's house and they are trashing and also doing some important this to the house and a girl. This is one of the major scenes that I thought was a surprise, which kept me interested.

Cormier's intense, suspenseful, and ironic plot makes this novel a great page-turner. The different characters and different point's of view make the book more exciting. How at the end all of the characters come together for a very strange ironic ending of the book. This is a great book but I would not recommend it for anyone under 14. This book was disturbing and included a lot of mature context.

There are 3 different sides to this story one from Jane Jerome a teenage girl whose house gets trashed and everything was ruined. Her sister Karen was admitted into the hospital and was in a Coma. Jane Jerome was never realized how much she loved her sister and her regular life routine. Now Jane struggles to live a normal life and forget about the past. Jane Jerome later falls deeply in love with a boy named Buddy Walker and she has never felt so much love in her life. She starts to feel like everything is going to be okay because now she has Buddy by her side.

The second main character in the book is Buddy Walker. Buddy Walker and his friends decide to trash a house for "Funtime". Later Buddy found out that the house he trashed was Jane Jermoe's. Buddy soon feel in love with Jane, and Buddy never admitting the truth to Jane and what he had done to her house.

The third main character in the book was the "Avenger". The Avenger is an eleven year old boy who seeks revenge from "Bad people". The Avenger was an extreme character in this novel and carried out many disturbing and engrossing acts through out the book. The Avenger is tied into the story at the end and his true identity was revealed at the end for a surprising twist.

The Avenger sees it all. He watches closely as four guys trash Jane Jerome's house, shoving her sister Karen into the basement to do whatever it is they're doing. He isn't going to let it go unavenged.

The Jerome family is fairly new in the neighborhood, having just moved from Monument (where THE CHOCOLATE WAR took place) a short while ago. Being the new kid is bad, but being Judy Jerome, the new kid who people stop talking to because they don't know what to say to a girl whose house gets ransacked and whose sister ends up in the hospital, is worse. Rumors fly. Reputations dive. Revenge ensues.

Suicide, rape, murder, vandalism, and love. All in a young adult book. While Robert Cormier may not be for the faint of heart, his writing sings with the skillful voice of truth. He's never afraid to show darkness and light for what they are, and for that, I commend and recommend him.

-- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

"Write about it, Francis. Maybe you can find the answer that way."

So he'll find that typewriter and get started.

Really a poignant narrative, this story. It had the potential to be ugly, full of vengeance, revenge, hate and self-pity. But the circumstances that led young Francis, our war veteran and hero, to be in the predicament in which he finds himself would have justified his vengeance, hatefulness, self-pity and - "the worst sin of all" - despair. Thankfully, in the end this was not an ugly story of hate and revenge, though hateful events are portrayed.

There are various thematic discussions that could be had by those who read this story, but the one that captured me the most is the societal notion of the "hero" and what defines such. As young Francis finally discovered - a discovery that saved his life from the sin of despair - heroism is not determined by how society and the masses might define it. It goes way beyond...and is very personal.

I appreciated how the author uses his protagonist to present themes to the reader that might provide for some introspection. I would certainly read more by Cormier.

From the very first introduction to Francis Cassavant, I was taken with this powerful narrative. To have no face, to be misunderstood, to be anonymous, to have every action misinterpreted in a confused and rapidly changing world...to have a plan of revenge, to learn valuable lessons, to gain hope, to live...
Cormier is economical and powerful in this book, as in the villain Larry's question, "Does that one sin of mine wipe away all the good things?", followed by his own answer, for which you will have to read the book. He creates a picture (of a period in history and of a community and a character) which was very moving. This piece explores what makes a true hero, which the reader discovers together with the protagonist. It is only when Francis finds the answer that he is able to move on and find hope and future, "Maybe I should try...".

A beautiful story which was introduced to me by an esteemed colleague, when talking about favourite reads, with the line "It's amazing that the heart makes no noise when it cracks."

I have to admit that I'm not the target audience for this book (being forty something) but that's certainly not stopped me enjoying other books aimed at teenagers. This however, whilst keeping my interest, isn't one of my favourites although it IS thought provoking.

The story highlights the innocence of youth and how impotent we can be when we're young. Our emotions and feelings can be confusing during those teenage years and this particular story highlights how some adults abuse the trust put in them.

The title of the book plays on the concept of what a hero is. Some people we admire and consider to be our heroes aren't heroes at all, they're weak and disappoint us...yet without them would we be the people we are? Others are more ordinary in our eyes and we don't always consider them to be heroic...but are they the real heroes?

Even as an adult I had conflicting feelings about one of the main characters and one line in particular made me think.
"Does that one sin of mine wipe away all the good things?" Instinctively the answer is yes, yet it's a little more complex than that.

This is a sombre book which deals with the pain of growing up, guilt and disappointment. Although the ending cannot be described as uplifting and didn't end happily ever after as I think we instinctively would like sometimes - I like to think it was hopeful and that Francis went on to learn from his experiences and get over his guilt - the guilt he didn't deserve to carry.

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.

Francis has just returned home from World War II, to the town where he grew up. No one knows he has returned, though. His family is no longer living there, and Francis has lost most of his face. He fell on a grenade in France and the parts of his face that are still intact he keeps covered with a scarf. Francis has not just returned to live out his life. He has returned to kill the man who was his childhood hero, the director of activities at the town's recreation center where he spent much of his time as a child.

Over the course of this book, as Francis waits for this hero to return to town, he tells the story of his younger years in town and explains why this man must die. He also reexamines the idea of heroism, especially when people refer to him as a hero.

This story was intriguing and thought-provoking, but like most of Cormier's books the tone was so dark and full of absolute despair, it left me feeling depressed by the time I finished it.

Years before Denny was born, his father, then just a teenager, worked in a theater. This theater, The Globe, used to be a spectacular place to see a show, whether the show was a movie or something live on stage. One of their Halloween traditions was to have a magic show for little children in the area, children who were poor or orphaned.

The year that Denny's father was sixteen, he was working at this show. When he heard a noise from the old and decrepit balcony they used for storage, his boss sent him up with a book of matches for light, to investigate. Once up there, Denny's father accidentally started a fire. Almost immediately the balcony collapsed onto the audience below, killing 22 children.

Although Denny's father's name was cleared and police found that the fire was not linked to the balcony collapsing, people needed someone to blame for the tragedy. After the theater owner, who had been ordered to have the balcony fixed, committed suicide, Denny's father was the only one left to blame.

All throughout Denny's life he has been protected very carefully by his parents. They have moved many times, but their moves have not stopped the phone calls his father receives in the middle of the night, especially when Halloween approaches. Denny has been given strict instructions never to answer the phone, and those are instructions he takes seriously--until the year he is sixteen. Denny is tired of the way his father takes all of this abuse, and he wants to do something about it. Then phone calls start coming for Denny. Who is calling him? The woman on the other end of the line sounds nice and friendly, but is she all that she seems?

I liked the way the book started in the present day but then went back and devoted so much time to Denny's father's life, in order to explain how the situation started. I also liked Denny's father's philosophy on why he didn't fight back when people called him. I didn't like that Denny's father blamed himself and that he didn't have anyone to tell him he wasn't at fault. I also thought Denny was incredibly stupid to believe the woman on the phone, since he knew about his father's past and he knew the types of people who called his house.

This book was action packed but sometimes confuseing.
I think its worth reading and spooky . Although the only problem i can think of (that didnt bother me but might bother you) is that you never REALLY know whats going on untill the very end. whats happens next is shocking. It's still a must-read.

I liked this book becuase it was very suspensful. He also lead to things that you didn't expect coming which was another reason why I liked this book. This book also had somethings that have happened in my life. This was the first book that I've read by Robert Cormier and I am going to read more. I would advise anyone to read this book it is very good.

in the middle of the night is complex and deals eith many different charecter changes. it is not as good as most cormier titles like the chocolate war, beyond the chocolate war, tunes for bears to dance to and i am the cheese.

` The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first, unlike, say a brain surgeon. You can always do it better, find the exact word, the apt phrase, the leaping smile.' These are the famous words by the author Robert Cormier.
In his book In The Middle Of The Night he has it right. It is filled with twists and turns that are suspense- filled. The book is about a boy named Danny who could never answer the phone because of an incident that happened in his father's past. Someone in the world can't forget what happened and wants revenge. Now, Danny being 16 has the guts to answer the phone. The effect for answering the phone is that Danny has to face a lot of challenges. The theme of this book was that you shouldn't be afraid of new things and that you should be brave no matter what.
Robert Cormier, born in 1925 in Leominster, Massachusetts, was influenced by one of his teachers who told him he was a writer and he believed that. I believe that Robert Cormier wrote In The Middle Of The Night because of stuff that teens experience nowadays. He also wanted to teach something valuable and moral.
The quote ` The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first, unlike, say a brain surgeon. You can always do it better, find the exact word, the apt phrase, the leaping smile.' expresses a lot of rich information. It means that you should keep on trying no matter if it doesn't come perfect the first time. It also means to not be afraid to try new things. It takes time to find out the right word or sentence, but in the end it comes out worth while.
After I read the book In The Middle Of The Night, I figured anyone would enjoy the book, but mostly teens who have a high level in reading and those who like action books with a lot of mystery in them.