I used to adore YA books, with cliché romance plots and heartwarming love stories to more sort of philosophical books, which most of the stories took part in 20th century america. Francis is a shy kid and LaSalle helps him to develop confidence by teaching him to play table tennis, earning him a reputation as a table tennis champion. The Complainants requested that no members of the ALA or NEA serve on the reconsideration committees because these organizations “are officially against any attempts at removal of books from any school”. Francis begins his story by explaining the gruesome injuries he sustained when he fell on a live grenade and saved his platoon.

He dosen't know that Larry lets him win till he finds out , times passes and Francis meats He looks up Lassall to kill him but instead Lassal offers to kill himself, but not before asking if his bad deeds wipes out his good ones.His books often are concerned with themes such as abuse, mental illness, violence, revenge, betrayal and conspiracy. Many of the flashbacks in the novel refer to the Great Depression which was an effect of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Francis is deeply disfigured because during his time in the war he threw himself on top of a grenade to save his fellow soldiers.

Larry LaSalle: LaSalle is the main antagonist of the novel, but during the earlier chapters he is described as a very positive and talented person. His books are supposed to be twisty and well-written (some are required in many high school curricula); and 3. I loved to read the book because it explains every setting or mood with great detail, that I had a vivid imagination while I was reading some parts of the book. The veterans express pessimism about the future and a lack of confidence in the ability of the GI Bill to help them rebuild their lives. One night Larry, the first in town to enlist in the war, is home on furlough at the Wreck Center with Francis and Nicole.Larry asks a question near to the end of the book that captures the book's central theme perfectly, "Does that one sin of mine wipe away all the good things? This is an extremely moving story, with a strong theme of deception and how someone's image can hide a multitude of sins. I would consider Heroes to be one of his more under-rated books, along with Tunes for Bears to Dance To.

The highly original plot and setting will make the reader’s eyes gleam with respect for Robert Cormier’s writing style. There is however something that Larry tries to hide from them all, but in his weakness fails to control himself, and here the dark theme and his morality is eventually revealed.As Francis helps him, Arthur begins to pour out his emotions, lamenting that nobody wants to talk about the horrible truth of what happened during the war, and exclaiming that the war wasn’t a stage for glamorous, heroic soldiers, but merely a group of terrified children caught up in a violent struggle for survival.

He narrates the story in a series of flashbacks, after throwing himself on a grenade to supposedly save his fellow soldiers in the war. This is seen in chapter 5 where Francis talks about people, renovating the 'Wreck Centre', who had been hired under a new municipal program. So, all in all, I'd say that, although it is not quite my favourite GCSE text, I do still adore it and I think that everyone should give it a go.Through various flashbacks, Francis relates the story of his simple and innocent childhood, which was centered on his quest to win the affection of Nicole Renard. Francis is considered to be a hero as his actions during the war saved the lives of others, but the reader is asked to consider if cowardly actions can result in heroic consequences. I really enjoyed this book by Cormier - The dark theme that runs through the book is quite haunting. Before, I felt that Francis not killing Larry was a slight let down but now I realise that not every book needs a plot twist to be great.