Heroes and 17 other books were challenged by Richard and Alice Ess, founders of the Fairfax County, Virginia group Parents Against Bad Book in Schools. All of the characters in this book are well described and there was a lot of back story on each of them for such a short book. Francis draws his gun, intent on avenging Nicole, but Larry explains to Francis how much he lost in the war, drawing his own gun and speaking of how he, too, has contemplated suicide.

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.This is seen in chapter 5 where Francis talks about people, renovating the 'Wreck Centre', who had been hired under a new municipal program.

At the last minute, though, Francis chose to remain hidden in the shadows where he heard Larry rape Nicole. He is self-conscious about his appearance and so he wears a white silk aviators scarf given to him by a friend he made in the hospital over the lower half of his face and a Red Sox cap low over his eyes. Nicole Renard: Nicole moves to Frenchtown from Albany and immediately becomes the subject of Francis's attention. The story is told in flashbacks of Francis’ childhood and his innocent romance with his classmate, Nicole Renard. stars but as I couldn't give it that, I've given it 4 stars because it definitely leans more towards four than three on the star spectrum.

Heroes, published in 1998, is a novel written by American author Robert Cormier who is known for addressing darker subjects in his books for young adults. Francis also has one goal and that is too kill his mentor, after finding out why, you are hopping that he pulls the trigger not only on his mentor but also on his self. As the two men talk, Francis confesses that the true reason he went to war was because he wanted to die, and then he reveals that he witnessed the rape. The story captures you from the start and we are left second guessing what is going to happen all the way through.

When she asks Francis what his plans are, he gives the answer of one of his fellow veterans from the St. Join now to access our Study Guides library, which offers chapter-by-chapter summaries and comprehensive analysis on more than 5,000 literary works from novels to nonfiction to poetry. Then he thinks of Nicole one last time, along with the gun in his duffel bag and the possibility of his own suicide. The two spend a night reminiscing about the town, and Norman eventually tells Francis that Nicole and her family suddenly left Frenchtown shortly after Francis enlisted.

But Cormier cleverly reveals his underlying desire for revenge, which is masked as a noble patriotic obligation. This is a sobering reminder of how easily people can rationalize their actions and get away with doing the right things for the wrong reasons.

He narrates the story in a series of flashbacks, after throwing himself on a grenade to supposedly save his fellow soldiers in the war. Francis finds out that Nicole has moved back to Albany and he takes the train to New York and seeks her out. The synopsis won't give you a hint of the depth behind the main character's reason for wanting to kill his childhood hero, and it really got me.

But Cormier shatters this illusion by revealing that Francis' act was not truly selfless, but rather a desperate attempt at suicide. Rivier claims that there were no war heroes, only scared children, and Cormier's lack of a clear definition of heroism leaves the reader feeling just as confused and ambivalent as the characters. To that end, Francis disguises his identity from the residents of his hometown, giving a fake name at his boarding house and always traveling with a scarf and hat to cover his wounds.