Heroes Don't Run

Title: Heroes Don't Run
Author: Harry Mazer
Publisher: First scholastic printing
Place and year of publication: New York 2005
Number of pages: 113
Where I found the book: school library

Book Summary

At the age of seventeen Adam is ready to be in the armed forces. He feels that he cannot wait until he is eighteen to be in the armed forces and that he has to do his best to get into the fight against the Japanese as soon as possible. Since his mother will not sign the paperwork needed to be in the armed forces, Adam travels across the country to New York to see his grandfather. Adam is sure that his grandfather, once a soldier himself, will sign the papers that will let Adam do what he thinks he must. Eventually Adam's grandfather agrees and soon Adam is in the marines. The main theme of this book is showing off, Adam joins the marines because he cannot wait another year and wants to show off to his friends, he successfully goes through the training in boot camp like it was nothing, and goes to Okinawa, he writes letters to his friends showing off that he is actually joined the army and that he is actually serving his country.

After Adam was done his training at the boot camp he and his friends were transferred to camp Lejeune in North Carolina and they all receive their first guns. The Sergents in this story are very rude, one time Sergent Bessie ordered the soldiers to clean the footlockers by scrubbing them down, cleaning their clothes, and do physical activities. The insane activities and drills that they make the troops do proves that these are real heroes. After Adam and his friends leave Camp Lejeune they appear more tougher. The training that they made then do there really made them feel grown and mature.

The reason that Adam's mom did not agree to Adam being the armed forces is that because she has lost everyone because of war eventually she lost Adams father. Adam’s father died when the battleship Arizona sank during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Adam witnessed the sinking. In fact, he and two of his buddies were actually out in the harbor near the Arizona when it exploded and sank. Even though that Adam he has been taught a great deal about battle and fighting, when Adam finds himself on the Japanese island of Okinawa, the truth of what war is really like is a shock. There is so much chaos, and death is every where around him. As one of fellow soldiers die in droves, Adam does his best to do his job and to stay alive for he has promised his mother that he will return to her.

My thoughts

I think the author did a really good job describing the book especially the battle scenes, by using details and words like blood and pale faces of the dead people. I couldn't wait another day to read the book. I could really imagine the war scenes. I would recommend this book to people who like war and action and to people who want to know more about World War 2. Personally I loved this book I think this is the best book I ever read in my whole life time.

Christian perspective

Adam was not raised from a christian home, but the characteristic he showed were very like Christ. but it also showed people are not perfect. Adam was fight for his country and her wanted revenge on the Japaneses because they killed his father but the worse part about this is that he witnessed the killing of his dad and that haunted him. The courage he had was unbelievable he was not afraid to give his life for his friends. The promise he made to his mom that he will return alive that is what drove him to stay alive, the memory of the promise he made. This book really taught me to keep the promises I make.