The Things They Carried

Reader reviewed by dukes13

For the book, The Things They Carried, I felt that it was missing something that just made you want to find out what happened next. I think he could have used more "fabrication" in his writing, something to give it that little extra, instead of just repeating himself for 10-20 pages at a time. There were enjoyable chapters in the book, however this is not something I would suggest for a teenager. I feel this books audience is more between the ages of 30-50

Reader reviewed by Dede

This book is an extremely realistic look at war and life itself. Tim O'Brien writes with such a perfect sense of the flow of a story that you can easily get sucked in and feel what he wants you to feel. These stories are about what it takes to survive war, how it feels to be in it, and what it does to you as a person. It has a mixture of sadness but hope too. I love the title and how it signifies not only what those soldiers carried in their packs as they were marching, but also what they carried in their heads and their hearts. A really good read for anyone interested in a deeper history of war.

Reader reviewed by Emily

A must-read for any study of the Vietnam War. The Things They Carried presents the experience of a soldier as it truly is; stripped of its glory and honor, filled with anger, sadness, and confusion. Written in the form of anecdote chapters (that is, not in chronological order), the stories can be read in any order and independent of each other. Using a chapter as a lesson in class is effective. I would recommend the chapter "On the Rainy River." Appropriate for high school.

Reader reviewed by Bookworm9

"The Things They Carried" is definitely for the older YA reader-- it's an adult book with hard-hitting vignettes about the Vietnam War. The story follows the same basic characters, but doesn't read like a continuous novel. Instead of getting a story, the reader gets an experience.

O'Brien is a powerful writer, and the book is not for the faint of heart. However, teens should really read this book to get an idea about what the Vietnam War was really like. This book definitely paints a better picture of the realities of war than your average history book.