Buddy's Veneer
Jane Jerome, one of the main characters in We All Fall Down, learns the harsh reality that people aren¿t always who they seem to be. In this suspenseful mystery by Robert Cormier, the reader sees the affects of one event unfold through the eyes of three different people. Through characterization, every reader can connect with one of the characters from this novel because of Cormier¿s years of practice as a young adult writer. Cormier grew up in a small town in Michigan, where he lived until his death in 2000. In the beginning of his career he was a journalist for the ¿Fitchburg Sentinel,¿ and won three prestigious awards. He broke into the field of young adult writing with his hit novel The Chocolate War. In 1991 he won the Margaret A. Edwards award for three of his best novels The Chocolate Wars, I am the Cheese, and After the First Death. He went on and wrote nearly fifteen novels and many of his books have been on the best seller list. Most of his success can be accredited to his amazing use of characters and point of view to make all his books true page turners. Robert Cormier through the use of characterization and setting, shows that people aren¿t always, who they appear to be, which is exemplified through Buddy. In the novel there are three main characters that cross paths on one day when Buddy, Harry, and two of their friends decide to trash the Jerome¿s house. Buddy is a very shy boy that seems to be having fun and seems to be normal. Soon the reader finds out that there is more in his life than he can handle at home and he turns to alcohol to help him through hard times. He is in denial that he truly has a problem and is reluctant to tell people that he drinks. These four boys trash the Jerome¿s house, and they rape one of their daughters, Karen. Her sister is also a very shy person that doesn¿t like it very much in Burnside, since she moved from Monument. From the day of her sister¿s accident she has removed herself from society until one day she meets a boy. The last of the main characters is the Avenger, For most of the book his name is unknown. Cormier uses him as a very illusive character that is always around, but you don¿t know who he is. His writing style dramatically affects the way that the reader portrays the characters. This whole novel is in the first person point of view, yet is through the eyes of three people, the reader sees exactly how they feel. In the novel the Avenger is a character who is portrayed as scary, yet really kind, which is only accomplished through the tone of Cormier¿s writing. ¿He watched in horror as they trashed the house he had come to love, ransacking and rampaging, the sound of carnage making him wince as if his own body were being ravaged¿(p.2). In the quote Cormier uses a simile to show how the Avenger feels yet in the previous part of the sentence he is watching people destroy a house. Throughout the novel he is shown as one for those people that people know, but don¿t truly know. Cormier also employs indirect characterization to show a character¿s feelings, ¿Buddy looked over his shoulder, as if expecting to see a police cruiser streak toward the school¿¿(p.95). This novel isn¿t just enjoyable for the amazing plot, but for the language that flows as smooth as the Mississippi. This was one of the best novels that I have ever read. It is a fast paced, moving book that keeps you in suspense till the very end. Throughout the novel I was attached to the characters, and was able to connect because of the great characterization. I would highly recommend the book to anyone that wants a great, fast reading novel.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback.
Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.