Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive

First, I really hope that Laura Hillenbrand is reading this review because I want to thank her. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know how much of a historical book is fiction versus nonfiction versus propaganda. Laura wrote this book in such a way that it really makes you give gratitude for your freedom and for the men who fought for our country. I am so thankful that Laura wrote this book in the time frame that she did because we’ve lost that generation of war heroes, so to be able to interview them and read their stories is priceless. With the documentation of the interviews and Acknowledgements, this book is a Historical treasure. Laura, thank you so much for writing this story. Hopefully after reading this biography, more people will be grateful to those who suffered for us and proud to be an American. Best book I’ve read in a long time!

My ten-year-old reads well above grade level, but is still reluctant. Like many boys, he just doesn't want to sit still long enough to get through a story! He likes adventure stories, so I thought he would enjoy listening to the audio version of "Unbroken," while following along in the book. No dice. I lost him at the word "dirigible." So I was delighted to learn that a young adult version was on the horizon, and I immediately pre-ordered both the Kindle and audio versions. I am pleased to report that I think this will do the trick. Of course, the first thing I did upon receiving the new version, was to turn to Chapter One to see if the word "dirigible" had been changed! It is now "airship." Then I went back to the beginning and did a side-by-side comparison of both. The changes were immediately apparent: On the first page, the previous version read: Somewhere on the endless expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Army Air Forces bombardier and Olympic runner Louie Zamperini lay across a small raft, drifting westward. The new version read: Somewhere on the Pacific Ocean, American military airman and Olympic runner Louie Zamperini lay on a small raft, drifting. In a nutshell, Hillenbrand deleted "the endless expanse of," and simplified Zamperini's title from "Army Air Forces bombardier," to "American military airman." Looking randomly through the two books, I'm seeing other instances of abridgement, as well as simplified language. I have high hopes that my young reader will now enjoy this story. I'm excited at the prospect, as I think our children need to read more stories about people like Mr. Zamperini. He is easily the bravest, most remarkable person I've ever read about, and a fine example of what we hope our young people will choose to emulate. A final thought: I'm an avid reader, but I wish this version had been out when I read the original. While still long, it is shorter than the first book, and I wouldn't consider this one to be at all "dumbed down." It would not be inappropriate for an adult to read this version instead of the other.

Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken is a book that will leave a lasting impression on any reader. The biography of Louis Zamperini's incredible life journey is extremely heart-wrenching and uplifting. An important theme of the book is the power of forgiveness. Throughout his journey, Louis gained just feelings of anger and resentment towards his captors. However, in the end, he found it within himself to forgive them, realizing that holding onto those negative emotions was only hurting himself. After being abused and tortured this was a massive challenge for Louis, but he eventually forgave them. This message is particularly relevant in today's world, where so many people are quick to judge and condemn others without taking the time to understand their perspectives. Even though what the Japanese were doing to Louis was wrong, he had to take in their perspective. Also, this book is a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and the damages it causes. The book's vivid descriptions of Louis's experiences as a prisoner of war in Japan are an eye opening reminder of the inhumanity that can occur in times of war. However, the book also shows us that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better future. Louis was able to use this hope to get himself through all of the challenges that he faced. This is absolutely a must read because of all of the lessons the book teaches. It is a reminder to have forgiveness in our hearts, and to find hope even in the darkest of places. Louis Zamperini's story is one that will stay with you forever, and it will inspire you to be a better person and to never give up, no matter what life throws at you.

Such an amazing true story. Very inspiring and heart breaking at the same time. Great author!

This purchase is for a book that my students will be reading this year. I am excited that the author has chosen to adapt this book for young readers as this helps me greatly. However, I am wishing to be able to get this book in a softcover format and for the moment, I am assuming that this is not existing - I have a feeling because it is being used by many teachers in the 7th-8th grades. This makes it very hard on us to supply our classes with this book. The story is good. It gets rough in some places, but most teachers skip over those pages and tell their students to do so - Of course, we all know what happens at that point - so if you're a teaching and using this book I would 1. make sure you've read the whole thing so that you know what could come up, and 2. Prepare a letter home. It's always good to give parents a "head's up" sort of thing. I don't think the book should be censored. I think we spend too much time worrying and "protecting" our children over stuff when they've seen and heard worse on the local news or on Friday night at the ballgames. If you're a worried parent, then read the book yourself, and discuss it with your children. Don't down the teacher for choosing it - in some cases, she may not have had a choice.

Fantastically well written. Louie’s life exemplifies survival, resiliency, redemption, and the power of forgiveness. Powerful. A must read!

I usually read fiction, but this story is too good to pass up. If you're into history this is one of the best.

Such a great book. My teens loved it.

This story follows a young rebel named Louis Zamperini as he journeys through fame to war to imprisonment. This heartwarming story includes the loss of a friend, the joy of a love and the sorrow of imprisonment. As Louis meets all sorts of monstrosity and ruthlessness, he learns to treasure his loved ones, to show gratitude for all he has and to learn to survive in even the bleakest conditions. Definitely recommend this heartwarming book for all ages.

I bought this book for my 12 year old son and he has been really enjoying it

A very powerful motivational book for all ages. Louis journey is one that will shock and surprise you, and his human strength will astonish you. Very well written.

Great testimony of survival against the odds.

Do you want to know how Louie Zamperini, an Olympian, survived in a Japanese P.O.W camp? If that sounds interesting to you, then I recommend you read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Although I encourage you to read the book, if you are not comfortable with violence, I wouldn’t suggest it. This fascinating story shows the perspective of a poor family. In the book Louie steals to get food for himself. In addition to stealing, the Zamperinis ran out of money at the end of each week and were forced to improvise food. If you like studying WWII, then you will like this book. One point to support this is that a lot of the story is about Louie, the main character, being in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Another example is it shows the treatment of P.O.W.s during the war. This book also has a lot of show don’t tell writing which means the author describes what characters are feeling or what is happening instead of just saying it. One example of this is, “Louie was standing in dust, sweating,” which explains it was hot. Another example is, “There was a pulse of light,” which means there was an explosion. To sum it all up, I recommend this book because it shows the perspective of a poor family, WWII history and a lot of show don’t tell. The best part is it’s a true story!