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

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.

great reading of an unbroken world war 2 piot in a pow camp.

This purchase was a mandatory summer read for my daughter. She really enjoyed the book and wanted to learn more about the main character after it was over.

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!

It was a required reading for my kiddos. T hey enjoyed reading this book.

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.

Every citizen should read this book. The price soldiers payed for our blessings were and continue to be severe. This book brings one man's low expectations to a high reality then down an incredible deep abyss of endurance and pain. The ending is a true shocker. It will renew or confirm one's faith in a power greater than ourselves. Non-fiction. Far superior to the movie which left out so much.The author is a great writer. She flawlessly tells this remarkable story.

Such a wonderful Story for my 10 year old son to read with his dad. We’ve been learning about wwii in our homeschool and this story was a beautiful compliment to the complexities of POW and the strength and resilience of the silent generation. It was well adapted to a younger audience without removing the drama and accuracy of war. Well done.