Unbroken: Book Review

When I first started reading the book Unbroken, I was intrigued and somewhat related to the character Louis Zamperini. It started out as just a telling of the boy's childhood growing up as a trouble making juvenile delinquency that would get into mischief all the time. First, it just started out as small brawls of fights with other peers, but soon turned into breaking into homes, smoking, under aged drinking, and then fleeing from the police.

When I started getting further into the book, I was very excited and brought in by the story of this trouble making boy in a run down town, developing into a world class runner and Olympian. It is the usual pity story of a poor, troubled young boy rising up to be a something in the world in the first part of the book, but then puts a unusual twist on this aspiring, growing hero story. Zamperini decides to enlist in the Army Air Corps during World War Two.

I was extremely surprised to see this very common story of the poor, trouble making kid aspiring to a heroic figure and Olympian, turn into a war story with him being so near death in several circumstances. It was so intense during the crash of the plane and him having to survive weeks in the ocean on a raft. But on top of that, I was thrown into the horrifying experiences he had while being held captive by the Japanese during the War.

First day in the camp he was sent to by the Japanese troops, he was lined up with the other captured United States soldiers and the commanding officer of the camp comes up to him and tells him to look at him. Zamperini refuses. The officer raises his voice, “LOOK ME IN THE EYES!!” Still Zamperini refuses and remains hold of his dignity. Then, the Japanese officer raises his bamboo pole and strikes Zamperini in the eye and repeats himself. Zamperini looks at him, but not in the eyes. Now the officer tells Louis not to look to look at him. Luois keeps his eyes fixed on the officer. The officer then repeatedly strikes Louis in the face until his eye is black and nose is broken. This is only one of the few situations Louis Zamperini is faced with while at this horrifying camp.

Overall, my experience reading this book was pretty much awh inspiring. The more I read into the book, the more I wanted MORE of the book. It just amazes me that this book was based on a true story. Definitely an amazing read.