I originally had to read this book as a summer assignment for a class, but once I opened it, I simply couldn't put it down. From the start, you're immersed in O'Brien's world. At the time, he's a young man with his whole life ahead of him, sent to fight in the war in Vietnam. Through each of his stories, you're able to paint a picture of everyone he knew, the ones they loved and the ones they lost. Perhaps one of the most accurate depictions of life as a war veteran and an eye-opening recollection on American values, 'The Things They Carried' will make you experience a wide range of emotions, all the while rejuvenating your inner sense of patriotism.