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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I didn’t know this was a young adult book when I started but it was a fast, clean read. It does address terrorism and all that it entails so just be aware for the younger kids.
Well-written with intense action and thoughtful social commentary. Everything that I expect from a Gratz novel was there, including relatable characters and a thoroughly engaging plot. My only small criticism was that the secret "code" that only the brothers could decipher required a little more suspension of disbelief than I would have liked.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not my favorite Alan Gratz book--I love a lot of what he writes but this one didn't hit right.
This book was given to me by the Author this year at SDCC. I thank him for giving me the last copy due to my being nearly trampled in that crowd.
Kamran was supposed to be a shoe-in for West Point. That is, until his older brother is accused of acts of terrorism against the United States. It’s then the racism of a small town kicks in and leaves Kamran isolated, depressed, and his application to West Point denied. After all, Kamran’s mother is from the Middle East and her oldest son just committed treason; who’s to say the younger son won’t follow suit?
Diving into Code of Honor felt natural. I started reading it before classes but had to close it about 100 pages in. It stuck in my head–edging at the corners of my brain while I anxiously awaited dismissal of my last class. And as soon as that dismissal came around, I practically bolted to my favorite spot on campus.
. . .
Overall 4.5/5, rounding up!
Read the rest of my review on my book blog!:
http://duckiereads.tumblr.com/post/128564813395/this-book-was-given-to-me-by-the-author-this-year#notes
Kamran was supposed to be a shoe-in for West Point. That is, until his older brother is accused of acts of terrorism against the United States. It’s then the racism of a small town kicks in and leaves Kamran isolated, depressed, and his application to West Point denied. After all, Kamran’s mother is from the Middle East and her oldest son just committed treason; who’s to say the younger son won’t follow suit?
Diving into Code of Honor felt natural. I started reading it before classes but had to close it about 100 pages in. It stuck in my head–edging at the corners of my brain while I anxiously awaited dismissal of my last class. And as soon as that dismissal came around, I practically bolted to my favorite spot on campus.
. . .
Overall 4.5/5, rounding up!
Read the rest of my review on my book blog!:
http://duckiereads.tumblr.com/post/128564813395/this-book-was-given-to-me-by-the-author-this-year#notes
Kamran is an excellent football player, gets good grades, and is popular at school... until his older brother Darius is accused of being a terrorist! Kamran is convinced that his brother would never sell out his country and has been taken hostage and is acting under duress. He is determined to find a way to prove his brother's innocence no matter how dangerous that task may be.
A very interesting look at prejudice, friendship, and family relationships. Kamran's character feels very authentic as he wavers between loyalty to his brother and uncertainty when confronted with new evidence. Some violence. A very timely novel with the current situation in the Middle East.
A very interesting look at prejudice, friendship, and family relationships. Kamran's character feels very authentic as he wavers between loyalty to his brother and uncertainty when confronted with new evidence. Some violence. A very timely novel with the current situation in the Middle East.
Very impressed by this - "Code of Honor" managed to be a fun, captivating action/military-ish book (not usually my jam) while dealing with sensitive issues of race, perception, and family.
I really enjoyed the story and liked that it addressed how Kamran was treated by others for what they believed his brother had done and based on his heritage. The pacing is quick enough to keep middle school kids engaged. My only gripe was with one thing at the end that seemed too convenient.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Middle grade read
Kamran, an Iranian-American, lives in Arizona with his parents. Life is good for this high school senior: homecoming court, gorgeous girlfriend, football star, Westpoint-bound. Until his older brother Darius, also a Westpoint graduate and Army Ranger, is seen on tv dressed in Al-Qaeda robes, threatening American lives. Then, he's ostracized by his friends and harassed by news crews camped on his front lawn. Even worse, he's pulled from his bed in the middle of the night, arrested, and flown to some mysterious location. There, is interrogated by the Department of Homeland Security, mainly a CIA operative named Mickey Hagan. With Mickey's help. Kamran is able to decipher the coded messages in Darius's videos. But whose side is Darius on? And will Kamran be able to find him and save him? Save the world from another terrorist strike?
Despite the fact that the protagonist is 17 years old, Code of Honor is very much so a middle grade book. Gratz dumbs Kamran down more than would be authentic for a Westpoint-bound high school senior so as to help the reader come to the correct conclusions. This would inspire eye-rolling in anyone 14 or older. While this is somewhat annoying, it is necessary for the story to work. Darius must be in his mid-twenties, and if Kamran were only a 7th grader, the age gap would be too big; Darius and Kamran would never have played make-believe all those times as kids, and then the coded messages to Kamran in the videos wouldn't have existed.
There are some other aspects of the storyline that are too outrageous to be authentic, but Gratz has to blow these out of proportion because it's an espionage thriller at the middle school level. Adults expecting James Bond will be disappointed, but adults are not Gratz's audience; 5th-8th grade boys are. And they will love it!
Kamran, an Iranian-American, lives in Arizona with his parents. Life is good for this high school senior: homecoming court, gorgeous girlfriend, football star, Westpoint-bound. Until his older brother Darius, also a Westpoint graduate and Army Ranger, is seen on tv dressed in Al-Qaeda robes, threatening American lives. Then, he's ostracized by his friends and harassed by news crews camped on his front lawn. Even worse, he's pulled from his bed in the middle of the night, arrested, and flown to some mysterious location. There, is interrogated by the Department of Homeland Security, mainly a CIA operative named Mickey Hagan. With Mickey's help. Kamran is able to decipher the coded messages in Darius's videos. But whose side is Darius on? And will Kamran be able to find him and save him? Save the world from another terrorist strike?
Despite the fact that the protagonist is 17 years old, Code of Honor is very much so a middle grade book. Gratz dumbs Kamran down more than would be authentic for a Westpoint-bound high school senior so as to help the reader come to the correct conclusions. This would inspire eye-rolling in anyone 14 or older. While this is somewhat annoying, it is necessary for the story to work. Darius must be in his mid-twenties, and if Kamran were only a 7th grader, the age gap would be too big; Darius and Kamran would never have played make-believe all those times as kids, and then the coded messages to Kamran in the videos wouldn't have existed.
There are some other aspects of the storyline that are too outrageous to be authentic, but Gratz has to blow these out of proportion because it's an espionage thriller at the middle school level. Adults expecting James Bond will be disappointed, but adults are not Gratz's audience; 5th-8th grade boys are. And they will love it!
My students are going to eat this book up! Packed with action, it's a book that will make them think, too. I'm ordering more copies today.