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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First off, thank you so much to the author/publisher for offering me a free ARC! Many thanks to Rockstar Book Tours as well. Now, let's begin with the review ~
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz is his latest book tackling the events of 9/11 and how two children, not so far apart from indifference, persevere and tell their stories.
I used to be a huge, HUGE, fan of the I Survived series. I took this book in and had very high expectations because there were many connections in educating children about history.
Which I'm happy to say, met them very well.
Gratz makes the little moments engaging enough for the reader to continue.
Even at the sections when I felt like the cliff-hangers weren't as good, he managed to pull me back in.
I think this book will forever remain a timeless masterpiece for younger generations to look back on.
I highly recommend this one.
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz is his latest book tackling the events of 9/11 and how two children, not so far apart from indifference, persevere and tell their stories.
I used to be a huge, HUGE, fan of the I Survived series. I took this book in and had very high expectations because there were many connections in educating children about history.
Which I'm happy to say, met them very well.
Gratz makes the little moments engaging enough for the reader to continue.
Even at the sections when I felt like the cliff-hangers weren't as good, he managed to pull me back in.
I think this book will forever remain a timeless masterpiece for younger generations to look back on.
I highly recommend this one.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fantastic! This was an emotionally difficult book to read, even as an adult. There are a lot of emotions that I realize I still have, and a lot of memories were brought to the surface. I read this with my 11-year-old, and I’m glad I did because it gave us a chance to discuss this event together.
This book has incredible character depth.For example, we see a gambit of emotions in Brandon’s story. First, he is annoyed that he was suspended from school and thinks he doesn’t deserve it. Then we see him scared in the elevator. Desperate to reach his dad. Brave when trying to go across the open air of the floor. Now, we are shown determination as he looks for Richard and tries to find a way out. I think the author shows us this progression of emotions to try to convey how chaotic that morning was. There wasn’t one emotion, one answer, one feeling. All of them were present as Americans attempted to grapple with what was unfolding. In Reshmina’s story, we see how different she is from her brother Reshmina’ssng raised by the same parents with the samPasoon’sobePasoon’sehat the author shows us how differently people can interrupt and allow beliefs to alter them. Rashmina, while she does not like the Americans, firmly believes that she needs to offer Taz refuge because he asked for it. Pasoon firmly believes in vengeance.
The author did many neat things to connect the two stories. Despite the differences in the details, Brandon and Reshmina were both put into several similar situations.For example, Brandon having to be on the tower’s edge and not falling off, and Reshmina being on the edge of a cliff and not falling off. I was to reread it, I would notice a lot more of these similarities (I can think of 4 off of the top of my head, but I’m sure I were more.) These similar situations were vital because they helped connect the two characters - we were able to see how similar the two are, even though they have different beliefs and different ways of life. I think the author wanted us to think through that.
I love how, at the end of the book,Taz begins to understand how messed up the situation became. Acknowledging the damage that the US caused to Afghanistan can be difficult for people, but it’s vital. Gratz is right - Americans are self-centered. There is so much more to the world. I wish more would understand that.
This book has incredible character depth.
The author did many neat things to connect the two stories. Despite the differences in the details, Brandon and Reshmina were both put into several similar situations.
I love how, at the end of the book,
5 stars for a YA… I loved how this book related 9/11/01 and tied in 9/11/2019. All the emotions of that day came back. “It’s not us against the world, it’s all of us together, For each other! “
Alan Jackson has a song about "where were you when the world stopped turning", but Alan Gratz realized that to today's kids, 9/11 is vague history, not a memory. And Afghanistan, as much as it is in current events (particularly this week, with the Taliban taking control and the US in chaotic withdrawal from the country), is just somewhere far away. So by putting each situation in a kids' lens, with consequences for each decision, Gratz's Ground Zero brings home that "It isn’t me against the world... It’s everyone, working together. And not against the world either, but for each other. That was how they survived." A solid read for kids and families to talk through together, on moving forward even through the wrong turns and tough decisions, and the long-term lens on some of those choices.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one made me mad. This was my first Alan Gratz novel. Maybe they are all like this. In a moment of raging against Gratz I vowed to give it a horrible review, but I couldn’t put it down and I finished in a day which is really, really rare for me, so… also… I rarely bother to write review… I usually just rate books, but this one left me emotionally spent and needing to work out a little of that angst by using my words. There’s a lot to unpack in this novel. Really harrowing storytelling. Practically every chapter ends in a cliffhanger and you have to know what’s going to happen next. The storyline is clever, and while I probs should have seen the twist coming a mile away I was too tired and too involved to think much further ahead. The storytelling was so good, a little too good in fact, that I felt like I was living the trauma with the characters. Titlewave lists this as lower mid-grade fiction, but dang I would have a hard time putting this book in a 5th grader’s hand. I’m usually very relaxed about reading “levels” when it comes to content, but I’d even go so far as to maybe call this one a baby YA. It’s also super eerie how Gratz NAILED it when it comes to the US withdrawing from Afghanistan seeing as it was written long before the US pulled out. It probably was a bit more raw for me seeing as I read it days before the 20th anniversary of the attacks. So, highly recommend, but with very strong caution.