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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
I listened to this book with my fiancé’s son for his book report. I was impressed by how nuanced the story was. It doesn’t shove patriotism in your face. It treats everyone who died in the 9/11 attacks with respect, while also addressing how America’s response to the attacks created more problems. I liked how the author played Brandon and Reshmina’s stories off each other to show both sides. I also learned things about the attacks and the war in Afghanistan that I didn’t know or had forgotten. One note if you are reading or listening with kids: The book has some very graphic violence and death scenes that may be too much for young or sensitive readers; my partner’s son had a hard time with many of the twin towers scenes. I would recommend it for older teens rather preteens.
Although I'm usually not a fan of historical fiction (weird calling it that since this happened in my lifetime), Gratz does a great job presenting two different perspectives, settings, and situations that are tied together by the "War on Terror." He weaves stories together in order for the audience to reflect and see past their own thoughts and conclusions. With the protagonists being children, the dialog presented more questions about what the right thing to do is. Written for middle grade, the novel was quick and easy to read despite the difficulty of the subject matter. Even as an adult, I learned so much about our war in Afghanistan.
I've seen a few disgruntled reviews about Gratz "pushing his opinion," but honestly Gratz seems to focus more on the effects of war on not only countries, but people as well. He never really states who the "bad guy" is (except for Al Queda,) but instead presents reasons why America and Afghanistan respond and retaliate the way they do. If anything, he points out that actions on both sides have been roughly the same for over 20 years with not much results in terms of Afghanistan's progress.
I've seen a few disgruntled reviews about Gratz "pushing his opinion," but honestly Gratz seems to focus more on the effects of war on not only countries, but people as well. He never really states who the "bad guy" is (except for Al Queda,) but instead presents reasons why America and Afghanistan respond and retaliate the way they do. If anything, he points out that actions on both sides have been roughly the same for over 20 years with not much results in terms of Afghanistan's progress.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
I loved this book. It was heart breaking and eye opening all at once. I found myself getting frustrated with the mini cliff hangers at the end of chapters and then having to listen to the other side of the dual timeline, which I know meant I was invested in both stories. I know this is a middle grade text meant for kids, but I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to adults. Just have tissues on hand because it is definitely a tear jerker!
Read with Luke before bed each night- he loves this author and the real-life accounts of such tragic events. Another book by Grants that is engaging and has different POVs that are educational and emotional.
Not bad. I do like historical fiction as a genre and this perspective was interesting.
It was great when I read it on my own like 3 years ago, but now that I had to read it for school and I’m older it just wasn’t as good.
4.5 stars
From the Author’s Note: “Though I thought I was ready to confront my own memories and emotions from 9/11, Ground Zero proved to be one of the most emotionally difficult books I’ve written.”
This is one of the most emotionally difficult books I’ve read. Harrowing was the first word that popped into my head when I finally finished. The reading experience was so anxiety-inducing. It was extremely well-written, told in alternating perspectives between a nine-year-old boy trapped in the World Trade Center’s North Tower on September 11, 2001 and an eleven-year-old girl trapped in war-torn Afghanistan on September 11, 2019. I truly felt like I was right there with both of the main characters, sometimes needing to set the book aside because the emotions were just too intense. That being said, Gratz managed to end it with a message of hope and togetherness.
This is not a book I would have picked up on my own. It’s one of my library’s selections for our 5th grade Battle of the Books. It 100% pushed me out of my reading comfort zone. And yes, this will be a tough one for the kids, but as the main characters proved, kids are nothing if not resilient. And they’re young enough to have only learned about 9/11 in school. I think this is a much more difficult read for adults who remember that terrible, tragic day.
From the Author’s Note: “Though I thought I was ready to confront my own memories and emotions from 9/11, Ground Zero proved to be one of the most emotionally difficult books I’ve written.”
This is one of the most emotionally difficult books I’ve read. Harrowing was the first word that popped into my head when I finally finished. The reading experience was so anxiety-inducing. It was extremely well-written, told in alternating perspectives between a nine-year-old boy trapped in the World Trade Center’s North Tower on September 11, 2001 and an eleven-year-old girl trapped in war-torn Afghanistan on September 11, 2019. I truly felt like I was right there with both of the main characters, sometimes needing to set the book aside because the emotions were just too intense. That being said, Gratz managed to end it with a message of hope and togetherness.
This is not a book I would have picked up on my own. It’s one of my library’s selections for our 5th grade Battle of the Books. It 100% pushed me out of my reading comfort zone. And yes, this will be a tough one for the kids, but as the main characters proved, kids are nothing if not resilient. And they’re young enough to have only learned about 9/11 in school. I think this is a much more difficult read for adults who remember that terrible, tragic day.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️ Perfect middle grade introduction into this part of history. My 9 year old son called it his favorite book he’s ever read (so far).
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
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