Reviews - Ground Zero | The StoryGraph

540 reviews for:

Ground Zero

Alan Gratz

4.35 AVERAGE

book_trash's review against another edition

4.0

informative tense medium-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: Complicated

micasreads's review against another edition

5.0

ARC courtesy of Edelweiss+

Brandon gets himself suspended and needs to go to work with his father. His father is an employee at Windows on the World and the fateful day is September 11, 2001. Brandon sneaks away from his father to replace a friend's toy he accidentally broke...and then the first plane hits the tower and Brandon's world is forever changed.

There is a dual timeline in this book that accounts for a day in the life of an Afghani girl named Reshmina whose family gives refuge to an injured American soldier despite the guarantee of an attack by the Taliban for helping him. Reshmina learns more about this soldier's story than she ever imagined.

This book was so wonderfully written and captured the details of 9/11 perfectly. There were times that I began tearing up at how Brandon's life changed and all he went through in order to survive. This book was one that I could not put down. I managed to read over 300 pages in less than 8 hours...it was absolutely wonderful.

mrsleahr's review against another edition

5.0

This book was very thought provoking for me. I listened to it with my husband, who is an Army Veteran. He has been to Afghanistan many times and doesn't speak much about it. After listening to this book we were able to have a very good conversation about his time there.

Although it is fiction, he said that the way that they described where they were in Afghanistan was very accurate, in fact it took him back. I really appreciated the perspective that the book was written in, and the back and fourth between characters. Understanding the conflict from the eyes of an Afgani child, really put things in perspective for me, as well has my husband.

kateryne70's review against another edition

4.25

challenging emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

hannahgracex05's review against another edition

2.75

adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

gbasta's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

lrawlings's review against another edition

4.0

The author tells two stories, 18 years apart, one being 9/11 at the Twin Towers and the other 9/11 in the caves of northeastern Afghanistan. The stories are both painful and riveting, coming together as one near the end. Vey thought-provoking, especially considering the past month. Not sure I’d want anyone under 13 to read it.