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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If you remember 9/11/2001, this book will be a traumatic read, but I think it will give children context. I think it will help them understand how horrible that day was, but then it will do the thing I've never seen any piece of media do - it will humanize the "other side." It will make it incredibly clear that there are people who have been made to feel like Americans felt on 9/11/2001 every single day for the last 20 years... but because of our bombs, helicopters, and guns. This is an important story. This story needs to be told. I struggle with 9/11 stories feeling "too soon" but 20 years isn't recent and that's how long we've been terrorizing innocent people in a place that most of us can't point out on a map. It's about time that we demand the "war on terror" end!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
Wonderfully written and at times heart wrenching. I can’t remember the last time a book made me cry and this book made me cry several times. The writer takes you to each time and place as if you are standing right along the characters.
Trigger warnings: 9/11, terrorism, death, death of a loved one, explosions, fire, blood, serious physical injury, American imperialism, gun violence, Islamophobia.
I've enjoyed all of Alan Gratz's books that I've read (which is almost all of them, I think, at this point), and I was really curious to see how he was going to handle 9/11. I really appreciated that he didn't romanticise America's involvement in Afghanistan, discussing both their role in bringing the Taliban to power in the first place AND their continued occupation of Afghanistan almost a decade after the death of bin Laden.
Brandon's story, trapped inside the North Tower, is well handled and heartbreaking. It definitely paints a clear picture of the events of that day for kids and teenagers who weren't alive to see it first hand.
I did guess one particular plot twist very early into the book, but it didn't diminish my reading experience at all. I'll be very interested to see what Alan Gratz writes next, because this foray into modern history was great.
I've enjoyed all of Alan Gratz's books that I've read (which is almost all of them, I think, at this point), and I was really curious to see how he was going to handle 9/11. I really appreciated that he didn't romanticise America's involvement in Afghanistan, discussing both their role in bringing the Taliban to power in the first place AND their continued occupation of Afghanistan almost a decade after the death of bin Laden.
Brandon's story, trapped inside the North Tower, is well handled and heartbreaking. It definitely paints a clear picture of the events of that day for kids and teenagers who weren't alive to see it first hand.
I did guess one particular plot twist very early into the book, but it didn't diminish my reading experience at all. I'll be very interested to see what Alan Gratz writes next, because this foray into modern history was great.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
I would give a 3.5. I enjoyed the end of the book, but the first 2/3's were rough.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Kudos to Alan Gratz for creating a raw portrayal of September 11th that would be appropriate for teen readers, but is probably a bit too graphic to share with my fourth grade students. As someone who remembers this horrific event in history all too well, I appreciated the portrayal of a character who experienced the chaos inside the towers. Gratz included very specific details that were well-aligned to the actual events of that day and I appreciate that he acknowledges the things he did change for his narrative when you get to the end of the book. I felt a more intense connection to the events of 9/11, but I thought Reshmina's story was equally important to portray. I enjoyed the back and forth narrative and how Gratz brought the two characters together. I didn't necessarily love the way that things closed between Reshmina and Brandon, but perhaps that discomfort was purposeful on Gratz's part as he was clearly driving a point in the end. I don't disagree with much of Gratz's take on the war in Afghanistan, but I could've done without it being included in the book and felt that this slightly took away from the overall book experience.