From Goodreads,
"In time for the 20th anniversary of 9/11, bestselling author Alan Gratz delivers a breathtaking, multifaceted, and resonant look at this singular event in US history -- and how it still impacts us today.
It's September 11, 2001. Brandon, a 9-year-old boy, goes to work for the day with his dad . . . at the World Trade Center in New York City. When two planes hit the towers, Brandon and his father are trapped inside a fiery nightmare as terror and confusion swirl around them. Can they escape -- and what will the world be like when they do?
In present-day Afghanistan, Reshmina is an 11-year-old girl who is used to growing up in the shadow of war, but she has dreams of peace and unity. When she ends up harboring a wounded young American soldier, she and her entire family are put in mortal danger. But Reshmina also learns something surprising about the roots of this endless war.
With his trademark skill and insight, Alan Gratz delivers an action-packed and powerful story of two kids whose lives connect in unexpected ways, and reminds us how the past and present are always more linked than we think."
I have become a huge fan of Alan Gratz and his books. I read Allies a year ago and devoured the book in one sitting. Gratz has a way of telling a story that keeps you turning the page and wanting more. He weaves voices together to paint a full picture of the story he is telling. When I heard that he was releasing a book about 9/11 I was beyond excited. 9/11 was a major historical event. To this day I do an empathy unit in my classroom as we discuss what happened that day and I tell my students where I was that day and the impact that it had on my life. This story is the perfect example of an event happening and the aftermath that it caused on everyone.
Ground Zero is told in two alternating time periods by alternating people. One story is told by a boy named Brandon who was in the North Tower on September 11th. Brandon had gotten in trouble at school and had to go to work with his dad that day. Brandon's dad worked as a chef in the restaurant on the top floor of the North Tower. Brandon decided to sneak away to buy a new pair of Wolverine gloves after Brandon accidentally broke a friend's pair. While on the elevator to buy the gloves, the elevator shakes and shudders. Brandon is soon fighting for his life. The other story is told by a young girl named Reshmina who lives in present-day Afghanistan. Reshmina has experienced loss in her life and her family tries to stay safe and protected from the Taliban. Reshmina worries that her brother will run away to join the Taliban like so many other boys from her village have done. But one day there are soldiers in the village searching for weapons, and one of the soldiers is an American. An attack takes place and the American soldier is soon unable to see and asking for help. Reshmina decides to help the soldier which then puts her entire family in danger. The entire book is a game of who will survive and who won't make it to see the next day.
I was initially super irritated at Reshmina's storyline. The entire time I felt like it had nothing to do with the 9/11 storyline. I felt like Reshmina's story was dull and boring. Of course there were exciting things happening, but her storyline just felt out of place in the book. There were numerous times that I just wanted to skip her chapters and read only Brandon's. Brandon's story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I wanted to know if Brandon was going to safely get out of the North Tower before the collapse. And if he did make it out I wanted to know if the people he was escaping with were going to make it too. I felt like I was living through the actual events that happened that day. But the entire time I was tired of Reshmina's story until I got to the end of the book. I realized this was a wrap-around story. I was blown away by how Gratz connected the two stories in such a flawless fashion. I loved that surprise twist, but I think I would have also enjoyed just Brandon's story too. My biggest problem with Gratz's writing style is that I always fall in love with a specific story and just want one piece instead of multiple pieces and viewpoints.
I don't have any major complaints about this book. But I will say that I was a little shocked by some of the graphicness of events. I read Allies and wasn't bothered with people being shot, killed, burned to death, etc. But there was something about this story that unsettled me. I think it was because I was alive when this happened and because there are so many videos posted from that day. One of the big things that really caught me off guard was when Brandon made it to the main lobby and they were being redirected to a different area. Gratz really hit on the point that people were jumping and that there were bodies all outside of the towers. It felt like a really graphic moment for a young adult book.
I really enjoyed this book. As I mentioned earlier, I would have loved to have had just Brandon's story. Once the book was over I was okay with Reshmina's story and how they all connected, but I think having just Brandon's story would have been really good. I also think it would have been really intriguing to have it told from multiple viewpoints much like Allies was told. I think we could have had viewpoints, thoughts, and discussions from people who were above the impact zone or were making the decision to jump or to stay. It would have made it a much more intense novel. I think that anyone who was alive for 9/11 is going to enjoy this book. I easily give it 5 stars.
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