09/11/2026

Never again.

Twenty-five years later, those words still echo across the United States and carry the weight of September 11, 2001. In memory of 9/11, I have decided to review Ground Zero by Alan Gratz, a book that tells the story of two young people living through the most unimaginable situations that nobody should ever have to go through. I have always really liked Alan Gratz’s books because he takes complex social and political issues and explains them through stories that are simple enough for youth to understand. Ground Zero does exactly that with 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan. 9/11 was more than a tragic event. It changed the United States and shaped the country we live in today. Twenty-five years later, America has changed in many ways, but we still continue to repeat the phrase “Never again” as we see social division, political conflict, and discrimination around us. Today, it makes me wonder what the people who experienced 9/11 would think of America in 2026. Would they be disappointed by how divided we have continuously become?

We always say it again: never again.

Ground Zero is about the life of two characters, Brandon, a boy in New York, and Reshmina, a young girl living in Afghanistan. Brandon currently is in the year 2001 in New York while Reshmina is in the year 2019 in Afghanistan. Brandon is a nine-year-old boy who lives with his father in New York. His mother passed away from cancer when he was young. After being suspended from school, on September 11th morning, he had to go to his father’s workplace at the World Trade Center on the top 107th floor. After wandering off the top floor, as Brandon gets into an elevator, the terrible incident happens! Yes, the tower was attacked and the top floors get destroyed. It is very scary to read the horrible things Brandon and others in the elevator experience. Brandon is worried about his dad who works on the top floor of the tower. In this difficult time, he meets Richard, a nice man with whom he goes through adventures. What will happen to his father? Will he survive the attack? What will happen to Brandon? Reshmina is an 11-year-old Afghan girl who wants to learn fluent English, not get married as soon as she turns sixteen, wants the Taliban to go away, and get a job as a translator. Her older sister was killed by the American army and her twin brother wants to be a part of the Taliban. One day, Reshmina finds a wounded American soldier on the ground outside and decides to help him. He had lost his eyesight after the attack. She takes the soldier home, and her father helps him and takes care of him. They don’t want the Taliban to find him, but some of her family doesn’t support the decision. Especially her brother, who hates the Americans and looks up to the Taliban. Reshmina’s family, like other people of Afghanistan, feel trapped by a war between the American army and the Taliban. Will her brother inform the Taliban about the wounded American soldier in their house? What will happen to these characters as the story unfolds? Will Reshmina be able to study and become a translator? Will the soldier be alright? How are the characters from 2001 in NY and 2019 in Afghanistan connected? Read this book to find out.