Representation: Black character
Trigger warnings: World War Two themes, death of soldiers, explosions, gun violence, fire
Note that I bought this book and now I own it.

8/10, this is one of the few books that still hold up to this day ever since I first read this and picked this up from a second-hand store and I would still pick this up and read this again, this came from a brilliant author whose books I continue to read and he does a much better job at entertaining me than other similar books from other authors in this genre; it really puts me straight in the action so where do I begin. It starts off with a grand total of four main characters, Dee, Samira, James and Henry who each have their part to play in D-Day and all their stories are disconnected at first but soon they connect eventually. Dee is a soldier who just arrived at the beach ready to start the operation, Samira is part of the French resistance trying anything she can to slow down the German invasion by sabotaging it, James is a paratrooper also helping the allies as well as Henry who is a medic. Their combined efforts show themselves across the book and alongside the action in almost every page and the vivid details of the war I could really enjoy this and empathise with all these characters and the great sacrifices they've made in this war. ( )

2.5 Stars ( )

This is another great book by Gratz. I highly recommend his books for all middle school children. They are excellent. ( )

Covering a 24-hour period, this book follows the lives of numerous characters as they traverse northern France on D-Day. There's 16-year-old Dee, who is secretly a German refugee now fighting for the U.S. alongside his best friend, a Jewish boy determined to kill every German he sees. Then there's 11-year-old Samira, whose mother is part of the French resistance but who experiences doubt from Frenchmen who believe their Algerian roots make them care less about France's freedom. And along the way, there's also Henry, Bill, James, Monique, and others who show the many fronts of this fight from spies and saboteurs to paratroopers and tank drivers to soldiers and medics.

This book covers a lot of ground, but somehow manages to make every character feel real, with the reader becoming fully invested in each story. With such a large cast, Gratz makes room for just about everyone: American, British, Canadian, and French characters who represent Black, indigenous, and Jewish backgrounds as well as refugee/immigrant families, families with missing or dead parents, and girls & women who step into roles stereotypically deemed for men. It's certainly not all rosy, with these characters facing racial or gender discrimination, including slurs and segregation, as well as the loyalty of refugees/immigrants being questioned. However, Gratz leaves some room for optimism as relevant here and there.

I found the book's start a little slow, but that may have been more to do with my own mood than the book. (That is the only reason I dinged the book half a star in my rating, and it might not be fair, but I did struggle a bit to get into it.) For the most part, Gratz writes a story full of action and adventure, leaving almost every chapter on a cliffhanger. Although we all know that the Allies will ultimately triumph on D-Day, it is one of history's bloodiest and deadliest days, so the reader is constantly left in suspense as to what will happen to the characters ... especially when it becomes clear that Gratz WILL kill off beloved characters. I am still reeling from the death of poor sweet Bill, who quickly wins over the reader with his love of history, specifically William the Conqueror and the Bayeux Tapestry, and who never manages to make it as far into France as his father did before succumbing to death in World War I. His legacy ends up becoming like his father's, in leaving behind a pregnant widow to mourn him.

With that in mind, while this book is meant for young readers and can spare some of the worst of gory descriptions, it is still not for the faint of heart. It is certainly important in helping young readers make connections with dates and figures, putting faces and names (albeit fictional ones) to the thousands who were slain. Gratz also makes connections and parallels to today, some more obliquely in the text (specifically talking about how Germany didn't turn into a Nazi state overnight but how Hitler fueled flames of hate that were already there, and how enough good people doing nothing allowed the evil to take over) and some directly stated in the factual backmatter (giving data about the immigrants who fought in WWII and those enrolled in the U.S. military today).

Despite a book that is incredibly inclusive, the book cover still literally centers a white male. It is only after looking at it several times that I realized one faded sepia background character is Black; no women are present, despite several playing crucial roles in the book. The first page of every chapter and the backmatter are all printed on gray paper with black typeset, which is not super readable.

All in all though, this is a solid read that helps bring history to life and reminds us of the collective failures and successes of humankind. As the book's message shows and tells us, we can accomplish a great deal when we work together for a better future. ( )