Ground Zero by Alan Gratz is a heart-pounding, emotionally charged novel that throws readers into two lives shattered by the same date—Brandon, fighting to survive inside the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, and Reshmina, an Afghan girl living in the shadow of the violence that followed eighteen years later on September 11, 2019.

Through alternating storylines, Gratz builds relentless suspense while revealing the fear, bravery, and heartbreaking human cost of war and terrorism. This powerful book is not just about tragedy—it is about survival, compassion, and the choices that can change everything.