Grenade

By Alan Gratz

4.6

Hideki, an Okinawan boy, is only in middle-school. But he's drafted into the "Blood and Iron Imperial Corps" to fight for the Japanese in World War II. Hideki's handed two grenades and sent off into the jungle, with instructions to kill an American. Meanwhile, Ray, a young American soldier, is landing on the Okinawan beach with his company. From opposite sides of the war, the two boys see unwarranted violence, and escape danger at every turn. But what will happen when they encounter each other in the middle of the jungle? Could it change the course of the Battle of Okinawa?
For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz brings his trademark impeccable research and cinematic writing style to the Pacific theater of WWII.

Paperback, 288 pages

Published on January 3, 2019 by Scholastic

ISBN-10: 1407194178

ISBN-13: 9781407194172

9 Book Reviews

iheartfortnite15 days55 stars
I personally enjoyed this book very much. I like the other perspective in the story that shows how other military’s reacted to World War Two. I would definitely recommend you to read this book because of the great historical details in the story. This book definitely deserves 5 stars.
cloudystar1114 months
Nice book
lofi_dragon4 months55 stars
Wow. This book is a masterpiece. Please BEWARE, as spoilers are in this review. Hideki, a fourteen-year-old Okinawan boy, is taken out of school and put in the Blood and Iron Imperial Corps, is given two grenades. He was told that Americans were terrible people, so his instructions were, Use one Grenade to kill as many American soldiers as you could, and the other...well, we can skip that. Ray Majors, a young man enlisted in the U.S Army, is sent to Japan to fight. When Hideki meets Ray, he makes a decision that will change his life. If you don't like blood and gore, I would not recommend this book to you. If you do, I would recommend this book for grades 5 to 8. This gripping WW2 book just stuns all, and although some parts might sting, keep reading and you'd definitely enjoy this book!
kdc668almost 2 years55 stars
this book was really good for 10 to 13-year-olds. it was super amazing and it really opened my imagination
beybladeburstrgabout 2 years55 stars
It is about Hideki, an Okinawan boy, who is only in middle school. But he's drafted into the "Blood and Iron Imperial Corps" to fight for the Japanese in World War II. Hideki's handed two grenades and sent off into the jungle, with instructions to kill an American. Meanwhile, Ray, a young American soldier, is landing on the Okinawan beach with his company. From opposite sides of the war, the two boys see unwarranted violence and escape danger at every turn. But what will happen when they encounter each other in the middle of the jungle? Could it change the course of the Battle of Okinawa? For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz brings his trademark impeccable research and cinematic writing style to the Pacific theater of WWII.
beybladeburstrgabout 2 years55 stars
Best book I have ever read. From the start of the first paragraph to the end of the book. What an amazing sequence about two people and how they met. And that is only in part one!
13iamgrootover 2 years55 stars
I really love the author of this book, Alan Gratz, because he writes wonderful historical fiction stories on hard topics, like wars, refugees, and depression, but he tells the truth and doesn't play it down like most books for kids. When you read his novels you just have to expect that there will be violence and sadness, but once you finish one of his books, you will be changed and more aware of the problems we still have on our earth, and you will want to help solve them, that is how impactful Gratz's books are. This particular book is about the American invasion of Okinawa in World War 2 and is told from two characters perspectives, one from each side of the war. It follows the progress of Ray and Hideki as they travel across the island of Okinawa through the war, seeing many things they never thought they would see in their life. Hideki is an Okinawan and was drafted into the "Blood and Iron Student Corps" and with only about two days of "training" the Americans arrived and he is given two grenades and the instructions "Don't come back until you've killed an American soldier." Ray is an American Marine who ran away from home to join the army, but it is not anything how he imagined it. He arrives on the island with a gun and an over-sized helmet and is told "Stay low, don't bunch up, and run." They learn many things about themselves and others as they make their way through the battlefield and the wreckage that ensues. They start to question what they have been told by others and make many decisions that they regret afterwards. I cannot even put into words how wonderful this book is, it raises awareness on all sorts of topics that aren't usually even mentioned in most books for kids. It had a wonderful message though it may seem a little violent or harsh at first. I would recommend this to 7th or 8th grade and up, since it does have lots of violence, but even if you may not like it even from the first few chapters, I encourage you to keep reading to the end, because I guarantee that you will put the book down and say, "I am glad that I kept reading that book."
seanyboiover 2 years55 stars
This is a good book about 2 different people. If you like historical fiction, and war books, you need to check this out! Im not a big fan of reading and i still read this book
inmemoryofcprabout 3 years11 star
So I saw a list that said if you liked the book The Bicycle Spy then you should read this...blah... blah... and the book Grenade was on it so I decided to read it. I was so disappointed in it. The author could have done so many other things in the story. Like when Ray suddenly just disappeared from the story. That's like cutting in half of a story. You need to see both opinions not just one. I didn't really like this book but I would recommend The Bicycle Spy.