Allies

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 show more 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. show less

This was good, but not not as good as "Refugees" by the same author. However, it did give the reader an insight into a pivotal historical event. I liked the various perspectives, and there was certainly lots of action, but I didn't feel particularly invested in any of them. In fact, my favourite characters, Dorothy and Monique, only made an appearance later in the novel. Their stories were amazing as, together, they helped save injured soldiers despite the military's policy of no females on the front.

"Allies" was definitely not for the faint-hearted. It was quite gruesome in palaces, which was understandable considering it focused on the D-Day invasion on the Normandy beaches, but it showed the sacrifices people from various parts of show more the world made trying to stop Hitler.

One complaint I do have with this novel was that there were too many characters. I would just get settled into one of the characters' stories, when the book would transition to another character. I think young readers would struggle trying to keep track of them all, and would find the constant changes confusing. Overall, however, "Allies" was a fast-paced, well-researched story for middle-grade readers. show less

On D-Day several young people are in key roles leading up to the Allied landing and invasion of Normandy. Dee Carpenter is an American soldier who was born in Germany. Samira is an Algerian girl whose mother worked with the Resistance. James is a Canadian paratrooper. Appears to make WW2/D-Day accessible and understandable to young readers. Suspense and action keep pages turning. Characters’ self-awareness of racism feels forced as presented, like a message pushed onto the reader.

Juvenile historical fiction detailing parts various young people played in the WWII D-Day invasion of Normandy. From Canadian paratroopers, to French Algerian resistance fighters to American teens soldiers landing on the beaches, to an African-American medic, to British tank operators, to a French teenager providing medical aide, each of the stories give a slice of the story of that one day and shows a part of the Allied front against Nazi Germany. The Author's Note at the end gives some real-world facts surrounding these fictionalizations.
Geared towards middle grades, this novel would be enjoyed by any WWII history buff and would be an excellent starting point to learn more about D-Day.

Alan Gratz' account of D-Day from the perspectives of various Allied participants. If you like Gratz, you'll like this story of the invasion of Normandy that turned the tide in World War II. Dee, who was born in Germany but escaped the grip of the Nazis, fights for America. Sid, Dee's Jewish friend with a hatred for the Nazis, also fights for America. Samira fights with the French Resistance behind the scenes to push Germany and their threat from France. Henry, an African American medic fights despite the segregation and racism he must endure. In the end, Gratz weaves their stories together to tell a fact based version of the invasion that turned the tide of the war. Great reading!

Dee, Samira, James and Henry all play their part on D-Day. Will they be able to complete their high stakes missions in time to win against the Nazis?
Alan Gratz weaves the stories of four different people to create a fictional representation of a historically significant event. Gratz brings the characters alive and creates a fast- paced story with a setting that takes the reader back in time but keeps it relevant. This book is recommended for both boys and girls in the middle grades that love action, adventure combined with history.

Allies is a historical fiction piece, which explores D-Day from different perspectives. Dee is from Germany, but escapes to the US and despises the Nazis. He is only 16 years old, but pretends to be 18 so he could enlist. Dee and Sid are friends who support each other. Each character throughout the book plays their own roll in the events. Although they play their own parts, they find strength together. Highly recommended read!