Grenade by Alan Gratz (author)

Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee, returns with this high-octane story of how fear and war tear us apart, but how hope and redemption tie us together.It’s 1945, and the world is in the grip of war.Hideki lives with his family on the island of Okinawa, near Japan. When the Second World War crashes onto his shores, Hideki is drafted to fight for the Japanese army. He is handed a grenade and a set of instructions: Don’t come back until you’ve killed an American soldier. Ray, a young American Marine, has just landed on Okinawa. This is Ray’s first-ever battle, and he doesn’t know what to expect—or if he’ll make it out alive. All he knows that the enemy is everywhere. Hideki and Ray each fight their way across the island, surviving heart-pounding ambushes and dangerous traps. But then the two of them collide in the middle of the battle… And choices they make in that single instant will change everything.

PRAISE FOR GRENADE “Impossible to put down. Action fans will have this flying off the shelves.” – Booklist“Intense and fast-paced, this is a compelling, dark, yet ultimately heartening wartime story.” – Kirkus“Alan Gratz couldn’t write a slow-paced book even if he were paid by the word.” – Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, New York Times Book Review“War is portrayed honestly here… the finality of death and the lasting emotional consequences are starkly rendered.” – Publishers Weekly“A chilling, realistic depiction of war. An excellent World War II novel.” – School Library Journal “A sad and compelling story that sheds some light on a battle that is rarely mentioned in books written for juvenile readers. Highly recommended.” - School Library Connection