I read this weeks ago, but felt too overwhelmed to write a review. This graphic novel is very intense, and I cried through the entire second half, because it brought back the terror of 9/11 so vividly, through the eyes of a firefighter's son who is there in Manhattan. The story is very well-written, meaningful, and honest without ever sensationalizing the horror, and I appreciated the author's note at the end, where Lauren Tarshis wrote about her initial reluctance to cover this story and about her own 9/11 experience. There is also a historical note with additional information for kids.

This graphic novel is incredibly visceral and powerful. I was interested in reading this because of the visual medium, even though I had never read the chapter book it was adapted from. I really appreciated the authentic, moving portrayal of the traumatic event, and the boy's reactions all seemed very authentic. However, I would definitely give this book a trigger warning for anyone who experienced loss during 9/11, and for kids who are sensitive to violence and horror. None of the depictions in this book are gory, but they don't hold back, either.

It feels weird to give a trigger warning for sensitive kids, since I'm the most sensitive kid I've ever known, and I watched 9/11 unfold on TV shortly before my fifth birthday. Still, parents and teachers need to consider kids' temperaments and life experiences before handing them this book, because it is INTENSE. If someone isn't sure if their kid can handle this, I would encourage them to start with the chapter book. Granted, my younger sister said that reading the chapter book traumatized her when she was a child, even though she enjoyed the rest of the I Survived series, so some kids won't even want to read that. Still, the visual content hugely increases the impact and the feeling of secondary trauma, and even though this book is excellent, it is important for young readers and the adults in their lives to approach this carefully and perhaps process it together.