Allies by Alan Gratz (Historical Fiction)

Four individuals are assigned jobs by the Allies to support the D-Day invasion. Part of that group is Dee, a German born US soldier who is racing towards Omaha Beach on a flimsy landing craft to help liberate France from the Nazis. It is a treacherous journey to the beach. On the other hand, there is Samira, who lives in France and works as a spy for the French resistance. She will try to sabotage the German forces and encounter lots of life-threatening situations. The third person is James who leaps from planes at midnight. He is known as a paratrooper and ordered to start a dangerous midnight raid and secure military checkpoints for the Allies. He will face challenges such as landing in flooded fields and almost drowning but he is incredibly determined to make the invasion as easy as possible and to hopefully liberate France from the Nazis. The fourth person is Henry. He is a medic who runs through the crossfire on Omaha beach and tries to save as many lives as possible. Unfortunately, the ruthless fighting tactics of the Nazis include targeting medics. Will they be able to complete their missions and help chase the Nazis out of France without being harmed themselves?

Allies is a gripping story that I would recommend to someone who is interested in World War II. It is a remarkably interesting and easy read. The author uses very descriptive language that makes you see the story in your head. You feel like you are part of the book. Another advantage is that you can read this book very fast. I would rate this book 4.5 stars out of 5 stars because some parts of this book are not very realistic like some of the fighting scenes, but obviously I was not in World War II, so I do not know exactly how it felt. Apart from this impression, it is a terrific book to read. I liked that all characters’ jobs played a role in this book. Each character is equally important to the plot so there is not one hero but several.  This shows that courageous commitment could save many lives. In addition to that the author illustrates the fears of each character very well. You get drawn into the world of the characters and Gratz makes it easy to put yourself in their shoes. Not many authors have that ability in my opinion. If you are in 6th grade or higher, this is the perfect book for you that combines literary skills with historic details.

Reviewed by Benn-Lennox B. 7th Grader