Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy of this graphic novel.

In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers is a retelling of the events of September 11th. Using stories from the people who were there, Brown paints a picture of this tragic day in US History.

Using a simple color palate and simplistic illustrations the author is able to show what happened ona nod after this day but also doesn’t overly saturate the picture.

I do appreciate that the author showed the effects in the Muslim community in the US. And that he also didn’t sugarcoat the torture that occurred in Guantanamo Bay.

Since I was in my late teens when 9/11 happened, I was not really fully aware of all that was going on. This graphic novel gave me some insights and taught me some new things. Overall, a quick, informative history lesson.

3.5/5 stars

The content this book is attempting to cover is tough, and very loaded for folks who were alive in 2001 in particular. As a teacher working with students who were born in 2006 and after, this book did not feel like an educational nor emotional way to relate the events of 9/11 to a group that did not experience the effects directly. I should clarify that the facts are presented, in an almost timeline like format, with some snippets of background and context, which is very helpful. The graphic novel does a strong job with portraying the cause and effect of who did what and why, which then led to...etc, however, I felt it lacked a story or a focus point, it was almost too broad and ambitious.

I appreciated that the art was minimal and the coloring was gorgeous, but the story itself felt disjointed, despite the important content. I would still recommend this text to folks looking to get an understanding of the sequence of events, but I would suggest diving deeper into alternate stories for more context.

This graphic novel will keep readers enthralled. The history of the events leading up to 9/11, that day, and the following resulting events are chronicled in beautiful, difficult, and moving illustrations. For our students today, they were not alive on this fateful day and so some may not fully understand the history and the gravity of that day. I think some students will be shocked by the detail Don Brown goes into, including many real life quotes from survivors and heroes of the day. Some will be sucked in to the events of this day by the detailed illustrations, many of which stand on their own unaccompanied by dialogue or narration.

I love graphic novels, especially ones that are well done. In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers is brilliantly crafted and will provide something for all readers. The history and reality of this period in history is presented in such a way that anyone, regardless of reading level, will find value in this book. I highly recommend.

I have read Don Brown's other graphic novels and use them in my nonfiction book clubs in my classroom. This will be another one of his books that I add into the rotation. I had goosebumps the entire time I read this, I had to pause a few times while reading this as it kept bringing back memories of this moment. I would equate this graphic novel to be just as moving as the numerous documentaries based on the 9/11 attacks. In this format, I think students will be able to grasp the significance of these events in a way that maybe documentaries can't.

One of the more moving graphic non-fiction graphic novels I have read and will be putting in my classroom.

* I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. All opinions in this review are my own.

Such a hard topic to write about let alone draw as well and this graphic novel handled the subject very respectfully. The illustrations were nicely done and it was nice that they were not overly detailed making it easier for the viewer to digest the horrible events. The writing was brief and consisted mostly of quotes from people that were there and experienced it themselves. For those that were alive and remember the events of that day it can be a hard read. It is aimed more at those who do not remember the event or were not alive during it to get a sense of the tragedy as it unfolded. At the end there are sources for the quotes and more details of the events. This will be a nice edition to a high school library to introduce the students to what happened.

It was impossible to read on NetGalley. The words were so small and the pages did not load properly. I was not the only one with this issue- several friends tried to read it as well and had the same issue.

I cried the ENTIRE graphic novel. For an hour straight, my eyes leaked uncontrollably. This graphic novel captures the events of 9/11 in the United States: from the ground level helpers, search and rescue efforts to inside the planes and the goodbyes/battles to save the planes from crashing, from those trapped underneath the rubble after the tower collapse to the aftermath clean up and the almost breach of the walls around the trade towers base. This novel even goes on to show the unthought of tragedies that resulted from the horror: animals trapped in apartments and houses waiting for owners who never came home, the trials after to get the rescuers proper medical coverage, the missing posters that endured long after.
My heart broke over and over each time I turned the page.
This graphic was done tastefully and masterfully. It pulled at my heart strings and caused a gusher of emotions without being too detailed in the carnage and horror that unfolded.

One of the difficulties facing teachers / librarians/ and many more is how do you describe the impact of 9/11 to children who weren't even been yet. Deen Brown ches it. This is the one must have book of the year and it is heart-wrenching. Brown takes survivor stories and facts and weaves together an emotional informative tour de force. The artwork captures the grief and loss that was felt see beautifully. There was nothing that could be done better.

NetGalley provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars.

This is an unforgettable graphic novel detailing 9/11 from the beginning when Jeff, filming a documentary, sees the first jet go into a building. He’s around when first responders and firefighters come around. We hear about the debris, the coughing, the smoke and ash, and toxic gas. Different stores are told. We hear about the jet flying into the Pentagon. We hear about them finding out who’s responsible when the CIA goes to Afghanistan. At the end, the first year anniversary is commemorated. This is a must have book.

Wow! Despite knowing and having read many books of what happened on 9/11, Don Brown manages to tell aspects of the story not previously included in other books many have read. The illustrations suit the subject matter well in his use of muted tones of greys and browns, with a few exceptions. Where this graphic novel excels is expanding beyond the expected, touch on anti-Muslim sentiment, anti-Semitism, pets who’s owners couldn’t get back to them (this thought horrified me!) because they were not allowed to go back to nearby buildings, rescuers stories including the search and rescue dogs, stories of going after the Taliban, and much more. The statistical data included at the end added to the both the told and untold stories. Highly recommend for middle school and older, this belongs in all libraries.

It was good, but SO quick...I finished it in less than an hour. I also was not personally impacted by the artwork. The information was well organized and impactful. I relived some of the fear and sadness from that day. It is important to remember the agony that the first responders and victims dealt with.

Let’s start with, I cried throughout most of this Graphic novel. This is a really tough subject matter.
On the plus side - this novel was obviously very well researched. I appreciate that.
There were a lot of individual stories that needed to be told. It was done really well.
The story didn’t brush over the hard truths. I remember the ambulances lined up for the wounded and dead. And few people were found.
It was a horrific time.
On the minus side - who is the audience? I would never recommend this to a young child or teen. The whole Afghanistan story, the torture, Guantanamo bay. This took the novel to a different place.
A lot of material was covered - maybe to much. The planes being diverted is a novel in and of itself.
I think this novel had big ambitions - maybe to big.
But it is a subject that we should never forget and I thank the author for reminding me.

A compelling telling of the events surrounding 9/11 and the collapse of the Twin Towers. Beautifully illustrated, this graphically tells the story of what happened on that day & subsequent events before ground zero was cleared. The images add real poignancy to the telling & convey much of the atmosphere that must have been felt in New York.

Don Brown creates excellent graphic novels that summarize and detail historic events. I've enjoyed his novels about Hurricane Katrina, the Dust Bowl, Syrian refugees, and the Flu of 1918. Having enjoyed these as an adult, I would definitely recommend these books to my students. Not only is the book full of remarkable pictures, but the text provides good and understandable details about the events.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

+ This is an important recount of history. I was only 10 at the time, so my memory of events is from a very sheltered child's perspective. It's crazy to think that 9/11 happened 20 years ago and we have a whole generation of young adults who were not even alive when it occurred. This graphic novel is so important.
- The art style was a bit simplistic and sometimes pulled me from the story.
- I actually wish that this was longer and went into more complex detail. It's one of the best and most comprehensive accounts of 9/11 I've read.

This engaging graphic novel pulls no punches when it comes to the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The opening setting is moments before the North tower falls, and the book follows a mostly sequencial path that covers the following 365 days in settings all over the world. The bibiography at the end of the book is extensive, as the text uses many direct quotes and facts to pull the reader in. Due to content, I'd mark this as YA+.

Thank you to NetGalley and Etch, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt press for the ARC of In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers written and illustrated by Don Brown. In this thoughtful but informative non-fiction graphic novel, Brown jumps into the retelling of 9/11 with both known and (probably) little known facts. Personally, I learned of several new things that I didn't know about this historically tragic event in our country's history. Brown handles the matters tastefully, but doesn't shy away from the horrors that so many victims experienced that day and in the years to come. I will be buying a copy for our high school library.

I love Don Brown's ability to tell historical events accurately and poignantly. Having lived through the tragedies 9/11, I went into this book hesitantly. I appreciated the simplicity of the story. The narrative linked pieces of that time together in a way to make the story that much more powerful. Many of these pieces were things that I had not thought about before, like the pets that were left behind in evacuated apartments, or at boarding facilities. These tiny, tragic reminders truly depict the scale of 9/11.

Don Brown has a habit of taking on very difficult topics and creating graphic novels that do an excellent job of explaining the facts but that also pack an emotional punch. As an adult who remembers 9/11 personally, this particular volume was very difficult to read, but it was certainly beautifully done. I would be very interested to hear the perspective of a younger person who didn't live through that day. Five stars.

While I liked the artwork and I think this graphic novel could be a good introduction to the events of 9/11 for a young person who isn't well acquainted, it did feel a bit shallow and detached. Since it's geared toward teens, it might have been better to have a teen main character to be more relatable to the age group. I do think graphic novels are popular and a great way to introduce reluctant readers to important topics such as this, but this one rang a bit hollow and unfortunately isn't that memorable.