Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff

24 reviews

oliviaja's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I was a 6 year old in rural Canada on 9/11, and though I grew up with it’s consequences, I knew shockingly little about the actual day. This was incredibly informative and fascinating. I can’t recommend the full cast audiobook enough.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

sarahweyand's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

This book took a lot out of me, mentally and emotionally, but it's something I'm glad I did. It feels wrong to 1) put this is my favorites of the year because it wasn't but also 2) rate it anything lower than what I'm rating it. No matter what number rating I give, this book will stick with me for a long time, probably forever.

I was born in 1999, alive for 9/11 but not old enough to remember it, no personal connection to the tragedy but somberly informed and taught about it every year for my entire primary education. This book taught me things I didn't know and gave a much more personal account of the various events of the day. The oral history is long, and 90% of it takes place on September 11. There is slight discussion of September 12 but not of any events past that date, which I think is important to place the proper emphasis and respect on the heroes and events of the attack itself.

Everyone knows what this book will be about going into it, so you know it isn't an easy read. However, if you can stomach it, I near demand you listen to the audiobook. It's wonderfully read by a full cast of voice actors who fully do the oral history justice; I fully believe it's how this book was meant to be consumed. Some air traffic controller transcripts, phone calls, and briefings use actual historic audio, which can certainly be triggering but add so much. ***Note on this: emotional personal phone calls or other disturbing audio is not used; I definitely would not have been able to handle the inclusion of that material. Audio inclusions are done tastefully and respectfully; any anecdotes regarding personal messages or last words are paraphrased and read by voice actors.

If you can, I would add this to your list and give it a listen or read when you feel you're in the headspace to do so. Its importance and impact really can't be overstated.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

tmickey's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Racism, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Pregnancy

mzjohnson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

thealicejackson's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

lcg527's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

maarsargo's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Islamophobia

nataliebootlah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read.

I think nearly everyone remembers exactly where and what they were doing on September 11th, 2001. The Only Plane in the Sky enhances those memories with first-hand accounts from survivors, first responders, witnesses, and other everyday people turned heroes who were at the World Trade Center and Pentagon when they were attacked. Graff uses transcripts, personal reports, news broadcasts, documents, and voicemails to recreate 9/11 minute by minute. It is a harrowing, heartbreaking piece of American history. Despite the anguish and despair, it was inspiring to see how Americans came together immediately after and the days following. 

It is also a reminder of the twenty-year war resulting in thousands of innocent lives lost on both sides. It’s humbling and vastly important to recognize how 9/11 changed our world as we knew it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, and War

mghrt06's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail