Thank you to NetGalley for making this book available to give an honest reivew. I have given September 11, 2001: The Day the World Changed Forever by Baptiste Bouthier, Illustrated by Hélöise Chochois three out of five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I cannot believe it’ll be 20 years since September 11, 2001 this year. I had to admit I found it difficult to rate this book and almost didn’t read it due to the tragic events that are covered within this graphic novel and was unsure whether the author would be able to tackle this event well, instead of it being insensitive. The author managed to narrate this story well and the information given was very important especially for those who are unaware or not thoroughly educated on what happened during the terrorist attacks mentioned in this book. I liked the illustrations in this graphic novel; they definitely played a big part visually when I found myself feeling upset when reading this book.

This book follows the events from September 11, 2001 through the eyes of a French high school student who remembers the day it happened. I thought this was an interesting way to portray their story and to take the reader along with them whilst she recalls how things unfolded around her in France. I was a little confused at times by the timeline of events, I ended up going back a few pages to find that the year of the timeline was in the top part of the graphic strip however, the font isn’t very big so it took me a while to realise this. I appreciated that they included a lot of people’s names who survived and died during September 11, 2001 as I thought it respected those people by remembering them.

This books was very hard hitting and although I was six years old when the terrible world changing terrorist attack happened on September 11, 2001, I do have vague memories of it happening however, over the years I have learnt more about this devastating time. I found it very emotional revisiting those emotions and feelings through this graphic novel as well as the other terrorist attacks mentioned in this book.

I think this graphic novel is a good way for all readers, for the pure reason of understanding the extent of what happened during these attacks and the impact it has led for our world to change as we know it today.

As expected this book is packed with emotion.
The Art style was amazing and the story was engaging and informative.
I thought the subject was written about and handled well. Definitely worth reading.

This is the first time I have read a book on this subject. I found I learnt a lot not only from the days events but also the aftermath and the changes to the world. The book had a big impact, especially reading at this time with current events. I was too young when the attacks happened but I remember the attacks mentioned in the book that followed.

I enjoyed the art style and the perspective of Juliet. I am glad to have read this book and expanded my knowledge on the tragic events.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️

This is such a good graphic novel that tackles the events occurred on September 11, 2001 (I was born 8 days after that just sharing).

The creators did a good job in narrating and presenting the events in detailed and also in different perspective that were well done both in conveying the situation in that time but also in the following years conflict that greatly been caused by the past events.

The only thing I didn’t like was the confusing switch of the timeline, and repetitive narrating of the scenes.

Despite that, this is such a good read. Very informative documentation of the September 11, 2001 tragedy.

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Thank you NetGally and Europe Comics for letting me review this book.

I thought this graphic novel was a fantastic international perspective on how the world reacted to and responded to 9/11. By looking at the tragedy from 2021 and how the world has changed over the past 20 years since 9/11 9/11, this book gives a fresh way of looking at the tragedy and the ensuing wars and international relations.. I especially liked the personal element of the narrator witnessing 9/11 unfold on the news in France as a teenager juxtaposed with them flying to New York City for the first time ever in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic and going through security and customs as a single international traveler. This is an interesting and fresh perspective with fantastic illustrations that successfully blends the tragedy of 2001 with the world of 2021 and the upcoming 20th anniversary.

This graphic novel provides a comprehensive portrayal of the events of September 11 2001 and the impact they had in the following years both in the US and globally from the perspective of Juliette, a young French girl. Having read several other non-fiction works on 9/11 before which assumed extensive knowledge of the attacks themselves and/or post-9/11 American politics, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book lacked those expectations and provided a straightforward overview.

I enjoyed the art style a lot; it had a distinctive character whilst avoiding being whimsical, crucial for a book covering such serious topics.

What I know about the September 11 incident is limited. I've heard of it, know a little of what happened, but this is the first book that I've read about this day. It definitely helped me understand the severity of it, as it is more than about the thousands of people who lost their lives that day. There were also plenty of events that happened shortly after.

From the September 11 incident, it branched out into the Patriot Act, the NSA, terrorism and war. It showed me something new that I never knew about, which I'm very thankful for. Unfortunately, there was only a short part on Islamophobia and racism, which I wished they could've highlighted more of. Although, they covered a bit on the Guantanamo detention camp.

My favourite part was when Juliette's mother asked "from what angle?", in regard to Juliette telling her mother about the discussion her history class had regarding the incident. It was a brief moment, but that question was impactful.

It seems strange to comment about the illustrations when such a heavy and important matter is at hand, but it is great. I particularly liked the airport scenes, the one with the firefighters going up the stairs, and the one on the many U.S. intelligence. I liked how they fit multiple ideas into just one frame of a page.

It is sad to say not much has changed, but I'm still glad to have been able to learn about world history through this book.

I truthfully wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this one – mostly because of all of the baggage that comes with 9-11 here in the US. I am honestly dreading the 20th anniversary of the event next month due to the two types of people that seem to base their entire existence on the tragedy of all those years ago. On one hand, you have fake patriotism wielded by people that want to silence any sort of nuanced discussion on world affairs by saying “but, what about 9-11?!” They wave flags and lecture folks even though most of them aren’t actually real patriots in any way. They use 9-11 to justify all manner of questionable “diplomacy”, such as torture or unfair trials. Then you have the conspiracy guys, to which I see 9-11 as the progenitor of of the insane dumpster fire of modern conspiranoia. With that in mind, I rolled the dice with this book mostly because it’s from Europe – I figured it would be free of the two types of “9-11 guys” I would rather not deal with. Was my gamble worth it?

“What do younger generations know about the terrible tragedy that shook America and the world on September 11, 2001? In this gripping documentary work by journalist Baptiste Bouthier and illustrator Heloïse Chochois, we first learn about the historic day from several inside perspectives. In the second half, the authors take stock of 9/11 in the days, weeks, and years that followed, from traumatized America to George W. Bush’s crusade against the “axis of evil.” A not-be-missed piece of graphic non-fiction, published 20 years after the events in question.”


The story in this book is told via the perspective of a French woman named Juliette, who was in high school when the 9-11 attacks occurred. She recollects the uneasiness and terror of those days when her family were glued to the television watching as thousands of people were crushed and burned to death in the worst attack ever on US soil from a foreign adversary. I think my generation can relate to this a lot, being 19 myself when the attacks happened. I recall going to a college class and finding out that most of my classes were cancelled and huddling around the TV in the Student Union to see what happened. I was immediately fearful of “World War 3” starting and whether I had to worry about a draft and such. while unlikely, that’s the sort of thing that was running though many heads. These scenes of her watching TV and trying to lead a “normal life” in the subsequent days bookend other tales of people in the towers themselves, trying to fight for survival and sometimes succeeding, usually not. It was heartbreaking seeing the scenes of all the people that insisted going to the roof of the building, knowing that literally none of them would survive.

It was interesting to note that the author covered some of the “dark side” of all of the 9-11 aftermath – topics such as rampant anti-Muslim racism, conspiracy theories, increased militarism, and eventually a push to a 20 year war that we are literally just now getting out of in 2021. There is also a good bit of historical content in the book, discussing the attackers and the fallout from the attacks as it relates to the world at large. The balance of narrative and information in this book reminds me of some of the “war comics” I’ve been reading and was a welcome surprise.

Despite my reservations on the topic of 9-11, this comic was very well done, and not a heavy-handed propaganda piece. The script is very good and understandable, and the artwork is simplistic, yet pleasant to look at. This book does a great job, as it encompasses the heroism of the New York firefighters, the plight of the victims, and even the mental anguish of many watching from home miles and miles away. I was glad to see the aftermath in both good and bad terms, and how 9-11 basically created more issues for us. I hope people can look at a work like this and look back at the events of the past 20 years and actually learn something rather than drape a flag around their bigotry and use it for all manner of bad things. Here’s hoping we’ve finally moved on from these events, and are starting a new chapter in American History.

Synopsis: This dramatized narrative follows a young French woman as she recounts the events surrounding the September 11 attacks and how they affected her life.


My Thoughts: Pacing and Writing (5/5) – I thought the book succeeded in seamlessly switching from portraying the tragic melee as it was occurring, explaining the facts concerning it, and the personal perspective. In some way, it felt like reading a historical fiction account meshed with a documentary which gives the message a more visceral punch. It also helps that the author Baptiste Bouthier is a journalist which can be attributed to the graphic novel’s matter-of-fact writing style. My favorite scene might be the one where two men working in the World Trade Center are escaping the building as it was collapsing due to jarringly serene demeanor towards the whole predicament as they’re casually chatting about their lives which felt like a partial sign of resignation of hope.

Themes and Characters (5/5) – The main French subject Juliette served both as a perfect stand-in for the Millennial generation and second-hand witnesses. The former was old enough to recall the events but too young to grasp the full scope of the incident. Meanwhile, the latter lacks the perspective of the full impact due to being too distant from the crime scene. This point is hammered in a scene where some high-school-aged schoolchildren display a flippant, ignorant attitude towards 9/11 which almost seems like déjà vu as terrorist attacks throughout Europe become rampant as the 2000s and 2010s pass. Being a Gen Zer who didn’t know about 9/11 until the age of 10, that feeling of distance to a relatively recent incident hit harder since it serves as a reminder of how important historic preservation is.

Art (5/5) – The color tones and line art were on the lighter, softer side which, while mitigating the graphic horror throughout the intense scenes, did shin in depicting expressive characters.


Final Thoughts: September 11 is an important work of historical literature that I would highly recommend to younger readers including middle grade and high school students whose entire lives were in a post-9/11 world.

This purports to be the story of several people who were around on 9/11 back in 2001, and their thoughts on what occurred on those days. The facts that were presented are very much what they were at the time and there is no suggestions of those behind the plans or those who were governing at the time, it's just the story of the events of that day.

The book takes a turn towards the nature of freedom and the things that changed since the attack, from the upgraded security at airports, to the increased volume of attacks since that day. It's reasonable to say that the author is trying to keep a clear and unbiased perspective, but it's also clear that they have strong opinions, eloquently voiced, and this is the book through which they will do that.

On a subject like this, it's not a bad thing to have a strong opinion, indeed, it would be more strange if you lived through those events and didn't have a strong opinion. Mention is made of how opinion was divided in the days that followed, some saying that America had it coming, some just blaming whoever they could. Much is made of how America chose to continue without the backing of the international community, and how the decisions made should have been ratified by others, but that in turn ignores the sentiment of the day, particularly where the attacks occurred.

It's an interesting read, there are biases, and if you're buying it for a younger person who wasn't around, you should be prepared to answer all the questions the book raises. As the author says, what happened, happened, what we have to do is go on in the world that was forever changed.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE ILLUSTRATION. 5/5!

This is told by way of a reminiscence of a French girl (from the news): basically a recap of 9/11, 9/11 from the different perspectives of survivors; a subsequent timeline of terrorist attacks; America’s response (which I found thought provoking): Afghanistan, Iraq, the Patriot Act, NSA - Snowden.

I think potentially some readers might get offended and defensive with some parts of this book.

A good overview of history (with pictures!) for adults, but I think it is a great and informative read for children - learn some history, get into politics! I think parts of the world are still experiencing the impact of this event.

Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an important read. Extremely powerful and emotion provoking.

The only thing is I felt like there were too many different perspectives in short amounts of time.

But I would recommend this book to everyone.

Muchas gracias Netgalley por el envío de una copia avanzada de esta historia.

Esta novela gráfica está narrada desde la perspectiva de una mujer francesa que visita Nueva York por primera vez. Desde ese punto, nos comenta sobre sus primeras reacciones desde el atentado contra las Torres Gemelas.

Es una novela gráfica para reflexionar y leerla con detenimiento, las ilustraciones me gustaron mucho y me informé bastante respecto a este suceso.

It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years. This book shows what happened in the USA that day and how it rippled out and affected the world - including a French teenager. It feels all the more poignant with everything that is happening in Afghanistan today. I liked this take on 9/11. The artwork is gorgeous.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing the e-arc in change of an honest review

I didn't know what to expect going in but was pleasantly surprised! Although I am an adult, I am too young to remember what happened in 2001 (I was three years old). Of course I knew about what happened, watched documentaries before and read about stories. This graphic novel summons it all up very well, the creators definitely did their research!

The story is told at first from the perspective of a 14-year old girl in France. We see how she and the people in France react as they watch the news on TV. Simultaneously it also focuses on other people on Sept 11 who were in the tower and survived, the rescue teams and a journalist. It provided perspective on what truly happened that day. Reading about some people getting mentioned and seeing the message that they were never seen after that definitely hit very hard. But I went into this not expecting an easy read.
It doesn't just focus on Sept 11, but also the many consequences that followed, including the war and other global terrorist attacks.

The story works very well in graphic novel form and I would recommend this to other people who were too young to remember or were born after 2001, and want to get knowledge on this topic. It is informative without being traumatic.

Everyone who is old enough to have memories from 9/11/01 will remember so clearly where they were on that fateful day. I enjoyed this medium to talk about this event to a generation who did not live through it.

An interesting look at the events of 9/11/01, something that is seared into my own memory. Parts of the book felt a bit disjointed, telling the same action over and over from different perspectives, but I liked the view of the young girl in France and seeing how people from outside the United States experienced that day.

This graphic novel is from the perspective of a French woman who is on her way to visit a cousin in New York. She was a young teen when the events occurred, and she is retelling the events.

I enjoyed reading the novel and liked the illustrations, and it was interesting to see how other countries viewed what had happened.

#EuropeComics #NetGalley

Rating: 5
Recommended for: middle grade students and beyond

"This message comes to you today from an old country, France, from an old continent, Europe. A continent that has known wars. Occupation. Barbarity. A country that does not forget and knows everything it owes to the freedom-fighters who came from America and elsewhere. And yet has never ceased to stand upright in the face of history and before mankind."

September 11, 2001: The Day the World Changed Forever is a great introduction to the 9/11 attacks for readers middle grade and higher. It introduces the horrifying event through the lens of a European 9th grader as she, her family, and her classmates learn about the events in real time. It was interesting to view the events from a Eurocentric standpoint and even more so how the media presented the attack to its viewers. It also highlights succeeding events, such as the London attacks, the U.N.'s response to terrorism, and more. We as a society have been so desensitized to acts of terror, and this book is a means of reflection for generations both young and old to re-examine our history and beyond.

A book framed as about/by a Frenchwoman going to visit her cousin in New York – her first time in America, and an experience that obviously demands she make a further attempt at parsing 9/11, which she failed to do as a student at the time. Along the way she manages to give biographical details and record in tribute to a chap who was one of the few to survive from the uppermost floors, the firemen first on the scene, and so on. But it's not a brilliant read, by far – it's repetitive in its script, telling us several times how far apart the tower collapses were, etc. And it's also repetitive in that it hammers old lessons and messages in, covering the same old ground as everything and everyone since then, offering nothing new.

In fact it's easy to get quite angry with this, when the twentieth anniversary is but weeks away, and when it manages to fluke itself into the news (or the news into it). For the final third is a dove's diatribe against the War on Terror, and the US being in Iraq and Afghanistan, and therefore (according to it) the entire response to 9/11 from Bush et al was entirely wrong, and boy won't Afghanistan still be a shit-hole when the Yanks leave? Well, yes, we can see that thrust down our throats on every news channel today, thanks. But seeing as you, Ms Fictional Narrator, and as you, this book's creators, offer zero that is beneficial to discussions about Islam, fighting terrorism or global politics, I call you out. You've recycled all that we already knew, you've gone so far up Obama's arse you're cleaning his teeth for him from the inside, and have just spewed your propaganda in lieu of entertainment for the last 150pp, in a book aimed at teens and young adults. Thanks for nothing.