Hideki, an Okinawan boy, is only in middle-school. But he's drafted into the "Blood and Iron Imperial Corps" to fight for the Japanese in World War II. Hideki's handed two grenades and sent off into the jungle, with instructions to kill an American. Meanwhile, Ray, a young American soldier, is landing on the Okinawan beach with his company. From opposite sides of the war, the two boys see unwarranted violence, and escape danger at every turn. But what will happen when they encounter each other in the middle of the jungle? Could it change the course of the Battle of Okinawa?
For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz brings his trademark impeccable research and cinematic writing style to the Pacific theater of WWII.