What do you think?
Rate this book
We All Fall Down #2
United We Stand
Dramatic, gripping, and moving, this sequel to the award-winning We All Fall Down will captivate readers.
It’s September 12th, 2001, and New York City is at a somber, bleak and shocked in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. Will knows he and his father are lucky to have escaped; others, like his best friend James’ father are still missing . . . and soon presumed to be dead.
Poignant and dramatic, United We Stand is a young adult novel about heartache, self-discovery, and the power of friendship.
It’s September 12th, 2001, and New York City is at a somber, bleak and shocked in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. Will knows he and his father are lucky to have escaped; others, like his best friend James’ father are still missing . . . and soon presumed to be dead.
Poignant and dramatic, United We Stand is a young adult novel about heartache, self-discovery, and the power of friendship.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2009
25 people are currently reading
763 people want to read
About the author
Eric Walters
156 books907 followersEric was born in Toronto in 1957, which makes him "real old". But, as Eric says, "Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean that I have to grow up!" In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, youth sports coach and writer he is in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences and feels that this helps him to capture the realistic interaction between young people—the conflicts, tensions, stresses and interests that make up their lives.
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
March 10, 2025
★★★☆☆ (3/5)
I really enjoyed United We Stand, the sequel to We All Fall Down. The story picks up right after the events of 9/11, following Will and his best friend James as they navigate the aftermath of the attack. The book does a great job of showing how the characters are processing what happened, and I liked seeing how their friendship grows through the chaos.
James was a standout character for me. He brought a lot of personality to the story, and I appreciated his loyalty to Will. Their friendship felt real and was one of the best parts of the book. I also liked how the book didn’t shy away from showing the fear, confusion, and grief that people were feeling after the attacks. It made everything feel more grounded.
That being said, I felt like the book was a little rushed at times. Some moments could have been explored more, especially when it came to the emotional impact on the characters. The pacing made it feel like things were happening too fast without enough time to really sit with them.
Overall, United We Stand is a solid read, especially if you liked the first book. It’s not perfect, but it’s an interesting take on a really important moment in history. If you’re into historical fiction or books about friendship and resilience, I’d say it’s worth checking out.
I really enjoyed United We Stand, the sequel to We All Fall Down. The story picks up right after the events of 9/11, following Will and his best friend James as they navigate the aftermath of the attack. The book does a great job of showing how the characters are processing what happened, and I liked seeing how their friendship grows through the chaos.
James was a standout character for me. He brought a lot of personality to the story, and I appreciated his loyalty to Will. Their friendship felt real and was one of the best parts of the book. I also liked how the book didn’t shy away from showing the fear, confusion, and grief that people were feeling after the attacks. It made everything feel more grounded.
That being said, I felt like the book was a little rushed at times. Some moments could have been explored more, especially when it came to the emotional impact on the characters. The pacing made it feel like things were happening too fast without enough time to really sit with them.
Overall, United We Stand is a solid read, especially if you liked the first book. It’s not perfect, but it’s an interesting take on a really important moment in history. If you’re into historical fiction or books about friendship and resilience, I’d say it’s worth checking out.
August 12, 2018
This book is very emotional for me as I recall the day when this happened. It was scary enough not even living in the usa but this books out into words what I never could about that day.
A wonderful story that shows the goodness of people during one of the most terrible times in recent history
A wonderful story that shows the goodness of people during one of the most terrible times in recent history
August 26, 2024
The book is very good, one of my favorite parts was the, "United we stand," he agreed"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2017
Didn't like the ending, left questions unanswered.
September 28, 2022
2022 Review:
Third time reading it and still love this. The emotions are so raw and relatable. <3 Hoping to read this every September!
2020 Review:
I love this book so much. It's just.... so so good. (Looking back to my first review is kinda surprising. I don't know why I didn't like it so much before!) I finally bought the first book and I'm hoping to read it soon!
2019 Review:
Really really good book! Well written and it felt accurate with its details. I liked the characters a lot and overall it was an interesting historical fiction read. It was pretty sad, but I mean, that's kind of expected. The only thing is they say "Oh my g*d" a few times (that's not the reason I only gave it 4 stars; it just isn't my ultimate FAVOURITE book)
Eye-opening historical fiction and recommended for sure!
Third time reading it and still love this. The emotions are so raw and relatable. <3 Hoping to read this every September!
2020 Review:
I love this book so much. It's just.... so so good. (Looking back to my first review is kinda surprising. I don't know why I didn't like it so much before!) I finally bought the first book and I'm hoping to read it soon!
2019 Review:
Really really good book! Well written and it felt accurate with its details. I liked the characters a lot and overall it was an interesting historical fiction read. It was pretty sad, but I mean, that's kind of expected. The only thing is they say "Oh my g*d" a few times (that's not the reason I only gave it 4 stars; it just isn't my ultimate FAVOURITE book)
Eye-opening historical fiction and recommended for sure!
June 12, 2011
A sequel to We All Fall Down, United We Stand is sort of not as great as the first. Will is helping is friend James to find his dad at 9/11. James's father was still in the tower when the towers fell. James wants to believe that his dad is still alive but Will thinks there's no chance. So Will and James go to the 9/11 scene and try to find his dad. But in the way is that their underage to help, making sure that their parents don't know about it, Will's conditions, and James in denial and anger.
August 2, 2012
once a again that great book called we all fall down came back for a sequel!!! Now not as good as I thought it would be. :\
I tried to love it, I really did but it just wasn't that good. But It was still a good book and I didn't give up on it so thats a good thing.
I do love the cover of the book though, so nice!
OVER all it wasn't as good as the first book but it was still good.
I tried to love it, I really did but it just wasn't that good. But It was still a good book and I didn't give up on it so thats a good thing.
I do love the cover of the book though, so nice!
OVER all it wasn't as good as the first book but it was still good.
May 28, 2015
The sequel to we all fall down was great! united we stand is a realistic fiction story and i would give it 5 stars because it was great. It takes place just after the twin towers collapsed from the airplane terrorist attack, The main character struggles to keep his head on straight after being in that kind of disaster.
December 24, 2020
This book geared to adolescents is the story of the aftermath of 911 and how it affects two boys who are close friends. I had not read the first book in the series but knowing what happened on that day, it really didn't matter.
Comment after 2nd reading.
I went back and reread this after reading the first book in the series. I think it did give the bigger picture and I'm glad I re-read it.
Comment after 2nd reading.
I went back and reread this after reading the first book in the series. I think it did give the bigger picture and I'm glad I re-read it.
April 30, 2023
I don't know how I feel about this book.
I read "We all Fall Down" back in 6th grade for school. I really liked it, but thought that the ending was kind of weird how Will and his Dad just went home. It felt odd and didn't flow, especially how the towers can collapsed only a few pages earlier. Anyways, I've thought about the ending of this book for almost 5 years now. Yesterday, I went to Value Village to look at the books and saw this. I was so excited because I had no idea it existed and was finally ready to get some answers. I bought it and read it in two days. Let's just say it was not what I was expecting.
Firstly, the book felt like it lacked plot? I know it was a short sequel (Only 176 pages), but all that happened was that we saw Will's family together again, saw Ting for about 2 pages, saw James' family deal with the fact his Dad was missing, and then Will and James went to ground 0, helped out for a bit, and went home. I understand that this book was showing us the horrors of the day after this horrible event, (and I really appreciated that), but I didn't really feel that the book had a true climax. Anyways, it wasn't bad, I enjoyed reading it, but it was lacking (I think I was just too excited and set my expectations too high).
Totally unrelated but these kids did not act 15. Because I hadn't read this first one in years, I couldn't remember their exact ages. When I found out they were 15, I was shocked because Will seemed so much younger. There were explanation marks in spots that I found strange, and his conversations with others made him seem so much younger than he actually was. I get this is a children's novel, but it still was strange and didn't really make sense.
Overall this book was pretty good for a sequel, but could have been better. I'm glad that some questions were answered, but to be honest this wasn't totally necessary.
I read "We all Fall Down" back in 6th grade for school. I really liked it, but thought that the ending was kind of weird how Will and his Dad just went home. It felt odd and didn't flow, especially how the towers can collapsed only a few pages earlier. Anyways, I've thought about the ending of this book for almost 5 years now. Yesterday, I went to Value Village to look at the books and saw this. I was so excited because I had no idea it existed and was finally ready to get some answers. I bought it and read it in two days. Let's just say it was not what I was expecting.
Firstly, the book felt like it lacked plot? I know it was a short sequel (Only 176 pages), but all that happened was that we saw Will's family together again, saw Ting for about 2 pages, saw James' family deal with the fact his Dad was missing, and then Will and James went to ground 0, helped out for a bit, and went home. I understand that this book was showing us the horrors of the day after this horrible event, (and I really appreciated that), but I didn't really feel that the book had a true climax. Anyways, it wasn't bad, I enjoyed reading it, but it was lacking (I think I was just too excited and set my expectations too high).
Totally unrelated but these kids did not act 15. Because I hadn't read this first one in years, I couldn't remember their exact ages. When I found out they were 15, I was shocked because Will seemed so much younger. There were explanation marks in spots that I found strange, and his conversations with others made him seem so much younger than he actually was. I get this is a children's novel, but it still was strange and didn't really make sense.
Overall this book was pretty good for a sequel, but could have been better. I'm glad that some questions were answered, but to be honest this wasn't totally necessary.
May 2, 2021
This one was okay. It deals with aftermath, PTSD and grieving.
Whilst the first book takes place during 9/11 and during the attack in one of the towers, this one takes place at Ground Zero the next day. Will's best friend James, loses a father who is a firefighter in the attacks. He is slowly coming to terms with it through the book. He starts off with denial and believing that they will still find him, but by the end of the book after he and Will go back to Ground Zero to help clear out the site he starts believing and accepting that his father is dead.
Will wants to downplay all that happened and say that he survived and that's all that matters, but by the end of the book he knows that he didn't just survive, he is still alive and he was lucky.
It's a good book but it wasn't as good as the first one, mainly because it wasn't so fast paced and action packed. But it's still a good book to talk about grief and PTSD.
Whilst the first book takes place during 9/11 and during the attack in one of the towers, this one takes place at Ground Zero the next day. Will's best friend James, loses a father who is a firefighter in the attacks. He is slowly coming to terms with it through the book. He starts off with denial and believing that they will still find him, but by the end of the book after he and Will go back to Ground Zero to help clear out the site he starts believing and accepting that his father is dead.
Will wants to downplay all that happened and say that he survived and that's all that matters, but by the end of the book he knows that he didn't just survive, he is still alive and he was lucky.
It's a good book but it wasn't as good as the first one, mainly because it wasn't so fast paced and action packed. But it's still a good book to talk about grief and PTSD.
December 21, 2017
This book is a great sequel book to the original United We Stand (We All Fall Down #1). This book is about the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the New York World Trade Center. Our protagonists were inside the tower during the time of the attack. They were above the attack. The author includes many small details that help you imagine what it would have been if you were in the World Trade Center at the time of the attack. Also, this book is a great book because it is a good book to relax. If you are stressed out and you want to relax, I recommend this book to read. These are reasons why United We Stand (We All Fall Down #2) is a great book to read.
May 3, 2021
After the really great book 'We all Fall down' this sequel is a bit disappointing. Maybe as a school read or for teenagers to learn more about stages of grief and PTSD.
My biggest criticism is the very stereotypical, prejudiced narrative. Overprotective mother, career-obsessed father. I often had the impression that I could even predict the actions of secondary characters, simply so that everything would fit into the overall narrative picture. Not very complex and few surprises. Still not a bad book, it's just completely overshadowed by its predecessor.
My biggest criticism is the very stereotypical, prejudiced narrative. Overprotective mother, career-obsessed father. I often had the impression that I could even predict the actions of secondary characters, simply so that everything would fit into the overall narrative picture. Not very complex and few surprises. Still not a bad book, it's just completely overshadowed by its predecessor.
September 19, 2017
this book is a great aftermath story of 911. Will and his best friend are still recovering from yesterday's terrorist attack. Wills friend, James. suffered the loss of his dad after the building collapsed. in the book will and James go down to ground zero secretly tho do something brave. I don't want to give any big spoilers, so i won't say any more.
all in all this is a great read. I wouldn't say that it's better than the first book but it's still great story.
all in all this is a great read. I wouldn't say that it's better than the first book but it's still great story.
January 4, 2021
It was a quick read and captured many of the emotions felt on the fateful day of 9/11. It turned a bit cliche at points but is still an important novel for teens to read today who weren’t even born yet. It captures the events through the eyes of a teen boy who survived and deals with real life issues like loss, grief, PTSD, and denial. It could have been more in depth but it’s a solid novel to dip a toe into the waters of tragedy.
October 18, 2019
Young adult novel. Follows two 15-year old characters on the morning after 9/11: one,Will, survived attacks on the south tower. The other, James, is looking for his firefighter father who was last seen by will in the south tower’s staircases before the collapse. Interesting representation of ground zero, with a lot of details about the smells and sensations. Reflection about grief.
June 15, 2020
I bought this book because I wanted more 9/11 books in my classroom library. I rated this book as an adult reader because I don't think what happens the next day would have really happened. However, I think many of my 6th graders will have enough interest in the historical aspect, that they will read it and learn something from it.
March 6, 2019
It didn’t have the teeth to really tackle the impact that the September 11th attacks had on individuals in America, and that was both due to the time-frame of the story (one day after the attacks) and the nationalist stance taken by the author.
September 8, 2021
Great sequel and end to a fantastic first book. Talking about the aftermath is not what most people think when they think 9/11. It's a great thing this book does of shining light to the survivors and victims the day after.
June 1, 2017
I searched high and low to get this book for my second library after it was so popular in my first
October 7, 2017
I thought it was a very interesting book to read
July 21, 2020
So well told it’s like you are right there.
September 22, 2020
some racial stereotypes and patriotism and some implausible actions = not as good as prequel
January 17, 2021
I really liked this sequel to “We all fall down”. It was so good and emotional.
May 18, 2021
not bad
the book was well, and didn’t have anything wrong with it. it came as promised and i enjoyed reading it overall.
the book was well, and didn’t have anything wrong with it. it came as promised and i enjoyed reading it overall.
September 9, 2021
Considering all the "action" ended in the 1st book, I was presently surprised as to how interesting the 2nd book was as well.
October 9, 2021
Great sequel to the first book. Really enjoy the writing style.
October 30, 2021
This was an easy read for my unit “How does History Affect Me?” Kids will like it; ending is well done. Not sappy but realistic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 13, 2022good book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews