The book Grenade by Alan Gratz is the story of a boy named Hideki who lives on the island of Okinawa, an island that was once an idyllic island complete with beaches, rolling hills, and peaceful farmland. However, it was all taken away and turned into a wasteland when the Americans and the Japanese engaged in conflict on the little island in the Pacific. The theme of loss is especially prevalent in this book as several traumatic things happen to Hideki once the American Army commences the invasion.

With the beginning of the war came Hideki’s official entry into the Blood and Iron Student Corps. In the beginning, every student was handed two grenades – one two kill the Americans, and one to kill themselves with. After a while, Hideki and his classmates spot an American encampment. They decide to launch an attack, but one of his classmates decided the stress of war was too much and he decided and kills himself.  That one action changed the entire course of the book as it led to the deaths of many of the boys.  They were discovered by the American Army and most of his companions were soon killed by American bullets and the ones who survived were separated from each other and believed everyone else to be dead. It that instance, he lost everyone he grew up with.

Another instance of loss due to the war was the loss of most of his immediate family. His mother and sibling were shipped off the island by the IJA to protect them but it was sunk by an American battleship because it was carrying weapons and other equipment. Shortly after he received this news, his father died, leaving his sister the only surviving member of his family. Loss is a very large theme in this book and it spanned the entire book and affected the actions of the main character greatly.