You are on a raft in the middle of the ocean and can see nothing but deep blue water in every direction. Besides the sharks surrounding your raft, the dying man lying beside you, and your best friend who is hardly recognizable anymore, you are alone. The only reality left in your head is the desire to survive, and even this has began to slip away.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand tells the excruciating World War II story of the famous Olympic runner, Louis Zamperini. After his plane crashed and he was stranded in the Pacific Ocean with only two surviving crew mates, Louis didn’t think anything could get worse. That was, until he got captured by the Japanese and was taken to a POW camp where he was tortured for months on end.

Hillenbrand’s descriptions of Zamperini’s experiences before, during, and after the crash allow the reader to engage in the story and even hate the Japanese for treating Americans so poorly. These descriptions also cause the story to flow in a way that is enjoyable to readers, yet always leaves them wanting to know more about Zamperini’s journey.

This nonfiction book is both gruesome and heartbreaking, making it hard, yet exhilarating, to read. If you’re looking to be sucked into a book that takes you on an intriguing journey and alters your view point of World War II forever, then Hillenbrand’s Unbroken is the perfect choice for you.