Young Llama Thoughts
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Adventurous
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Christian Friendly
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Easy Reading
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Humerous
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Youth Appropriate
Overall
Review
Wow is this book good if not a bit sad. It gives an amazing look at what the Cold War was like to a teenager in America. This novel gives a glimpse into the life of someone when everyone turns against them… It is well written and really insightful.
Thirteen-year-old Marty Rafner is your typical American boy. He loves Baseball, has a mega crush on the girl next door and just wants to hang with his friends over the summer. But the summer of 1953 has a dark red shadow rising up. And in a world where no-one trusts anyone and everyone is accused of being a communists; Marty really sees the darkness coming out of people he once called friends…
As someone who didn’t know a lot about the cold war, this was a fascinating read!!! (Thank you to Bro. and Sis. White for this book!!!!!) It was really weird to read about how people turned on each other to escape the FBI. While you are reading it, your really pulled into the world of dishonestly and confusion. It really is a good book.
Now there are some dark topics in this book, which is why it is a 12 and up novel. Throughout the whole book it can be confusing because half the time it seems like Marty’s family might have hidden secrets and the other half of the time they do seem to be anti-Red. And while you are figuring that out, the book counts down the days till the Rosenbergs’ execution. It is a bit hard to read, knowing that couple did die and seeing the people who protested and begged for them to be spared…
Overall, this book was very good. It is real. It is dark. And it shows how we should be careful of rumors and suspension. Because once a bridge is burned, it is gone for good. Don’t except someone to rebuild with you after you lit the torch… I do suggest this book. It can be hard to see who is who and it is really interesting to read about! -The Young Llama Reader.
Pros
- An amazing look at a dark time in American history.
- Very clean if not a bit sad.
- A great book for teens 12 and up.
Cons
- Dark topics.
If thirteen-year-old Marty Rafner had his way, he’d spend the summer of 1953 warming the bench for his baseball team, listening to Yankees games on the radio, and avoiding preparations for his bar mitzvah. Instead, he has to deal with FBI agents staking out his house because his parents―professors at the local college―are suspected communist sympathizers. Marty knows what happens to communists, or Reds, as his friends call them: They lose their jobs, get deported…or worse. Two people he’s actually met, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, have been convicted of being communist spies, and they’re slated to be executed in two months.
Marty just wants everything to go back to normal, but that’s impossible thanks to the rumors that his parents are traitors. As his friends and teammates turn on him and federal agents track his every move, Marty isn’t sure what to believe. Is his family really part of a Red Menace working against the United States? And even if they’re simply patriotic Americans who refuse to be bullied by the government, what will it cost them?
As the countdown to the Rosenbergs’ execution date continues, it may be up to Marty to make sure his family survives.
