Reading on a Theme: Communism, The Cold War, and the Berlin Wall

I've found myself drawn to novels about The Cold War recently. This Reading on a Theme brings together five Young Adult and Middle Grade novels set during the Cold War Era. All of these books focus on the Berlin Wall from the point of view of East Germany, but they do so in a variety of ways, from the Russian who is helping to construct it, to the American child whose parents might be spies stationed behind it, to the Berliners who seek to escape it.

The Time Traveler:
On a trip to Berlin, Ellie Baum suddenly finds herself in 1988 East Berlin. Trapped in the past and behind the Berlin Wall, Ellie falls in with a resistance group that helps people escape via magical balloons. Ellie and her new friends must unravel the mystery behind her time travel, which proves to be more and more sinister with every discovery. The Girl with the Red Balloon is a fascinating combination of magic, historical fiction, and mystery. I love how Katherine Locke moves between Ellie's story and her grandfather's during WWII. The family ties made the tale so much richer for me. I want to know where else these balloonists have been secretly working. Out September 1, 2017. Review copy from NetGalley.

The KGB Agent:
In 1958 Russia, Svetlana is a resident of an orphanage for children of Enemies of the People. Sveta is also an incredibly passionate and talented ballet dancer, and she's determined to be a star of the Bolshoi Ballet, if only her family's past was not such a black mark. Seeking political redemption, Svetlana begins working with the KGB (not that she really has a choice). She has talents they find useful; talents that will help with the plan to build a wall in Berlin and stop a showdown in Cuba. Orphan, Agent, Prima, Pawn is part of Elizabeth Kiem's series following three generations of dancers in the Dukovskaya family. Svetlana's story is really where it all begins in the heart of Cold War Russia. Orphan, Agent, Prima, Pawn is out August 22, 2017. Review copy from NetGalley.


The Resistance Fighter:
Troubled teens, Molly Mavity and Pepper Yusuf, are brought together under the most unusual of circumstances. They've been told that they must solve the mystery of who killed Ava Dreyman, a teenager whose published diary is said to have brought down the Berlin Wall. Oh my, The Arsonist is such a strange and wonderful book. Told in a series of letters and journal entries written by the three main characters, the story that unfolds reveal secrets, lies, and family tragedies. Stephanie Oakes' book is masterfully constructed. I'm so impressed by the way she weaves the mystery between characters and timelines. I also love the layers of symbolism in this book. The Arsonist is out August 22, 2017.

The American Child:
Noah Keller's parents are acting really weird. When they picked him up from school they told him they were leaving for East Berlin right away so that his mother could do research for her dissertation. Then they explained the long list of rules he must follow, including going by a different name, while in Germany. Noah is pretty sure his parents aren't what they seem. This middle-grade story by Anne Nesbet of a boy behind the Iron Curtain was not exactly what I expected, but I liked it all the same. I could especially appreciate the book because in 1989, I was the same age as Noah. It was interesting to imagine myself in his shoes. Cloud and Wallfish was out September 2016.

The Deserter:
The night the Berlin Wall went up, Gerta's father and brother were in the west. With her family divided by the wall, Gerta can't seem to settle into life in East Germany. She can't help but watch the wall, despite the danger, and one day she sees her father and brother standing on a tall platform in West Berlin. They seem to have a message for her. With her brother Fritz due to report to the army in a matter of weeks, Gerta and Fritz undergo a desperate plan to escape. A Night Divided is so good. It's emotional and gripping, and I wanted so badly for it to end well, but I was so afraid that it wouldn't. Jennifer A. Nielsen did a spectacular job conveying the tense atmosphere of the German Democratic Republic. 


All books reviewed by JoLee.

Reading on a Theme: Teens in Space

Look how gorgeous these covers are when placed side by side! I loved traveling to space with the characters in the books below. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Defy the Stars or maybe Starflight. It's hard to pick! They are all so different, but they are all exciting and interesting. 

The Soldier and the Mech:
Noemi Vidal is a soldier of Genesis, a planet that seceded from Earth's colonies in hopes of protecting their world. Now Genesis is at war with Earth and they are desperate. Abel is a machine, abandoned by his creator in the Genesis system, he spent 30 years alone until Noemi boards his ship. The two then set off on a romp around the galaxy on a mission to save Noemi's planet. I love Claudia Gray's books. Defy the Stars is so entertaining. I can't seem to get enough of the the sentient AI motif, and Gray's book is a great addition to this subgenre. I also love that she handled religion and the idea of souls with so much respect and honesty. Defy the Stars is out April 4, 2017. Review copy from NetGalley.

The Outcasts:
Solara Brooks hopes her mechanical skills will mean more than her felony status in the Outer Realm. She's so desperate to escape earth that she agrees to an indenture with the most arrogant boy from her high school, Doran Spaulding. A series of bizarre events lands Solara and Doran on the Banshee, a rickety tin can of a ship manned by a small group of outcasts. Starflight is so much fun. If you like pirates or Firefly you will have a lot of fun reading Melissa Lander's book. I loved the camaraderie between the members of the Banshee's crew. The mystery angle to this book definitely kept me guessing. I'm excited to read the sequel, Starfall, which was published earlier this year.

The Competitor:
Emmett joins a group of ten teenagers who have been recruited by the Babel company to mine an amazing material called nyxia recently discovered on the planet New Eden. The first book in this new trilogy takes place aboard the space ship Genesis 11 where Babel forces the kids to train via an intense competition. Nyxia has the high-stakes competition plot device that we've seen in so many books recently. It especially reminded me of Red Rising. Scott Reintgen really keeps the pace moving and also confronts deeper issues like race and poverty. I'm both terrified and eager to learn what will happen once the characters reach Eden in book 2. Nyxia is out September 12, 2017. Review copy from NetGalley.

The Veterinarian:
In Under Nameless Stars, the sequel to Zenn Scarlet, our titular character leaves Mars as a stowaway aboard the Helen of Troy. Zenn is following a lead on her missing father. What starts as a mission to find her dad becomes much bigger when the Helen is hijacked. Christian Schoon's book is so creative. Zenn is an exoveterinarian, meaning she specializes in doctoring creatures from space, and Schoon is so good at populating his book with interesting creatures. I found space travel by Indra especially fascinating, and a clever move on Schoon's part as it makes Zenn's role that much greater. Jules was a very fun addition. I'm not going to tell you what kind of creature he is, but I will say it was very unexpected. 

The Lost Princess:
Princess Rhiannon Ta'an is the only surviving member of the Kalusian dynasty. Her driving force is to avenge her family's brutal deaths. Alyosha is a Wraetean who stars on a popular reality show but has not forgotten his difficult past as a refugee. The two are forced to go into hiding together. They must journey across space and learn who is behind the plot to kill Rhee and start a war. Empress of a Thousand Skies is an epic space odyssey. In her debut novel, Rhoda Belleza sets the scene for what is sure to be an intense duology. She grapples with themes such as war, revenge, race, and discrimination in a thoughtful and serious way.


All books reviewed by JoLee.