Fallout

Starred review from August 12, 2013
Strasser (Kill You Last) brings readers to the 1960s Long Island of his youth, with one crucial difference: in this story, the Cuban Missile Crisis leads Russia to bomb the U.S. The plot alternates between two threads set before and after the bomb drops; in the immediate aftermath, 11-year-old Scott, his family, and a handful of neighbors endure the increasingly difficult conditions in the subterranean bomb shelter Scott’s father built, waiting for radiation levels to fall. The format allows Strasser to have the best of both worlds. In the “before” chapters, he presents a vision of life during the Cold War that feels ripped from personal memory as Scott grows aware of racial prejudice, the prevailing “us vs. them” mentality toward Russia, and his own nascent sexuality (“You want to die without ever seeing a breast?” Scott’s snide friend Ronnie asks). Meanwhile, the “after” chapters are claustrophobic, heartbreaking, and at times ugly as civility breaks down among the few adult and children survivors. An eye-opening “what if” scenario about the human response to disaster. Ages 10–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media.

September 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-"Dad had a gun. Mom was letting us eat in the den. Could there be any clearer signs that the end of the world was approaching?" During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Scott's father builds a bomb shelter in their backyard. Most of the neighbors ridicule the idea, but the day the bombs do go off, those same neighbors try desperately to get into the shelter. A few of them do get in, along with Scott's family, while the rest perish outside. The extra people, along with the lack of supplies, make for cramped, uncomfortable conditions, and tempers flare. They might be safe now, but what awaits them if they ever leave? The chapters alternate between the current conditions in the shelter and the months leading up to the bombs dropping. Before, Scott lives a normal sixth-grader's life, but in the back of everyone's minds are the worries about the Russians and their nuclear missiles. Scott's friend Ronny challenges him to some neighborhood mischief, justifying it with, "We might not be here tomorrow." Eventually Scott and Ronny have a knock-down fight, stopping only when Scott's father pulls them apart. At the end of the story, the shelter's inhabitants leave to find what's left of their world. The alternating chapters might be confusing at first, but it doesn't take long to get into the rhythm. Enough background about the time period is woven into the story so children unfamiliar with the Cuban Missile Crisis will have a basic knowledge of what happened. A well-written, compelling story with an interesting twist on how history might have turned out.-Diana Pierce, formerly at Leander High School, TX

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 15, 2013
Strasser once again combines terrific suspense with thoughtful depth when the bombs really do fall in this alternate-history Cuban missile crisis thriller. Eleven-year-old Scott's family becomes the laughingstock of their neighborhood when, worried about possible nuclear attack, they build a bomb shelter. However, when the Civil Defense siren sounds, sending them to the shelter, they can't keep their neighbors out, even though they have enough food for only their own family. In chapters that alternate between their time in the shelter and the weeks leading up to the attack, the story reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the characters. Scott and his friend Ronnie, the rather nasty neighborhood smartass, continue their friendly rivalry in the shelter, while their parents reveal much about their own personalities. The book examines racism; when Scott's mother becomes so seriously injured that it seems she will not survive, their neighbor wants to put both her and the family's black maid out of the shelter to die. The author peppers the narrative with tidbits from the early '60s, such as Tang, MAD magazine and talk of "Ruskies," "Commies" and duck-and-cover school drills. Scott's believably childlike narration recounts events and adults' reactions to them as he understands them. This riveting examination of things important to a boy suddenly thrust into an adult catastrophe is un-put-down-able. (Thriller. 10-14)

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September 1, 2013
Grades 5-8 Inspired by the summer of 1962 when his family built a bomb shelter, Strasser's alternate-history novel about the Cuban missile crisis is a suspenseful, quietly emotional account of the unthinkable: nuclear war. Eleven-year-old Scott is the only kid on the block with a bomb shelter. Though the neighborhood kids tease, while their parents act disdainful, when the sirens sound, they mob the shelter and force their way in. After a furious struggle, during which Scott's mother is seriously injured, the shelter is sealed with 10 people inside, 6 more than planned for and with many more left outside. As time passes and the supplies dwindle, grief, guilt, and fear turn the relationships among the adults ugly, even sparking talks of who should be put out. Strasser nicely contrasts this oppressive life, where Scott becomes aware of adult conflicts, with his innocence during the weeks leading up to the bomb. The titular fallout isn't just the environmental aftermath of the nuclear bomb but the survivors' emotional devastation, believably filtered through Scott's sensitive but well-rendered child's perspective.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2013
The Cuban Missile Crisis has received some excellent treatment in children's literature in recent yearsThe Fire-Eaters (rev. 5/04) by David Almond; Rex Zero and the End of the World (rev. 3/07) by Tim Wynne-Jones; Countdown (rev. 5/10) by Deborah Wilesbut Strasser manages to put his own unique spin on the situation by imagining what might have happened if nuclear war had broken out. Scott's father is one of the few that built his own bomb shelter. He's ridiculed for it, but when the air raid sirens go off, several neighbors force their way into the shelter. Supplies originally meant for four people now must cover ten. Of course, things go from bad to worse, exposing the best and worst of human behavior, while elevating the drama and suspense. Alternating chapters tell the story of the months leading up to that tense week and a half in the bomb shelter, allowing the author to vividly depict the 1960s setting, create complex characters, and build the backstory. An interesting author's note describes the inspiration for this novel: his own family's backyard bomb shelter. Strasser has crafted a memorable piece of alternative history that will leave readers pondering the characters and their choices long after the last page is turned. jonathan hunt

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2014
Strasser imagines what might have happened if nuclear war had broken out during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When the air raid sirens go off, neighbors force their way into Scott's father's bomb shelter. Alternating chapters tell of the months leading up to that event, allowing the author to vividly depict the 1960s setting, create complex characters, and build the backstory.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)