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A review by conjurerachel
The Spy with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke
4.0
"Get in, losers," she called out. "We're blowing up Nazis."
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In a companion story to The Girl with the Red Balloon, the stakes are high as America joins the second World War. The government is tracking people with magic abilities, drafting them for the fight. Ilse and Wolf Klein are caught in the middle of practicing and are separated to do their necessary part in ensuring America’s survival. Combative Ilse is sent to lead a group in the Manhattan Project where a spy threatens to spill their secrets. Wolf is trained to be a spy where he unexpectedly collides with an old friend. Both work to understand the properties of their strange blood and what uses they could have beyond killing, and Ilse and Wolf are aware of what being Jewish means in the war effort.
I can describe this book in two words: Jewish catharsis. Coming from a similar background as the author and the siblings, it felt really good to see Nazis being punched by angry Jewish people. The fact that Ilse, Wolf, and the others aren’t used as tragedy porn because Locke understands the weight representation has. Privilege is explored through race, religion, sexuality, and gender, showing how these characters act in these intersections at the battleground and in the lab
This is an excellent read that has made me loudly cheer at each heroic fight, the relatable Jewish-ness, and how she perfectly worked in a Mean Girls reference.
I highly recommend reading this and be sure to have a copy of The Girl with the Red Balloon to enjoy the moment even more.
I've received the arc from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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In a companion story to The Girl with the Red Balloon, the stakes are high as America joins the second World War. The government is tracking people with magic abilities, drafting them for the fight. Ilse and Wolf Klein are caught in the middle of practicing and are separated to do their necessary part in ensuring America’s survival. Combative Ilse is sent to lead a group in the Manhattan Project where a spy threatens to spill their secrets. Wolf is trained to be a spy where he unexpectedly collides with an old friend. Both work to understand the properties of their strange blood and what uses they could have beyond killing, and Ilse and Wolf are aware of what being Jewish means in the war effort.
I can describe this book in two words: Jewish catharsis. Coming from a similar background as the author and the siblings, it felt really good to see Nazis being punched by angry Jewish people. The fact that Ilse, Wolf, and the others aren’t used as tragedy porn because Locke understands the weight representation has. Privilege is explored through race, religion, sexuality, and gender, showing how these characters act in these intersections at the battleground and in the lab
This is an excellent read that has made me loudly cheer at each heroic fight, the relatable Jewish-ness, and how she perfectly worked in a Mean Girls reference.
I highly recommend reading this and be sure to have a copy of The Girl with the Red Balloon to enjoy the moment even more.
I've received the arc from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.