hereistheend's review against another edition
3.0
Quite good- interesting and different.
Love the cover- it fits the story and it quirky and fun!
Loved how it was written, the past alongside the 'present'. Very smooth transitions between these.
Also felt like it was a realistic view of how you would change inside the shelter- the adults don't stay all calm and wonderful.
However, I do with Scott's feelings were more expressed- he seemed more passive.
I wasn't gripped by this book, but it was good.
Love the cover- it fits the story and it quirky and fun!
Loved how it was written, the past alongside the 'present'. Very smooth transitions between these.
Also felt like it was a realistic view of how you would change inside the shelter- the adults don't stay all calm and wonderful.
However, I do with Scott's feelings were more expressed- he seemed more passive.
I wasn't gripped by this book, but it was good.
smaranell's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
4.0
What I Liked
What if we actually were bombed during the Cold War? Scott's dad prepares for just this, and like a modernized Noah, his neighbors laugh when he constructs a bomb shelter and then panic and wrestle to get inside when the bomb comes.
The idea of too many people being trapped in a tiny bomb shelter with too little food and water and no medical care is terrifying... and makes the perfect, claustrophobic thriller.
What I Didn't Like
The flashbacks to Scott's out-of-shelter life help create a sense of foreboding, but they also give him moral dilemmas that don't add a lot to the overall plot, which seems to be lacking.
Realistically, is a tiny bomb shelter constructed in a back yard enough to prevent a family from being affected by nuclear fallout? I'm not so sure.
What if we actually were bombed during the Cold War? Scott's dad prepares for just this, and like a modernized Noah, his neighbors laugh when he constructs a bomb shelter and then panic and wrestle to get inside when the bomb comes.
The idea of too many people being trapped in a tiny bomb shelter with too little food and water and no medical care is terrifying... and makes the perfect, claustrophobic thriller.
What I Didn't Like
The flashbacks to Scott's out-of-shelter life help create a sense of foreboding, but they also give him moral dilemmas that don't add a lot to the overall plot, which seems to be lacking.
Realistically, is a tiny bomb shelter constructed in a back yard enough to prevent a family from being affected by nuclear fallout? I'm not so sure.
millennialbookreview's review against another edition
1.0
I don't know what this book was meant to be. Parts of it read like a Middle Grade novel, but other parts are too graphic, too mature to not be young adult at the least. The subject matter and the premise hint at one thing, but the final product is something else entirely. The story is told alternating between two periods in time: the months leading up to a nuclear attack and the days following the attack as characters in a bomb shelter try to survive. Neither timeline is particularly interesting or has a compelling plot, and I finished the book feeling as though nothing happened. I kept reading, expecting a twist, which never came. The characters got on my nerves as well, as they weren't particularly well-written. The prose was the thing that stood out to me about this book. The author gave vivid, detailed, at times graphic, descriptions of the conditions in the bomb shelter which made the story immersive.
grandpas_farts's review against another edition
3.0
This book was just, eh. I had so many students who read it and loved it, but for me, it was nothing special. The great thing is that it is a pretty quick read.
It all starts with Scott being awoken in the middle of the night by his father. He doesn't know what is going on, but he knows to go to the bomb shelter. For weeks Scott and his brother had to face criticism and bullying from being the only kids on the block with a father believed to be erratic due to him being the only person on the block with a bomb shelter.
Well soon the Nelsons of the town soon stop their "ha-has" when a bomb ACTUALLY HITS! Everyone comes running from everywhere to try and get it. Scott and his family are kind and push overs, so they allow as many people in as they can until no one else can fit. The problem of their kind heart? There's only enough food for four people for two weeks, and something is wrong with Scott's mother.
I get it, stores like Cosco and Sams weren't a thing in the...70s? 60s, but I just can't imagine why he would not buy a case of sardines, crackers, or peanut butter. If he had enough money to build a bomb shelter, surely he had enough money to stock this thing with food and water. I saw a documentary about Evian being the first bottled water company in the 80s and they were made fun of for being "naive" (Evian spelled backwards), so many no bulk water bottles, but you can still find a way to store water, no?
Janet would sometimes spend the night with them, but it seemed as if the dad did not have enough supplies for when she actually stayed over. He had enough supplies for two weeks, yet it never dawned on him to pack 2-3 outfits for the family?
I don't know if it was said how soon the shelter was built, but it seemed as if he was severely unprepared. Even when he was waking up his children, his wife or Janet could have grabbed some food. He could have grabbed the clothes, he could have not let 5 EXTRA PEOPLE IN! I was annoyed with all the human flaws in this story.
It all starts with Scott being awoken in the middle of the night by his father. He doesn't know what is going on, but he knows to go to the bomb shelter. For weeks Scott and his brother had to face criticism and bullying from being the only kids on the block with a father believed to be erratic due to him being the only person on the block with a bomb shelter.
Well soon the Nelsons of the town soon stop their "ha-has" when a bomb ACTUALLY HITS! Everyone comes running from everywhere to try and get it. Scott and his family are kind and push overs, so they allow as many people in as they can until no one else can fit. The problem of their kind heart? There's only enough food for four people for two weeks, and something is wrong with Scott's mother.
Spoiler
I hated the characters. So many people bitched throughout this whole book. Not even in the end either. As soon as they got into the shelter "it's too cold" "it's too hot" "it's too gray" "it's too small" like WTF?! Build your own f*cking shelter! Then there was the dad. He was such a pushover. People are gripping all over him and he just sits there. People complain about him not having enough food (even though they did not bring anything) and he just sits there. I was so annoyed with him, what's wrong with sticking up for yourself?!I get it, stores like Cosco and Sams weren't a thing in the...
Janet would sometimes spend the night with them, but it seemed as if the dad did not have enough supplies for when she actually stayed over. He had enough supplies for two weeks, yet it never dawned on him to pack 2-3 outfits for the family?
I don't know if it was said how soon the shelter was built, but it seemed as if he was severely unprepared. Even when he was waking up his children, his wife or Janet could have grabbed some food. He could have grabbed the clothes, he could have not let 5 EXTRA PEOPLE IN! I was annoyed with all the human flaws in this story.
haia_929's review against another edition
4.0
This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.
This book is a reimagining of the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this alternate history Russia bombs the United States. The book follows Scott and his family who have been building a bomb shelter, the only one in the neighbourhood, and have to survive the two weeks following the bombing on small rations because 6 others join them in the shelter. The book also chronicles the events leading up to the night of the bombing and the social environment of the 1950s and 60s.
Scott is an interesting character, he's very curious about the future and while he's scared he still stands up for himself and his family when the time comes. I liked his dad and his little brother. Many of the other characters in the book made me angry, which is to be expected. His best friend, Ronnie, was the worst of them. Something about that kid was just twisted. He abuses animals, watches naked people constantly, and was just all around bad news. This created an interesting dynamic with Scott who is a good kid and a caring kid.
The events of the book alternate between after the bomb and before the bomb, and finally meet at the end of the book. This was a really good idea on Strasser's part because it keeps the book from being monotonous. Without the alternating chapters the shelter scenes would have been really repetitive, because not a whole lot can happen in a bomb shelter. This really makes your interest rise though as events are foreshadowed and hinted at throughout the chapter alternations.
The social context of the book is really important. Strasser writes about the war, communism, segregation, homosexuality, and social class throughout the book, using Scott as a vehicle for learning about and forming opinions on these topics. Scott learns about all kind of inequality, especially with discussion of segregation. Many people in the book do not treat Janet, the families maid, very well because she is black. However the family loves her and the bond between the children and Janet is really strong. The love between the boys and Janet is really touching and seeing Scott's anger towards those who want segregation is really a great moment in the book.
I really enjoyed this book. I think it's a good idea to have this sort of reimagining of past events, because it kind of shows what could have happened and why it shouldn't ever happen again. I think it's also a really interesting spin on the popular dystopia/post-apocalyptic genre. I think it was well written and interesting. I think this is a really good book for middle school and up. I should also mention that you probably need a bit of background knowledge about the cold war to understand what it happening leading up to the action of the book. I highly recommend this book because of its unique plot and the quality of the story.
This book is a reimagining of the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this alternate history Russia bombs the United States. The book follows Scott and his family who have been building a bomb shelter, the only one in the neighbourhood, and have to survive the two weeks following the bombing on small rations because 6 others join them in the shelter. The book also chronicles the events leading up to the night of the bombing and the social environment of the 1950s and 60s.
Scott is an interesting character, he's very curious about the future and while he's scared he still stands up for himself and his family when the time comes. I liked his dad and his little brother. Many of the other characters in the book made me angry, which is to be expected. His best friend, Ronnie, was the worst of them. Something about that kid was just twisted. He abuses animals, watches naked people constantly, and was just all around bad news. This created an interesting dynamic with Scott who is a good kid and a caring kid.
The events of the book alternate between after the bomb and before the bomb, and finally meet at the end of the book. This was a really good idea on Strasser's part because it keeps the book from being monotonous. Without the alternating chapters the shelter scenes would have been really repetitive, because not a whole lot can happen in a bomb shelter. This really makes your interest rise though as events are foreshadowed and hinted at throughout the chapter alternations.
The social context of the book is really important. Strasser writes about the war, communism, segregation, homosexuality, and social class throughout the book, using Scott as a vehicle for learning about and forming opinions on these topics. Scott learns about all kind of inequality, especially with discussion of segregation. Many people in the book do not treat Janet, the families maid, very well because she is black. However the family loves her and the bond between the children and Janet is really strong. The love between the boys and Janet is really touching and seeing Scott's anger towards those who want segregation is really a great moment in the book.
I really enjoyed this book. I think it's a good idea to have this sort of reimagining of past events, because it kind of shows what could have happened and why it shouldn't ever happen again. I think it's also a really interesting spin on the popular dystopia/post-apocalyptic genre. I think it was well written and interesting. I think this is a really good book for middle school and up. I should also mention that you probably need a bit of background knowledge about the cold war to understand what it happening leading up to the action of the book. I highly recommend this book because of its unique plot and the quality of the story.