The Year of the Bomb (MG)

Kidd, Ronald. 2009. The Year of the Bomb. Simon & Schuster. 202 pages.

There were Martians in the backyard.

This is why I love the Cybils. I love discovering books like this one. The cover on this one didn't thrill me. It didn't say read me, read me. But. This book was oh-so-good. And I hope that you will give it a chance. You may just be surprised at how much you enjoy it.

What is it about? It's about a group of friends (boys) growing up in the fifties. (The year--to be exact--is 1955). (The boys are Arnie, Paul, Crank, and Oz.) What these boys have in common is science fiction and horror. Books. Movies. Magazines. Doesn't matter. If there are monsters or aliens lurking, they're there. They're hooked. Though they may be scared silly, they are loving every minute of it.

One day they learn that a movie--a horror movie--is going to be filmed in their hometown. (They live in Sierra Madre, California.) The film is Invasion of the Body Snatchers. From the minute they hear the news, they are excited, thrilled. Maybe just maybe they can watch the movie being filmed. Maybe they can see a few stars. This is what they've been waiting for. Finally. Something to be excited about.

This book is about the filming of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But it is also about McCarthyism and the Cold War. Coming-of-age during this time in history. When the threat of war, of bombs, was very real.

I'd definitely recommend this one. If you like historical fiction. If you like coming of age stories. If you like science. If you like science fiction and/or horror. If you're a movie-lover. This one just felt so right to me. I love how everything comes together in this one. How the author, Ronald Kidd, weaved real facts into this fiction novel. There is a great author's note explaining what is real and what is not.

(This review copy was provided by the publisher.)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews