Become quietly enthralled in Fallout by Todd Strasser with what could've been – had the bombed been dropped.It's the summer of 1962, and Scott and his friends spend their days playing baseball and thinking about girls. Immerse yourself in our country's past – 1962 to be exact. Strasser's skill at ratcheting up the tension is, if anything, exceeded by his ability to conjure midcentury ways of thinking.

There's not a word out of place in this evocative book. gripping and superbly constructed novel for sophisticated young readers. Tweens and teens will enjoy reading the fast-paced novel about Scott and his pranks, as well as understand the reason bomb shelters were built in the 1960s. 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. Offer this to older fans of dystopia and historical fiction. An author’s note shows the inspiration for the book. The shelter details are harrowing, realistic, and disturbing but integral to the plot and not at all gratuitous. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Booksįallout offers an intriguing premise, using near-history as the setting for an all-too-believable dystopia.

Accessible to a range of readers, this could be a provocative classroom read as well as a natural pick for disaster fans. This title gains its power not simply from its precise detailing of disaster, but from the nuanced treatment of the entire cast of castaways, whose personal backstories are skillfully intertwined with their current behaviors. believably filtered through Scott’s sensitive but well-rendered child’s perspective.Ī well-written, compelling story with an interesting twist on how history might have turned out. suspenseful, quietly emotional account of the unthinkable. This riveting examination of things important to a boy suddenly thrust into an adult catastrophe is un-put-down-able.Īn eye-opening “what if” scenario about the human response to disaster. Strasser once again combines terrific suspense with thoughtful depth. Strasser, a prolific writer for children and teenagers, writes with purpose and economy and structures his book intelligently. It thrums along with finely wrought atmosphere and gripping suspense. For all its horror, this is a superb entertainment suitable for any tough-minded kid over the age of 10.

Fallout todd strasser book review