Fallout

Written from the perspective of a sheltered teen growing up during the Cold War, this book vividly shows the detrimental effects of unleashed suspicions and wide-spread fear. High school freshman Genevieve, a native of Easton, N.C., is well aware of the destructive power of hurricanes and knows how to prepare for a storm. But now, teachers and her parents—especially her father, who "hung on every word from the mouth of Senator McCarthy"—warn of a greater threat: Communists, who might unleash a nuclear bomb at any moment. Like most of her classmates, Genevieve accepts what grownups tell her about the evil intentions of Communists and obediently goes through the steps of Civil Defense drills at her school. She doesn't begin to consider that the "truths" she has been taught may be slanted until she meets newcomer Brenda Wompers, whose ideas about science and politics are as radical as her doubts about God's existence. As Krisher (Spite Fences ) traces Genevieve's awakening to ideas that contradict her conservative parents' beliefs, the author also paints a vibrant picture of Senator McCarthy's influence on American society during the 1950s. If the story's political message leaves little room for teens to draw their own conclusions, Genevieve's personal dilemma of extracting fact from hype, and being pulled in two directions. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)