Saturday, January 29, 2022

Red Scare by Liam Francis Walsh - HIGH

Red Scare: a graphic novel by Liam Francis Walsh
, 236 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Graphix (Scholastic Inc), 2022. $15

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (PTSD, mob violence, gun violence, physical attacks, bullying)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Peggy is crippled, recovering from polio. Her family is struggling with the aftermath of the Korean War, as her father is a veteran. She has a new neighbor girl whose family moved due to the Red Scare. Peggy discovers a mysterious artifact that brings two shady FBI agents and a mysterious man in a trench coat to town. She will have to save her family, friends, and town from rising Cold War tensions - if she is brave enough. 

This is a fast-paced, film noir-esque, sci-fi flavored historical fiction set during the late 50's Cold War. Some of the topics addressed in the book are on the more mature side of PG-13. For example, Peggy’s father is a double amputee, which, while not graphic, does come out at a very tense mob scene in the book. The hysteria and paranoia of the Red Scare are perfectly captured in the graphic novel, making for a nail-biting read. This would be a great supplement book for any US history or American Literature class. 

BookswithBeddes 

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