The Spy with the Red Balloon (The Balloonmakers)

by Katherine Locke

Siblings Ilse and Wolf hide a deep secret in their blood: with it, they can work magic. And the government just found out. Blackmailed into service during World War II, Ilse lends her magic to America s newest weapon, the atom bomb, while Wolf goes behind enemy lines to sabotage Germany s nuclear program.

• ISBN10: 0807529346
• ISBN13: 9780807529348
• Publish Date: 2 October 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 20 March 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Albert Whitman & Company
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

4.5*

Wow, this book is good. It's a companion to The Girl with the Red Balloon, and it's absolutely just as strong as its predecessor. Which is a hard feat, because I loved its predecessor, so. The only minor qualm I had was that a few things were a bit predictable- but honestly, it didn't really dampen the impact of the story, so whatever. So let's go ahead and talk about the stuff I loved!

The Things That Made This Book Awesome:

• •The time period. Look, a book set (and done right, which this certainly is) in WWII era is probably going to pull at the heartstrings. This certainly did.



• •Ilse and Wolf are incredible characters. Not only were they each incredibly sympathetic and well developed, but their sibling bond was incredible. It was also really believable, which is hard to accomplish. These two didn't want to be separated, but in the end, it was really good for each of their personal growth. Of course, their bond never faltered either, so it really was the best of both worlds.



• •There was light in the darkest of places. Truly, it gives me hope for our world now. It's lovely to see acts of selflessness and bravery and goodness in such bleak and desperate times.



• •It's incredibly emotive. There is so much going on that really made me feel things. Not only is the obvious horror of the war raging on in Europe, but even in Ilse's American small town, the awfulness of racism and homophobia is everywhere. You can't help but feel angry, sad, and scared for these characters.



• •The tension and the stakes are, for obvious reasons, incredibly high. This book keeps the action coming, because of course it has to. There is so, so much on the line, and everyone involved knows that it is so much bigger than just themselves. It makes for a very powerful novel, to say the least.

Bottom Line: Honestly, if you are even considering picking up this series (you can read them alone or together!) I implore you to do it. It's fabulously written with characters who you won't be able to forget. The messages it delivers are timeless, and so incredibly important. Do the thing.