Review: The Spy with the Red Balloon

THE SPY WITH THE RED BALLOON
Katherine Locke
Balloonmakers #2 (companion series)
368 pages
Albert Whitman Company, October 2, 2018
Diversity: both main characters are queer and Jewish; major characters include queer, Jewish, and black characters
★★★★★

I had pretty high hopes for this book. I really enjoyed the companion novel, THE GIRL WITH THE RED BALLOON, and the synopsis for this one seemed even more interesting. THE SPY WITH THE RED BALLOON exceeded all of my expectations, and then some. I'm going to be recommending this at every opportunity for the foreseeable future, because it absolutely deserves it.

I liked Ilse and Wolf from page one. They make such a great team, and even though (very slight spoiler) they spend most of the book separated from each other, their connection is really what drives this book forward. I love good sibling relationships in books, and I think this one took it to a whole other level.

And the representation in this book! So many Jewish characters! And queer Jewish characters, which is pretty much all I ever ask for. The Jewish characters have varying degrees of faith, which is a really great thing to explore, especially in the context of a war, and it meant so much to me to see all of these things explored without having one presented as the right answer.

As if I wasn't in love with this book enough already, it was an emotional roller coaster. I was full-out sobbing at least twice, and, somewhat more surprisingly based on the book's setting, I laughed out loud a lot too. These characters are going to stay in my head and in my heart for a long time.

All in all, this is definitely a new favorite. I can't wait to read more from 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. It’s a dangerous mission, but if Hitler were to create the bomb first, the results would be catastrophic.

When Wolf’s plane is shot down, his entire mission is thrown into jeopardy. Wolf needs Ilse’s help to develop the magic that will keep him alive, but with a spy afoot in Ilse’s laboratory, the letters she sends to Wolf begin to look treasonous. Can Ilse prove her loyalty—and find a way to help her brother—before their time runs out?