Eva has never felt like she belonged... not in her own family or with her friends in New York City, and certainly not at a fancy boarding school like Hardwick Preparatory Academy. So when she is invited to join the Fives, an elite secret society, she jumps at the opportunity to finally be a part of something.
But what if the Fives are about more than just having the best parties and receiving special privileges from the school? What if they are also responsible for keeping some of Hardwick’s biggest secrets buried?
1962:
There is only one reason why Connie would volunteer to be one of the six students to participate in testing Hardwick’s nuclear fallout shelter: Craig Allenby. While the thought of nuclear war sends her into a panic, she can’t pass up the opportunity to spend four days locked in with the school’s golden boy. However, Connie and the other students quickly discover that there is more to this “test” than they previously thought. As they are forced to follow an escalating series of commands, Connie realizes that one wrong move could have dangerous consequences.
Separated by sixty years , Eva's and Connie’s stories become inextricably intertwined as Eva unravels the mystery of how six students went into the fallout shelter all those years ago . . . but only five came out.
When I first heard about this novel, I thought it sounded like a mix between The Wave and The Hole. Having read it, I can now say I was right. It's a fantastically clever idea, really well written.
Over two time periods, the book explores a legacy of secrets and betrayal from the Cold War. The two stories unfold side by side, which I don't always like but really enjoyed this time. I kind of wish we hadn't known which student was going to die before it happened - we knew Connie survived, and one of the students is a teacher in Eva's time period so he obviously survived, but I would have loved to have been surprised by the death.
I loved the escalating tension in the bunker, and how quickly and easily everyone was swept in to it. It's terrifying, but very true to life. I was surprised it was so hard for Eva to find information, though. Even in the sixties, I'd have thought a student dying on campus would make the news and be easy enough to find afterwards. But the school is portrayed as very powerful, so maybe they hushed it all up - probably much easier to do back then.
This is a fantastic read. I was completely absorbed in it (stayed up way too late if I'm honest!) and I think it's going to do really well.
Don't Breathe a Word publishes on the 18th May, 2021. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment