Student Review: Suspect Red by LM Elliott

Image from RRHS Catalog

It’s 1953 and the United States has just executed an American couple convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. Everyone is on edge as the Cold War standoff between communism and democracy leads to the rise of Senator Joe McCarthy and his zealous hunt for people he calls subversives or communist sympathizers. Suspicion, loyalty oaths, black lists, political profiling, hostility to foreigners, and the assumption of guilt by association divide the nation. Richard and his family believe deeply in American values and love of country, especially since Richard’s father works for the FBI. Yet when a family from Czechoslovakia moves in down the street with a son Richard's age named Vlad, their bold ideas about art and politics bring everything into question. Richard is quickly drawn to Vlad's confidence, musical sensibilities, and love for literature, which Richard shares. But as the nation’s paranoia spirals out of control, Richard longs to prove himself a patriot, and blurred lines between friend and foe could lead to a betrayal that destroys lives.

I would recommend this to people who like the espionage-type read. It´s a very gripping story, and is a fabulous read for the reader who understands what happened during the time the book was set in. Personally, for me it was a bit confusing in some areas, especially at the beginning as the author doesn't quite provide a backstory for what was happening, and I had to read through the phases of the book, to really gain a sense of what the setting is trying to establish, hence the 3/5 review. That said, you would like this book if you like historical fiction, spy thrillers, realistic fiction, or books by Franklin W. Dixon (Hardy Boys).

- Advay, RRHS Student