Fallout / Todd Strasser.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

What if the bomb had actually been dropped? What if your family was the only one with a shelter?

In the summer of 1962, the possibility of nuclear war is all anyone talks about. But Scott's dad is the only one in the neighborhood who actually prepares for the worst. As the neighbors scoff, he builds a bomb shelter to hold his family and stocks it with just enough supplies to keep the four of them alive for two critical weeks. In the middle of the night in late October, when the unthinkable happens, those same neighbors force their way into the shelter before Scott's dad can shut the door. With not enough room, not enough food, and not enough air, life inside the shelter is filthy, physically draining, and emotionally fraught. But even worse is the question of what will -- and won't -- remain when the door is opened again. Internationally best-selling author Todd Strasser has written his most impressive and personal novel to date, ruthlessly yet sensitively exploring the terrifying what-ifs of one of the most explosive moments in human history.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Strasser (Kill You Last) brings readers to the 1960s Long Island of his youth, with one crucial difference: in this story, the Cuban Missile Crisis leads Russia to bomb the U.S. The plot alternates between two threads set before and after the bomb drops; in the immediate aftermath, 11-year-old Scott, his family, and a handful of neighbors endure the increasingly difficult conditions in the subterranean bomb shelter Scott's father built, waiting for radiation levels to fall. The format allows Strasser to have the best of both worlds. In the "before" chapters, he presents a vision of life during the Cold War that feels ripped from personal memory as Scott grows aware of racial prejudice, the prevailing "us vs. them" mentality toward Russia, and his own nascent sexuality ("You want to die without ever seeing a breast?" Scott's snide friend Ronnie asks). Meanwhile, the "after" chapters are claustrophobic, heartbreaking, and at times ugly as civility breaks down among the few adult and children survivors. An eye-opening "what if" scenario about the human response to disaster. Ages 10-up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6 Up-In October of 1962, the unthinkable happens. As sirens warning of a nuclear attack sound through the night, Scott, his brother, and their parents rush into the fallout shelter that his father built over the summer. But they weren't expecting their neighbors to come scrambling in after them, demanding shelter as well. Now 10 people are crammed in a space meant for four with limited food, water, and other necessary supplies. As they argue, plan, and wonder what awaits them above ground, Scott remembers the events of the one golden summer before the attack. Narrator Jeff Cummings attempts to read the story with moderate success, though his voice for Scott makes the boy sound younger than his age. His female voices aren't much better. The story alternates chapters between life in the shelter and Scott's memories, but without clear distinctions designating which is which, giving the story a disjointed, confusing feel and causing it to lose much of the tension it might have in written form. Certain aspects are appropriate for tweens, though the story may be better appreciated by young teens. Only purchase where the book is popular.-Necia Blundy, formerly Marlborough Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Inspired by the summer of 1962 when his family built a bomb shelter, Strasser's alternate-history novel about the Cuban missile crisis is a suspenseful, quietly emotional account of the unthinkable: nuclear war. Eleven-year-old Scott is the only kid on the block with a bomb shelter. Though the neighborhood kids tease, while their parents act disdainful, when the sirens sound, they mob the shelter and force their way in. After a furious struggle, during which Scott's mother is seriously injured, the shelter is sealed with 10 people inside, 6 more than planned for and with many more left outside. As time passes and the supplies dwindle, grief, guilt, and fear turn the relationships among the adults ugly, even sparking talks of who should be put out. Strasser nicely contrasts this oppressive life, where Scott becomes aware of adult conflicts, with his innocence during the weeks leading up to the bomb. The titular fallout isn't just the environmental aftermath of the nuclear bomb but the survivors' emotional devastation, believably filtered through Scott's sensitive but well-rendered child's perspective.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2010 Booklist

Horn Book Review

The Cuban Missile Crisis has received some excellent treatment in childrens literature in recent yearsThe Fire-Eaters (rev. 5/04) by David Almond; Rex Zero and the End of the World (rev. 3/07) by Tim Wynne-Jones; Countdown (rev. 5/10) by Deborah Wilesbut Strasser manages to put his own unique spin on the situation by imagining what might have happened if nuclear war had broken out. Scotts father is one of the few that built his own bomb shelter. Hes ridiculed for it, but when the air raid sirens go off, several neighbors force their way into the shelter. Supplies originally meant for four people now must cover ten. Of course, things go from bad to worse, exposing the best and worst of human behavior, while elevating the drama and suspense. Alternating chapters tell the story of the months leading up to that tense week and a half in the bomb shelter, allowing the author to vividly depict the 1960s setting, create complex characters, and build the backstory. An interesting authors note describes the inspiration for this novel: his own familys backyard bomb shelter. Strasser has crafted a memorable piece of alternative history that will leave readers pondering the characters and their choices long after the last page is turned. jonathan hunt (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

Strasser once again combines terrific suspense with thoughtful depth when the bombs really do fall in this alternate-history Cuban missile crisis thriller. Eleven-year-old Scott's family becomes the laughingstock of their neighborhood when, worried about possible nuclear attack, they build a bomb shelter. However, when the Civil Defense siren sounds, sending them to the shelter, they can't keep their neighbors out, even though they have enough food for only their own family. In chapters that alternate between their time in the shelter and the weeks leading up to the attack, the story reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the characters. Scott and his friend Ronnie, the rather nasty neighborhood smartass, continue their friendly rivalry in the shelter, while their parents reveal much about their own personalities. The book examines racism; when Scott's mother becomes so seriously injured that it seems she will not survive, their neighbor wants to put both her and the family's black maid out of the shelter to die. The author peppers the narrative with tidbits from the early '60s, such as Tang, MAD magazine and talk of "Ruskies," "Commies" and duck-and-cover school drills. Scott's believably childlike narration recounts events and adults' reactions to them as he understands them. This riveting examination of things important to a boy suddenly thrust into an adult catastrophe is un-put-down-able. (Thriller. 10-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.