The Year of The Bomb

The Year of the Bomb by Ronald Kidd is an enthralling tale of communist conspiracies, secret spies, and surprisingly, horror movies. It all starts in the year 1955 as four boys find out that the latest horror movie is going to be filmed in their small hometown of Sierra Madre, California. The boys then immediately find out if they can go to watch the movie being shot. As the boys start to go to the movie shootings, they soon find out that one of the men working on it is an FBI agent. They take him to an ice cream parlor and as he goes to the restroom they sneak a peek at his secret confidential notebook. They see that a possible spy is at Cal Tech University. The four boys decide to take matters into their own hands, and find themselves trapped inside the adventure of a lifetime.

I thought this was an excellent book particularly for people who live in the San Gabriel Valley, as it is steeped in local lore. Reading The Year Of The Bomb and watching the original Invasion Of The Body Snatchers is a great summer activity for any teen.

Today’s review comes from teen guest reviewer Riley who just happens to live in the San Gabriel Valley. Riley is an avid reader and has written other reviews for Good Reads With Ronna. His mom, Erin, is also a frequent contributor.