Don’t Breathe a Word
In 1962, Connie is a student at Hardwick Preparatory Academy, a prestigious school in New York. In the midst of the high paranoia that surrounded the Cold War years, she volunteers to be one of six people to test out a new fallout shelter for four days. The test is led by a young, handsome, and popular teacher who begins the experiment with bizarre rules and even stranger methods. As the weekend continues, Connie finds herself questioning the teacher’s methods and motives, but is she brave enough to speak out?
In the present day, Eva is the new kid at Hardwick Preparatory Academy. She is having a hard time making friends, especially since most of the Hardwick students have been together since the fifth grade. Then she meets Jenny due to a shared hatred of math, and she is introduced to “The Fives,” a secret society. She soon begins the rituals that will lead to membership. Eventually Eva starts to realize there is more to this group than secret hand signals and meetings, especially when she is told to never discuss a fallout shelter that is rumored to be located somewhere on campus.
This is interesting historical fiction which looks at the early Cold War years and the fear that led to fallout shelters. The characters are well written, especially those in the earlier timeline. The mystery is engaging, although the plot is slightly predictable. Overall, this is an entertaining story of four days in a fallout shelter and how it led to a secret and privileged society. I would recommend this to anyone interested in young adult historical fiction set in the 1960s.
