Whilst the story was lacking in many places, I really enjoyed the unique way that the story was told. The articles and the transcripts were a really cool idea!

I would give this book 3.5 stars.
Pros: this is an interesting and not as readily written about as other periods in history for a middle grade audience. Nonfiction updates for the year and month are placed in front of each chapter to give context to the chapter before the story unfolds further.
Different type of format: the story goes from June ‘53 to June ‘54 with about 1 day in the life of Richard, his family, and the neighboring family possibly suspected of Anti-American things.
Some characters were written realistically, like The little sister Ginny and Teresa. I would’ve preferred to have multiple POV or just their perspective, over Richard’s.

Cons: the story was boring and lacked a plot that drove the reader to keep reading.
Richard was a shell of a character from the beginning to 60% through. He was empty of most characteristics, not very likeable-quick to anger or blame others (but when Harry Potter does that in Book 5, we’ve already gotten to know and love him). I understood he grew to make his own choices and learn his own truths, but again, even at the beginning he vaguely questioned banning books but only for his pure benefit of reading what he wanted.

The overall themes of rumors, bullying behavior on a National scale were good, but the story was disjointed by the month to month format.
I didn’t believe that Richard would be exposed to NYC playwrights and such, and also at the Capital on the day of the shooting, etc.
Why did Richard refer to his mother and father as Abigail and Ron? Weird first name basis with family.
Annoying quirk: before chapters begin there were nonfiction images and stories, I really hated that they were written in red ink-I get it Communism. Red ink was harder to read in mid to low light, it strained my eyes.

Elliott is always a favorite and did not disappoint. Lots of historical details and plenty of action.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the opportunity to read and review Suspect Red by L.M. Elliott! Chapter One is entitled "June 1953"; the book opens as Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed for giving the Soviet Union U. S. atomic bomb technology. More factual information is given: the reason for the Berlin Wall and censorship with books, before the story begins. Set in the Cold War era, Richard enjoys reading about spies and other topics that the government frowns upon at the time. His father works for the FBI and was active in the military during wartime. The story alternates between true historical moments and photographs to the fictional characters of Richard and his family and their lives. Eye-opening and relatable, the timeline of the fictional story flows with Cold War history as it is laid out. It's crazy how much one person affected an entire nation in such a negative way. Suspect Red is an interesting, entertaining way to gain knowledge about the state of our nation during the Cold War, 5 stars!

It’s June 1953, the Cold War is in full swing, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s have just been executed on charges of committing espionage, and under the influence of Senator Eugene McCarthy (R-WI), certain books deemed to have secret communist themes are being removed from the State Department, and overseas embassies.

Now, though, summer vacation has just begun and Richard Bradley, 14, can finally get away from the bullies at school and lose himself in the pile of books he’s put together, beginning with a reread his favorite Robin Hood. Well, until his mom takes it away now that it has been determined too subversive, and she would know, since Richard’s dad is. K a G-man, working for the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover, who seems to agree with everything Senator McCarthy says. But Richard’s father also is suffering from PTSD as a result of his wartime service, and Richard seems to be the only one who realizes it. And he is trying to redeem himself after a failed FBI mission that Hoover blames him for.

When Richard and his mother visit a new neighbor,Teresa White, from Czechoslovakia who’s married to an American in the State Department, he meets her son Vladimir, a confident 14 year old who had lived in Prague and London during the war. Vladimir is a musician at heart, but he’s also an ardent reader like Richard, and though his taste in books is more sophisticated, he’s also willing to lend his books.

The two become friends, and while everyone in the White family is rather bohemian in their taste for art and left leaning politically, Richard soon begins to notice some suspicious things regarding Vlad’s mom. Perhaps he has been reading too many books like Herb Philbrick’s FBI espionage novel I Led Two Lives, but soon Richard is sure Mrs. White is involved in some kind of spying. Not sure what exactly it is all about, he talks to his dad, who advises him to think like a G-man and report back to him if he notices anything suspicious.

It’s exciting to think of himself as a spy, but Richard also feels disloyal towards Vlad. When school begin in September, Richard is sure Vlad will leave him flat and make friends with the other boys. While he is relieved when that doesn’t happen, Richard is still wrestling with his conscience about spying on Vlad’s family when he notices what appears to be really incriminating evidence. Telling his dad what he observed, Richard realizes that for the first time he and his dad are having the kinds of talks he has always longed to have - real father/son talks.

But when Vlad tells Richard in confidence what is really going on with his mom, Richard knows he has to tell his dad. But is it too late for that?

Suspect Red covers one year, from June 1953 to June 1954. It’s an important coming of age year in Richard’s life, where he learns the meaning and value of a good friendship and the consequences of betraying it, and in the life of the United States, when it allows itself to be influenced by one person with an agenda. The chapters are done by month, and each one includes documentary information at the beginning, relating to the politics of that month.

Richard was a very interesting character. I could see where he is standing with one foot in the kind of conventional life style his parents have and one in the unconventional life the White family lives, and trying to decide where he belonged. Both life styles seem to appeal to him. Luckily, McCarthy started to lose his hold over the US in 1953, so I could imagine Richard finding a way of blending of the best of both. Elliot is also spot on with her depiction of kind of indecisiveness and questioning Richard is wrestling with, as well as he struggle to figure out what the right thing to do is. And it's all muddied by his desire to have a relationship with his dad.

Pay attention to Ginny, Richard’s 9 year old sister. She has courage, confidence, and charm and her ambition is to become an Inquiring Camera Girl a la Jacqueline Kennedy. Besides Kennedy, Ginny has also managed to befriend Ladybird Johnson, and she’s culled lots of helpful information from a bunch of Washington’s other elite women. A novel about Ginny would be very different than Richard’s story.


On the whole, I though Elliot really captured the communist paranoia that gripped people during these early years of the Cold War. These lots of little details to add to the story and give it a certain realistic quality. I can remember my parents talking about how terrible McCarthy and the Senate hearings he held were, even years after they were over.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

In todays world, which seems to be ruled by political correctness, where one word can not just offend people, but start movements, and where ones opinion doesn't matter if it goes against the flow, "Suspect Red" shows us how a world used to be not too long ago.

Where one word, no matter how harmless it was could be interpreted as communism and find you unemployed, blacklisted, or jailed.

George Santayana said "...Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes.....", and "Suspect Red" is a great reminder of the past, but also a lesson as we forge ahead. The movements we start, the riots we begin do not only affect us but those who come after us. In every argument there are two sides of the story, and that much is true in this one. And in every part of our history if there is one thing to learn it is that hate can not bring change. Only love can do that. And as long as we point a finger at each other, akd trying to prove why our opinion is right, nothing will ever change. Only way that happens is if we stop fighting and stop hating.

In the aftermath of Suspect Red some lives were ruined and a some friendship destroyed, but there was a light at the end.

A book deffo worth reading as it hold as much truth today as it did in the 50's

This isn't a bad story, just a little shallow. There are a number of concepts introduced but never fully explored. Like PTSD and it's role in the events. Or the banning of books and a teen's tendency toward rebellion warring with the desire for parental approval warring with the need for the acceptance of peers. And while I liked the inclusion of period photos and documents I'd have preferred if their selection had been more closely related to chapter events. And for all the times spent on the Rosenbergs in the first chapter, they're never mentioned again. Not even the execution.

It is the first day of summer 1953 and Richard is excited to be able to read a bunch of books and not worry about the bullies at school. It is also the height of Senator Joseph McCarthy's communist hunt and everyone is on edge. Richard lives in Washington, D.C. His dad is in the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover lives just around the corner. Everyone is on the lookout for communists or pinkos. Every conversation, book, art piece, membership or family tie can be suspect and put you on the blacklist.

Richard becomes friends with Vladimir when his family moves into the neighborhood. Vlad's father works for the State Department, but his mom is from Czechoslovakia. Mrs. White and her daughter Natalia both seem to have leftist leanings and suspect friends and interests. Richard wants to be helpful to his dad so he tells a lot of the things he learns about Vlad's family. This leads Richard's dad to put the family under surveillance. However, the more Richard learns about Vlad and his family the more he likes them. And the more he learns about McCarthy the less he likes him.

This was actually a bit scary to read. The McCarthy era would have been terrifying to live though as the entire nation seems to have been swept up in the "red scare" or more appropriately "red madness". So many people lost their jobs and their livelihoods because of this witch hunt. It is terrifying to know that so little or really no evidence could convict a person in this era. Even the kids were brainwashed into looking for commies everywhere. Even though the events of this book took place more than 60 years ago it felt strangely timely.

I received this book from Netgalley.

This book is a historical fiction story set during the 1950's and beautifully blends historical facts, pictures, and events with the "Red Scare" going on at that time. Usually, I don't like to read historical fiction, but this story was told well and Richard, the main character is relatable. He is a bookworm (aren't we all) and loves to learn through the characters. He is snarky and his point of view is limited (as any 14yo would be) but is broadened with exposure to other people and their beliefs. The format of this book is excellent, at the beginning of every chapter there is pictures and information regarding the world events of that time. This book blends fact and fiction so well the students won't realize they are learning about events that actually occurred.

I received this book from Net Galley for free in exchange for an honest review. I found this book really interesting. I learned so much about the McCarthy/Hoover era that either I hadn't known or had been lost in my brain sieve. I enjoyed the characters and the obvious research the author had done. It's scary how history has a tendency to repeat itself and I think this book is timely in its commentary on the sad state we find ourselves in where fear is preyed upon. I absolutely recommend this book.

E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Richard and his family live near Washington, D.C., where his father does something secretive for the government. They live in a solid, middle class neighborhood with J. Edgar Hoover and other government employees. When a new boy Richard's age moves in, he's glad to find another kindred spirit who liked J.D. Salinger and other books. Vlad's father also works for the government, but his mother is from Czechoslovakia and seems to have somewhat suspect views. McCarthyism is spreading quickly in 1953, with librarians taking books like Robin Hood off the shelves and lots of public figures being accused of being communist. Richard's father (who was involved in enough mission in WWII that he has some intermittent PTSD) is involved in some of the government missions, and hopes that he can redeem a mission gone wrong by bringing in some treacherous Communists. Richard wrongly thinks that Vlad's mother might be dangerous, and tips off his father. As McCarthy's dictatorial ways start to fall into disrepute, Richard and his father become less and less sure that "witch hunting" Communists is the way to go.
Strengths: The details of daily life were fantastic, right from the beginning, and I didn't find any historical anomalies, which made me very happy! Like Wiles' Sixties Trilogy, the chapter start out with period photos and descriptions of what is going on in history. Unlike the Wiles' books, these are short and well placed, and really speak to what is going on in Richard's life. The comparisons to what is going on in today's government are not explicit, but clearly there. Harry Truman. That's what the government needs right now. Harry Truman.
Weaknesses: The plot takes a while to develop, but I was so engrossed with the details of Richard's life that I didn't really care. Could have used a few more descriptions of clothing. And cars.
What I really think: So glad to have this to order for the fall! Brilliant depiction of a singular era in US history.

I sat down one afternoon and thought I'd read for an hour before dinner. Instead, I ended up reading up to my dinner prep point and then for two hours after dinner. What a page turner. It's no secret that I love history and American politics, and I'll tell you that if you have Middle-Grade readers that are becoming aware of our current political climate this book may put both of you at ease. Not because the McCarthy era was great or that as a country we are proud of what went on- but because it shows that the system works and we got through those days as we will get through today and tomorrow.

In 1953 Richard and his family were living in Washington DC. His dad works for the FBI, and Richard thinks he might too someday. Richard had some annoying qualities which I overlook because he is a reader. He wants to read everything and I cringed as his Mom took book after book off their shelf so that they wouldn't be accused of being Communist sympathizers.

After Richard makes some assumptions about a neighbor he ends up learning a lesson about the difference between patriotism and paranoia.

Suspect Red By L.M. Elliott September 19, 2017

A pretty cool idea in theory, the best part about Suspect Red is its interstitial matter, which highlights key moments of the early Cold War era for readers, giving context to the narrative that takes place throughout the rest of the book. Beyond that, though, there's not a lot here for me to recommend. The story is pretty predictable and Elliot's writing just didn't really work for me. It's a fun idea, but ultimately I didn't find much to like here.

This was an intriguing read. I especially enjoyed the real-life events and people interspersed throughout the book to give a good context to the story line. Without this, I believe young adults especially would have a hard time understanding the significance of the book. It would be a good book choice for an historical perspective in comparison with current events.

I enjoyed this middle grade book on McCarthyism and the Red Scare. Having just read Paper Cowboy by Kristin Levine, there were a lot of similarities to this one. They'd make a good pairing. I especially enjoyed how each chapter started with the date and year as well as primary source artifacts and a description of what was going on in history at that time. It was a neat way to tie the facts of the time period to the fictional story being told.

This will go live on my blog on September 19. Kellyvision.wordpress.com

Richard is growing up in 1953, during the height of the McCarthy witch hunts. Some of it annoys him (he wants to read whatever he wants) but mostly he buys into all of it. It's partly because his father works for the FBI and Richard sees himself as (a) super smart, (b) very intuitive and (c) sure to be able to find and bring down any communists in his life. And then he meets Vladimir and his family. (They're Czech, not Russian.) His dad has a government job and his mom is an artist with radical ideas. Richard loves Vlad and his family but...well, he's pretty sure they're total commies.

I really enjoyed this novel. It's always a little hard to imagine how people could get blacklisted for attending a meeting or voting once, but it also keeps happening (see claims of people being unpatriotic for questioning the government after 9/11).

I didn't really like Richard. He's smarmy and he doesn't really think about how actions (and accusations) have consequences. It's almost like he pictured himself as the hero in one of his books, and never paused to wonder what could happen to his friend and Vlad's family.

I do love his little sister, Ginny. She's smart and feisty and can we get a book from her perspective?

It is 1953 and America is at the height of McCarthyism. Richard's father is a G-man and Richard looks up to him and wants to be like him. But things are very confusing... certain books are now questionable as well as movies and people. When a new family moves in next door Richard is thrilled that Vladimir is his age. But the family has ties to Czechoslovakia and has some pretty crazy ideas. Richard is torn between his loyalties to his new friend and his suspicions about their activities.

I really enjoyed this. Each chapter started with some historical background and photographs which help acclimate the reader to the time period. One of the better books I have read about this time in US history.

For any middle-school through YA reader who want to be informed about the complicated and terrifying time of McCarthyism in our country, "Suspect Red" is the book to read. It's 1953, the Cold War is emerging and the book begins with the conviction and execution of the Rosenbergs.
The reader is introduced to two families. Richard's family includes his father who works for the FBI and Vlad's family includes his mother, a Czech native. Interwoven into the friendship of the two boys is a brilliant recapturing of the angst and hysteria of America during that time. What especially emerges are the worthwhile themes of the importance of individuality and the damage of fear-mongering and, guilt by association, among others.
This is a very important book and conveys the reality of McCarthyism and all that that term entails to a generation that didn't grow up with it. Well-Done!