I enjoyed Katherine Locke's Red Balloon series. The book felt personal and well researched, and I would try to read Locke's work in the future.

I somehow didn't realize this was the second in a series?? But it's not really a sequel, as this takes place 45 years before the first book--either way, the two fit well together. It's hard not to like a book that has queer Jewish kids punching Nazis??? Maybe there were too many characters, which sort of detracts from Ilsa and Wolf, but other than that, it's fun.

This was a good book, but Albert Whitman really needs to start paying their authors on time and stop participating in illegalities such as not pulling books after rights have reverted.

Loved it. A truly enchanting read, perfect for fans of historical fiction and time travel. Wow, can't wait to read more from the author

The writing is so unbelievably beautiful! I have a hard time with WWII stories because that entire time period is heartbreaking and the people involved in the war go through so much (as with any war, but the Nazis make this one so much harder for me to read about), but this was really wonderful. I love Ilse and Wolfe. You don't get many strong sibling bonds in YA, and this one is worth remembering. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a hopeful WWII story.

I couldn't connect at all to these characters so I think that dampened my enjoyment of the book. I thought the initial premise was interesting but the execution lacking.

A great sequel to a book I loved so much last year. The characters were as great as ever and the story just as captivating.

Rating 3.5. It always takes me a bit to get into a story by Locke, but once I'm in I thoroughly enjoy them. Her writing is really engrossing. I I think you would really enjoy this if you love historical fiction and magical realism. I much preferred this story to the Locke's other book "The Girl with the Red Balloon. The time period, for one, is much more interesting and I loved our 2 main characters--Wolf and Ilse. They were both distinct and well written. It was also nice to see how things came to be in the time period of The Girl with the Red Balloon. The only thing I didn't really love was the romance element concerning Ilse. It felt underdeveloped which made it seem unnecessary to the overall story. I would definitely be interested in reading more about the magic system because I can't say I completely understand it yet.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so full of suspense I read it all in one go! I loved Wolfe and Ilse and my heart was constantly in my mouth for them! I didn’t know before I requested this that it was the second in a series but I’m now off to track down the first!

I liked the first book; it was slow, but I read it, and enjoyed it. Not this one. I tried, but it wasn't for me.

I really wanted to fall in love with these characters more than I did in the first one, but I gave up on this one about halfway through. It's solid writing, a unique plot, and diverse. I just don't mesh with it and I'm not sure why.

5/5 Stars

If you haven't read The Ballonmakers novels yet, I recommend diving in as soon as freaking possible! Last year, The Girl with the Red Balloon was utterly brilliant, and now The Spy with the Red Balloon left me enthralled. With history, magic, and science mixed together and characters that are so very real, faults and all, Locke has crafted a suspenseful book full of heart and emotion.

Set during World War II, the race for the atomic bomb is on and the Americans are searching for both scientific and magical answers. Forced into service, siblings Wolf and Ilse Klein must confront the ethical and moral dilemmas of  war both at home and abroad. The attention to detail in regards to the time frame was on point, from institutional prejudices to shortages to the ever present fear; as well as what it would mean for Jewish people in the war effort.

What really made this book stand out though were the characters especially the MCs, Ilse and Wolf. Ilse is an inquisitive girl full of questions and ideas trying to find her way in a world much bigger than her. Wolf is more reserved and protective but faces hard truths that shape his focus. Both of them identify as queer and are dealing with complex romantic feelings; Wolf for his best friend and Ilse for a coworker. Plus the sibling relationship was probably one of the most fascinating I've experienced.

Overall Katherine Locke's The Spy with the Red Balloon was a riveting tale of survival and making difficult choices with magic and war looming in the background. Ilse and Wolf had a wonderful sibling bond and their character journeys were fascinating. Plus the setting added to the emotional and physical stakes. Obviously I think everyone should read Locke's Balloonmaker books! There's definitely something for everyone!

My Review: This was an amazing blend of fantasy and and history. I do think that the cover to this one does not do this story justice. The writing was so well done that I just could not put this one down. This book is set during WWII and omg the again the author did a wonderful job with the entire thing. I did think that it could have been just a little bit longer as the ending felt a little speedy. If you are looking for a new series to die hard to fall for this is one you should totally look into this one.

Do I Recommend this book? OMG YES

Go Into This One Knowing: Fantasy, History

Last year I read Katherine Locke's The Girl With the Red Balloon, and it made me really curious to know more about the magical balloonists of the past. Well, I got my wish. In The Spy with the Red Balloon, Ms. Locke takes us back about 45 years to World War II.

The story stars siblings Ilse and Wolf. They are recruited to help the war effort with their magic. Wolf is sent overseas as a spy, and Ilse become part of the Manhattan project, working on a way to deliver the atomic bomb with magic.

There are some really intriguing things about this book. I do enjoy a good alternate history, and I'm going to slot this one in with other great alternate World War II novels like Wolf by Wolf and Front Lines. I really like the way science and magic overlap in the Balloonist series. I also really enjoyed the sibling relationship between Wolf and Ilse. I was completely on board with the relationship between Wolf and Max. However, I thought Ilse's romance was underdeveloped and frankly unnecessary. Sometimes in YA books it feels like there's a need for every character to pair up, and that can feel forced. I would have loved more of an emphasis on Ilse's friendships.

All in all this book has a fun combination of science and magic, daring rescues, lots of danger, questionable morals, LGBT romances, and familial love.

4.5*

Wow, this book is good. It's a companion to The Girl with the Red Balloon , and it's absolutely just as strong as its predecessor. Which is a hard feat, because I loved its predecessor, so. The only minor qualm I had was that a few things were a bit predictible- but honestly, it didn't really dampen the impact of the story, so whatever. So let's go ahead and talk about the stuff I loved!

The Things That Made This Book Awesome:

•The time period. Look, a book set (and done right, which this certainly is) in WWII era is probably going to pull at the heartstrings. This certainly did.

•Ilse and Wolf are incredible characters. Not only were they each incredibly sympathetic and well developed, but their sibling bond was incredible. It was also really believable, which is hard to accomplish. These two didn't want to be separated, but in the end, it was really good for each of their personal growth. Of course, their bond never faltered either, so it really was the best of both worlds.

•There was light in the darkest of places. Truly, it gives me hope for our world now. It's lovely to see acts of selflessness and bravery and goodness in such bleak and desperate times.

•It's incredibly emotive. There is so much going on that really made me feel things. Not only is the obvious horror of the war raging on in Europe, but even in Ilse's American small town, the awfulness of racism and homophobia is everywhere. You can't help but feel angry, sad, and scared for these characters.

•The tension and the stakes are, for obvious reasons, incredibly high. This book keeps the action coming, because of course it has to. There is so, so much on the line, and everyone involved knows that it is so much bigger than just themselves. It makes for a very powerful novel, to say the least.

Bottom Line: Honestly, if you are even considering picking up this series (you can read them alone or together!) I implore you to do it. It's fabulously written with characters who you won't be able to forget. The messages it delivers are timeless, and so incredibly important. Do the thing.

I loved the historical setting in this book! Most of the historical fiction books I read are set during this time, so I already knew I would love this aspect. The writing was very well-done and the characters were well-developed and really helped bring me into the story. I didn't realize this was book two until I started reading it, but it was pretty easy to get right into this without having read the first book. I can't wait to purchase this title and see how our students enjoy it!

The Spy with the Red Balloon is the second installment in Katherine Locke’s imaginative series, The Balloonmakers. I fell in love with the first book in the series and so couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this one. The Spy with the Red Balloon employs the same magical system that we saw in The Girl with the Red Balloon, a unique combination of blood magic combined with a scientific element that allows the wielder to write equations on balloons which can then be used as a mode of transportation for people, objects, etc. This time, however, we are taken to an earlier period in time, back to World War II, where Allies who are aware of the existence of this magic want to use it as a way to stop Hitler.

This series fascinates me with the unique way it infuses important historical events with magical elements, but what I loved most about this installment were the two main characters, Jewish siblings Ilse and Wolf. Both siblings possess the ability to do blood magic but have been trying to keep it a secret. When the U.S. government finds out, Ilse and Wolf are forced into service. Ilse, a 16 year old with a brilliant scientific mind, was my favorite character. She’s smart, feisty, and has an unbreakable bond with her big brother. I loved their sibling relationship so much – the way they constantly worried about each other and had each other’s backs no matter what, even as they are sent to work in separate countries. Ilse is assigned to a top secret lab in Tennessee. Her job? To come up with a way to use her magic to transport an atom bomb. The challenge? The bomb hasn’t even been developed yet, so she’s working blindly. Wolf is a great character too. While he’s equally as smart as Ilse, his smarts are of a more practical sort. He, therefore, is trained as a spy and sent to Germany to try to sabotage Hitler’s efforts to develop an atom bomb of his own. I thought the author did an incredible job of creating such a tremendous sense of urgency around the building and transporting of the atom bomb. It’s basically a race against the clock, with Ilse and Wolf, each playing key roles.

In addition to the intense situation surrounding the effort to stop Hitler, The Spy with the Red Balloon also tackles other important issues, such as the ethical dilemmas that both Ilse and Wolf face. Neither of them wants to be involved in something that kills people, but at the same time, as Jewish teens, they are torn because they would definitely love to be directly involved in crushing Hitler and his Nazis. Diversity is also well done in this book, with both Ilse and Wolf being queer, and with one of the most brilliant scientists on Ilse’s team, Stella, being African American. The diversity Locke incorporates into her story also allows her to touch on the fact that during the time period she is covering homosexuality was a crime, and racial segregation was still in place.

If you’re looking for a riveting historical read, infused with unique magical elements, and of two Jewish queer teens who are determined to kick Hitler’s butt, I’d highly recommend The Spy with the Red Balloon. 4.5 STARS

So I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I’m a big Katherine Locke fan. Reading The Girl with the Red Balloon was one of the highlights of my blogging career. It was one of the first books I reviewed and I just fell in love with it. So receiving Spy just felt like this moment of destiny. It was like, “yes your hard work pays off” and it was everything and more

I knew I was going to love Spy with the Red Balloon from the first pages, even before I cracked the cover open. In a nutshell there is gorgeously written passages, thought provoking questions about ethics, and fabulously queer relationships and characters. What more could I actually want?

I mean Katherine Locke is basically an auto-buy author for me at this point. When the pre-order campaign was announced, I stopped where I was walking and ordered it on the spot. That’s the level of my fandom. But I digress.

In Spy I absolutely adored the sibling perspectives. Siblings are a huge weak spot for me. I love every type of them – ones that can’t stand each other, ones that are best friends, and everything in between. What strikes you immediately from the beginning is how unique each of their perspectives are. There’s this refreshing and instinctual gut feeling you have about these characters.

THE SPY WITH THE RED BALLOON is the second book, but it occurs earlier than the first, a nice twist. This time we are in the 1940’s fighting World War II

Katherine Locke takes us to World War II with the Klein siblings, Ilse and Wolf. We’re fortunate to be a part of this story from different locations and points of view. These compelling stories are beautifully woven together. Cleverly created concepts of magic and science bring us into Ilse and Wolf’s world and their involuntary recruitment to the war. The details of these concepts flowed so naturally in dialogue and description, I believed they were true.

As the siblings join the war effort, we are introduced to new characters with wonderfully developed personalities. You love them along with Ilse and Wolf, and suffer through their struggles and heartaches as the era, the war, and societal views attempt to stand in their way.

THE SPY WITH THE RED BALLOON is a beautifully written novel about magic, science, World War II, and love. This story tackles many important topics such as morality and ethics, equality, segregation, discovering new love, gay and lesbian relationships, and the sadness and bravery of war.

And through it all is the bond between the siblings that gives you the courage to do anything.

Reading this book, as a Jewish queer reader, was such an experience. Locke builds a tension and sense of unease that is so incredibly powerful--and the sibling relationship was one of the best I've read in fiction. And MAGIC is SCIENCE? Obviously I'm into that.

This book was everything I ever wanted in a WW2 resistance book. I'm so delighted to read about Jewish queer heroes fighting Nazis. Seriously.