I figured out the twist about three pages before the reveal. I don’t love the additional storyline (set up for sequel I assume) but I did enjoy the core of the story.

Enjoyable books with great twists. Enjoyed the siblings and their relationship throughout this. There were some aspects that maybe were a little much for the age of the main characters, but I do enjoy a good YA book, and this book was enjoyable for sure. It might have helped to have read the first book, but I felt it wasn't necessary. Fun read.

Locke has written another excellent tale that deftly combines both history and magic. Wolf and Ilse's relationship was a delight and their individual journeys were exciting and stimulating. I loved the philosophical discussions of exploding a bomb, of the lines that are crossed when saving lives, on the heartbreak of watching concentration camp victims suffer. My heart was in knots by the end of the book. I look forward to recommending this to readers of all ages and to seeing what Locke does next.

This was terrific! While I bought The Girl with the Red Balloon for my library, I never got around to reading it. I picked this up hoping it would stand on its own, and it most certainly does. The Spy with the Red Balloon is yet another example of why you can't use genre stickers on YA books. It's historical fiction set during World War II, plus magic, plus romance too. Ilse and Wolf are siblings who are just figuring out their magic. Ilse is a gifted scientist, but not so good with people. Wolf is the more measured and thoughtful of the two. They are recruited somewhat unwillingly into America's war effort: Ilse to figure out how to deliver an atomic bomb, and Wolf to go behind enemy lines to destroy Hitler's atomic capabilities. Both are to use their magic, and both are working with others. The point of view switches back and forth between them, and I enjoyed both story lines equally.

There are serious moments, suspense, and sadness - it's war, people! - as well as romance, but what stands out for me is the combination of science and magic. Most fantasy stories have established laws or rules governing the magic of the realm and we step into the story with all the participants pretty much knowing how the magic works - or at least studying with knowledgeable magicians. What was so engaging here was the scientific approach - hypotheses, formulas, testing - as Ilse and her team study the limits and possibilities of their magic. The magic in the story is significant but small-scale, so it feels almost like magic realism.

Tl,dr: Loved it, will recommend all over the place!

When I first read reviews and summaries of this book, I thought it would resemble Monica Hesse's Girl in the Blue Coat, just for the fact that both depict young people who join the war effort and get involved in issues greater than themselves and their immediate communities. Katherine Locke's The Spy with the Red Balloon just didn't measure up; Ilse and Wolf are great, well-rounded characters, but the actual work they do isn't relatable. Both characters are extraordinarily smart, but that's their downfall as well. Some of the "magic" bits were just too much and it didn't feel like a cohesive book.

This is a wonderful companion to The Girl with the Red Balloon. I love Ilse and Wolf so much. Ilse is unapologetically smart and resourceful. Wolf is very protective of the people he loves. Their relationship with each other works so well. They recognize each other's strengths and play off of that, even when they are apart.

The Spy with the Red Balloon felt, at times like a prequel. I don't want to say too much so that I don't spoil anything, but it sets up a lot of what we see in The Girl with the Red Balloon. As a companion and a prequel, it complements TGWTRB very well.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2373657989

I really love the sibling aspect that Katherine created. I’m a sucker for siblings. And this is all around an amazing read. I’ve read the first of the series last year and have been anticipating this one since. It’s been well worth the wait in my opinion. I hope others are able to enjoy it as much as I do when it’s out.

Locke, Katherine. The Spy with the Red Balloon. Albert Whitman & Company, 2018.



Ilse and Wolf can work magic with their blood, but their experiments are put on hold by the second world war. Ilse is assisting the Americans in building a bomb, while Wolf is sent behind German lines to sabotage German plans for the same type of weapon. Will they be able to keep each other alive and also maintain their secrets?



This book has some great character development and world building and is a perfect book for those who enjoy reading about the second world war. There are other novels about this time period and other spy novels available, but the magical realism that is added into this novel makes it unique and interesting. Recommended.



Recommended for: teens

Red Flags: the violence of war

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars



Read-Alikes: Wolf by Wolf, The Librarian of Auschwitz,



I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.

I loved book one and was excited for book 2 of this series. i was given a free netgalley copy in exchange for my review. Isle was a strong herione. This book was a disappointment compared to book 1 as it felt like many pieces of back story were missing. I couldn't follow some of the jumps in story line of magic, bombs, science, etc. I liked the premise of the book but for me the sexuality of some characters was not what I wanted to read about. Overall 3 stars.

So I was actually hoping this was a direct sequel to the first book because of how that one ended. However, the writing in this one was wonderful, and the characters were great. It is a nice to change to be able to delve into the past away from today's social media craziness. I still would like a direct sequel to the first book, though!

Katherine Locke’s The Spy with the Red Balloon blends magic, history, and romance in a story centered around the nuclear arms race of WW2. Siblings and magic-users Ilse and Wolf Klein are blackmailed into helping the war effort. Ilse is asked to use her knowledge of physics and magic in the development of a weapon for the US, and Wolf is sent to Europe to sabotage the Nazi’s own efforts. Ilse is loud and brash; she is keen to ask all questions, to experiment until all her genius is satisfied. Wolf is more subdued and his actions calculated; he is organized, yet still full of self-doubt. This pair of well-drawn characters who share the narrative responsibilities are physically apart, yet connected by time and a desire to end the awful war.

Locke’s character building is impressive. The reader feels the weight of the world on these characters, the full embodiment of the engagements of science, magic, and subterfuge. The author shows great strength in building relationships, and the crafting of new and rekindled love. Yet, at times the narrative is told with a sweeping broad brush. It may be because it is a YA novel or that I’ve been jaded by the dozens of WW2 spy novels I’ve read over the years, but there were flaws with the lack of details of wartime events. And the beginning of the narrative seemed rushed; there was limited exposition as the characters are quickly thrown into the predicament without much background.

Overall, I recommend The Spy with the Red Balloon, a YA novel with admirable depictions of strong relationships and difficult ethical dilemmas. Locke’s writing is full of memorable lines and some excellent action scenes. Also commendable, I greatly appreciated the author’s note at the end of the book paying homage to the many people who served the cause during the country’s efforts during WW2.

Thank you to NetGalley, Albert Whitman & Company, and Katherine Locke for the advanced copy for review.