Age: High School (based on content)

We follow the life behind a modern day suicide bomber, Valkyrie, and the traumatic experiences that lead up to her decision. This is a short book with heavy subject material but the writing is fairly simple, making it a quick read. Some reviewers have mentioned that the writing is dense but I feel like it's pretty straightforward. I suppose there is the motif of chess and some disjointed thoughts spread throughout, making those parts a little harder to easily understand.

The concept of the black helicopters was interesting because Valley and Bo and her dad definitely hear (not imagine) the helicopter pass over their house. They must have actually heard it because the writing is in present tense and not a manipulated memory recalling the past in past tense. After it passes, Mabby lies dead in the yard without a scratch on her. Perhaps the dad associates the sound of a helicopter with her death and turns it into a conspiracy theory.

Spoiler

But later in the book, Valley finds other people conversing about the deadly black helicopters, proving that her dad did not think of this himself.

It's hard for me to see the dad's gradual manipulation of his children when there was no description of the family before mom's death. Also, the time period is not established which made me believe that dad's paranoia was justified (as if the book takes place in a dystopian future). And, perhaps the author wants the reader to feel that the paranoia is justified but if we are to truly follow along with Valley's demented logic then I wanted to see a contrast from her life before Mabby's death (not provided) and the life after.

I'm never one to say this but I feel like the suspense got in the way of the book's meaning. I wanted to rush through the pages to see what Valley would do without understanding all the details in her twisted life.