REVIEW: Catch You Later, Traitor

Catch You Later, Traitor by Avi
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Middle Grade/YA
Published: March 10, 2015 by Tundra Books
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 7.5/10
Description: The Collison's are an ordinary family, and Pete's a normal kid... until the FBI show up at his door and accuse him and his family of being Communists. Set in 1951, during the Red Scare - when the cold war was really beginning to solidify - this suspenseful, middle grade novel explores the impact of the War on an average American family. As Pete digs into his family history, using the sleuthing skills he's learned from Sam Spade and radio dramas, his world is rocked. Is his dad really a Communist, and his grandfather too? And what does that make Pete? Is that why his friends won't talk to him anymore? Based on the author's own childhood experiences, CATCH YOU LATER, TRAITOR explores the meaning of belonging, the pain of ostracism and isolation, and the power of paranoia and fear that so easily turns neighbour against neighbour. Written by Newbery winner, AVI.

Catch You Later, Traitor was a very engaging historical fiction Middle Grade/YA novel that is set in 1951 during the Red Scare. It has such a unique premise. I have not read any books, much less a YA book, that revolves around the Red Scare and it was utterly fascinating to delve into the paranoia and the fear that America was plagued with at this time.

The writing style definitely reminded me of the old Mystery/Detective books I used to read obsessively as a child. The protagonist, Pete, was a surprisingly complex character. He does undergo some character development which is fantastic for this genre. He is independent and inquisitive and is a great little detective. I loved how he is unabashedly sneaky and curious.  

Baseball was a dominant part of this story that sort of represented how our protagonist was doing at the time. Although I'm not a baseball person myself, I definitely appreciated how the stats were kept accurate and how all the baseball bits were exciting. 

Although the book is marketed as Young Adult, it could easily be Junior Fiction as well since the prose is very simple and easy to understand. 

Overall, Catch You Later, Traitor was a very unique mystery novel, that explored a very interesting part of history that was twinged with paranoia and doubt. It was also very reminiscent of the old mystery novels one used to read as a kid, which further enhanced my experience. Recommended to readers of any age, but specially younger readers as I think they'll enjoy it!