Among the Red Stars

July 15, 2017
A young Soviet woman fulfills her dreams of flying for the Red Army's air force during World War II in this historical debut. Valka Koroleva wants nothing more than to join the war effort as a fighter pilot, inspired by the daring example set by her idol, Russian airwoman Marina Raskova. When the opportunity presents itself to try out for Raskova's brand-new all-female fighter and bomber regiments, Valka and her cousin Iskra do whatever it takes to prove their worth as airwomen and ultimately gain themselves spots in the 588th Night Bomber Squadron, a group of women who would become known and feared among the Germans as the "Night Witches." Meanwhile, Valka's sensitive childhood friend Pasha is drafted into the army before she can sort out her feelings for him. Much of the action of the novel is subsequently described in long letters the two exchange throughout the course of the war, lending a stilted, secondhand quality to the proceedings and robbing them of the urgency that should rightly accompany the valiant actions depicted. Though many of Valka and Iskra's compatriots are based on real airwomen who were part of the all-female Aviation Group 122, their characterizations are unfortunately thin and underdeveloped. This latest attempt to bring the story of the Night Witches to life runs too long and lands short of the runway. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 14-18)

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August 28, 2017
Valka, a young Russian aviator, joins the war effort from the air while her childhood friend Pasha fights on the front lines in this intimate portrayal of the personal toll of WWII. Told largely through letters exchanged between the friends (and inspired by a real group of fearless airwomen, designated the Night Witches by their enemies), Katz’s debut novel extols the troops’ bravery without sugarcoating the atrocities of war. Through Valka’s eyes, she examines the sexism women faced attempting to break into the field, fears of being labeled a traitor to the socialist experiment, the inextricable ways war changes a person, and the sacrifices and impossible choices that are inextricably tied to combat. Valka’s journey takes her from a scrappy, idealistic pilot to a battle-worn veteran, but she never loses her humanity. Although her correspondence with Pasha serves as an excellent device to overlay their experiences and ignite a love story from a safe distance, their detailed recountings of various conversations wind up an awkward way for them to share information with each other. Ages 13–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.

August 1, 2017

Gr 7 Up-Told through letters between 18-year-old pilot Valka and her "close friend" Pasha-who seems more like a boyfriend-this book primarily covers the story of the Night Witches in Russia during World War II. Readers gain two perspectives of the war: Valka and her navigator cousin Iskra's flying adventures and Pasha's view from the front lines where the Germans are creeping up on the Red Army. It has always been Valka's dream to be a fighter pilot, shooting down enemy planes one by one. At one time, it was a man's job-but not anymore. After several weeks of flight training and classes, Iskra is imprisoned because of her parents' supposed treachery toward Russia four years prior. Luckily, the head of the Aviation Group-renowned female pilot Major Marina Raskova-is able to pull some strings to bring Iskra and Valka together as navigator and pilot. When Pasha's group comes face-to-face with the Germans, Valka and Iskra must decide if they want to remain allegiant to the regiment or to risk being captured-and therefore becoming traitors to the State-to rescue Pasha. Give to fans of Kathryn Lasky's Night Witches. VERDICT Recommended for school and public library collections as a strong historical fiction addition.-Kristin Unruh, Siersma Elementary School, Warren, MI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2017
Grades 8-11 Based on true events and figures from WWII, Katz's novel offers a fictional tale of a Russian airwoman called Valka and her childhood friend Pasha and how their lives are disrupted by the war. Kind, peace-loving Pasha is sent to a war-hungry veteran commander as a radio operator, while Valka eventually becomes one of the famous Night Witches, supremely successful regiments of all-women pilots, stealthily flying over enemy lines each night to drop bombs in strategic places. Pasha and Valka's steady stream of letterswhich become increasingly desperate as they're both moved closer and closer to the front lines and, miraculously, each otheris what ultimately gets them through the war. Katz's debut doesn't skimp on the terrible realities of war, as described in Valka's first-person narrative and the intermittent letters between the two characters, and she nicely weaves historical events through the fictional narrative. This beautiful, emotional entry into a key moment in Russian history will appeal to lovers of adventure novels, as well as historical fiction fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2017
Katz's highly readable novel offers an entry into the story of the Soviet Union's famed WWII squadrons of airwomen, the "Night Witches." An accomplished pilot of a quirky, unreliable small plane, Valka leaps at the chance to sign up for the Motherland's first all-women fighter and bomber regiments. Soon she's operating as a bomber pilot, assigned to one of the slow, low-flying planes used for night attacks, with her beloved cousin Iskra as her navigator. Nazi fire, terrible weather, darkness, the loss of comrades, even commands to bomb their own countrymen all come into play, exercising Valka's aeronautical and emotional resources with dramatic effect. Most notably, though, Valka worries about her sweetheart Pasha in the infantry; when the chance comes to save him, she commits treason to do so. Katz is skillfully informative, interweaving historical figures and facts without losing emotional propulsion and suspense; at the same time, she opts to stretch credulity with an expansive correspondence between Valka and Pasha, the chattiness of which would have seriously endangered their comrades, and whose liberality with locations shows a naive--or incredible--disregard of the censors. But that very correspondence is part of what makes this story accessible to American YA readers--as does, no doubt, its suspenseful, Hollywood ending. deirdre f. baker

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)