Wow! eBook
Back in the USSR
Author(s): Patrick D. Joyce (Author)
- Publisher: Spy Pond Press
- Publication Date: November 9, 2022
- Language: English
- Print length: 325 pages
- ISBN-10: B0BHKZ4YKR
- ISBN-13: 9798986169910
Book Description
Enter a world of coded messages, secret gatherings, maps made by spies, walls that have ears, cellars dripping with menace, skyscrapers that trap you in the clouds, and elevator rides that could be your last.
When Harrison, the 14-year-old son of American diplomats, lands in Moscow at the height of the Cold War, all he wants is to be left alone with his daydreams and his music.
But his father has vanished. His mother is keeping secrets. And his friend Prudence, the fearless daughter of foreign correspondents, leads him on a chase across a frozen city that changes everything.
Surrounded by danger on all sides, Harrison and Prudence race against spies and mobsters to recover a priceless vinyl record that just might save the world from nuclear war.
Loaded with suspense, packed with puzzles, and laced with sly humor, Back in the USSR takes you on a wild ride — inspired by the author’s own experiences growing up at U.S. embassies during the Cold War — that keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to its emotional, uplifting ending.
A follow-up to the author’s Strawberry Fields (either book can be read first), it’s perfect for fans of Jennifer Nielsen, Alan Gratz, Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinkin, and James Ponti.
“MASTERFUL … EXPERTLY PACED … RIVETING … 10 OUT OF 10.” -The BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly
“A book about rock ‘n’ roll and its power to fight suppression, feed the human spirit and kick butt.” -Reader review
“Read this in two days – couldn’t put it down.” -Reader review
“I completely fangirl Back in the USSR by Patrick D. Joyce.” -A License to Quill blog
“Vividly painted and irresistible … a fun, rich, and sophisticated page-turner … Highly recommended!” -Tim Weed, award-winning author of the young adult adventure Will Poole’s Island
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Joyce’s duo of intrepid young protagonists are vividly painted and irresistible, and his firsthand experience of Moscow and diplomatic corps are evident in the details that animate and enliven this fast-moving novel of international intrigue. Add to this parallel love stories, uncanny visions, and a recurring theme of Beatles songs coming to life, and you have the recipe for a fun, rich, and sophisticated page-turner. A most worthy addition to the pantheon of YA spy novels, echoes of Graham Greene and John Le Carré but with an entirely contemporary sensibility. Highly recommended!” –
Tim Weed, award-winning author of the young adult adventure Will Poole’s Island“In this fast-paced thriller, the reader happily tags along with the young protagonists as they navigate around the Moscow metro, the city parks, the American embassy, the unnamed and winding streets, and the huge Russian cars—Chaikas—that swallow them up against their will. The premise of the novel is unique, focusing on a quest for the Album, a Beatles recording that seemingly everyone in Moscow, including the mafia, is willing to kill for … Clever plot twists abound, keeping the reader spellbound up to the colorful and dramatic ending in Red Square.” –
Laurel Davis Huber, award-winning author of the historical novel The Velveteen Daughter“
Back In The USSR is a pleasure from cover to cover! A Dan Brown-esque thriller, the book kept me turning the page to see what happened next, all the while delighting with easter eggs, lyric references and the pure joy that The Beatles bring to the world. As a young adult this would have vied for one of my favourite books, but, even as an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed it. May there be many more Harrison and Prudence adventures to come!” –Obadiah Jones, host of Beatles podcast “Gimme Some Truth”“Author Patrick Joyce has a keen sense of espionage thrillers, combined with the real-life state of affairs that was the Soviet Union, circa 1983 … Joyce’s staggeringly detailed account of Russian topography and language is lovingly supported by the main theme: how American teenager Harrison George (the name is explained with humor) and his close ally Prudence Akobo stumble into a tangled web that involves black market collectors, the KGB, and stalwart Australians, couched in a believable backstory on how a defective White Album test pressing is the key to Cold War dominance.” –
Amy McGrath Hughes, host of pop culture & Beatles podcast “Write Hear”
