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Black Helicopters
A teenage girl. A survivalist childhood. And now a bomb strapped to her chest. See the world through her eyes in this harrowing and deeply affecting literary thriller.
I’m Valkyrie White. I’m fifteen. Your government killed my family.
Ever since Mabby died while picking beans in their garden — with the pock-a-pock of a helicopter overhead — four-year-old Valley knows what her job is: hide in the underground den with her brother, Bo, while Da is working, because Those People will kill them like coyotes. But now, with Da unexpectedly gone and no home to return to, a teenage Valley (now Valkyrie) and her big brother must bring their message to the outside world — a not-so-smart place where little boys wear their names on their backpacks and young men don’t pat down strangers before offering a lift. Blythe Woolston infuses her white-knuckle narrative, set in a day-after-tomorrow Montana, with a dark, trenchant humor and a keen psychological eye. Alternating past-present vignettes in prose as tightly wound as the springs of a clock and as masterfully plotted as a game of chess, she ratchets up the pacing right to the final, explosive end.
I’m Valkyrie White. I’m fifteen. Your government killed my family.
Ever since Mabby died while picking beans in their garden — with the pock-a-pock of a helicopter overhead — four-year-old Valley knows what her job is: hide in the underground den with her brother, Bo, while Da is working, because Those People will kill them like coyotes. But now, with Da unexpectedly gone and no home to return to, a teenage Valley (now Valkyrie) and her big brother must bring their message to the outside world — a not-so-smart place where little boys wear their names on their backpacks and young men don’t pat down strangers before offering a lift. Blythe Woolston infuses her white-knuckle narrative, set in a day-after-tomorrow Montana, with a dark, trenchant humor and a keen psychological eye. Alternating past-present vignettes in prose as tightly wound as the springs of a clock and as masterfully plotted as a game of chess, she ratchets up the pacing right to the final, explosive end.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2013
13 people are currently reading
1736 people want to read
About the author
Blythe Woolston
11 books47 followersBlythe Woolston’s first novel, The Freak Observer, won the William C. Morris debut fiction award. She lives in Montana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
May 25, 2013
I would venture to guess that a lot of readers are going to find this a very difficult book. It feels bleak, it feels hopeless, the language and structure are tricky, and it doesn't care at all if you like it. But man, is this short and devastating literary thriller packed with powerful emotion.
15-year-old Valkyrie knows only this: the Others can't be trusted, and only Da knows how to keep her and her brother safe. Miles away from civilization, they've carved out a strange and violent life for themselves, one that seems threatened on a daily basis.
The plotting is taut in this slim volume, and you realize pretty quickly that you may have an unreliable narrator on your hands. Valykyrie's words tumble out with rough fury, and there's a sense of jittery paranoia that you just can't shake, even as your brain races to make sense of the changing puzzle pieces laid out before you.
If The Reapers Are the Angels had been written by Nova Ren Suma, this is the sort of book that might've come to pass. (No zombies here, though!) You won't get all the answers you're looking for, and you may come out of Black Helicopters feeling battered and lost. But you won't ever be able to forget the raw energy and darkness of its story. This is a book that feels like an apocalyptic one--but the scary thing is, it's not.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. A finished copy was provided by the publisher.
15-year-old Valkyrie knows only this: the Others can't be trusted, and only Da knows how to keep her and her brother safe. Miles away from civilization, they've carved out a strange and violent life for themselves, one that seems threatened on a daily basis.
The plotting is taut in this slim volume, and you realize pretty quickly that you may have an unreliable narrator on your hands. Valykyrie's words tumble out with rough fury, and there's a sense of jittery paranoia that you just can't shake, even as your brain races to make sense of the changing puzzle pieces laid out before you.
If The Reapers Are the Angels had been written by Nova Ren Suma, this is the sort of book that might've come to pass. (No zombies here, though!) You won't get all the answers you're looking for, and you may come out of Black Helicopters feeling battered and lost. But you won't ever be able to forget the raw energy and darkness of its story. This is a book that feels like an apocalyptic one--but the scary thing is, it's not.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. A finished copy was provided by the publisher.
September 30, 2013
3.5 stars
At just over 170 pages, Black Helicopters is a complex and dense work of literary fiction about terrorism.
The novel is constructed of carefully layered vignettes of the past and present, bound together with an overarching chess metaphor, narrated by fifteen year old Valley “Valkyrie” White, suicide bomber.
This is a challenging, bleak novel that is often uncomfortable to read. In order to comprehend how Valley has arrived in her present role as a weapon, Woolston endeavours to show readers how her journey through the intervening years has shaped and influenced her mission. Valley and her brother are raised in an atmosphere of paranoia, hidden from the world by their father, who inculcates in them a deep suspicion of Those People and the black helicopters. While Valley’s brother, Bo, is eventually awarded more freedom and able to follow his father into the outside world, Valley must remain secreted, a piece of her father’s plan yet to be actioned. When her father dies, Valley understands that she is able to take up where he left off; that she can set in motion his final message.
Valley is a compelling, yet chilling narrator. Her rage is palpable in the text, in the brief, brutal scenes of violence she endures. But she is also controlled, single-minded in her drive to see her assignment fulfilled. Unlike her brother, who integrates with the group that take Valley and Bo in, Valley remains focused and separate. In Wolf, she senses an opportunity to make her move, and as he notes, she is a player willing to make sacrifices.
There is an extraordinary amount to be unpacked from Woolston’s novel; it’s a book that would withstand multiple readings, each one revealing a new facet of the complex story. There’s a lot to be discussed in terms of how Valley is subject to coercion and control (and how in turn she manipulates and controls), how she is treated as a female, how conspiracy and distrust are normalised and inform her narrow world view. Valley’s body and its treatment – as a weapon, as currency – and how she comes to be Valkyrie, dissociated from her own image, could be unravelled at length. Yet Woolston leaves much of this to the reader; there’s a considerable requirement for interpretation and analysis of the text beyond what’s explicitly stated on the page. To this end, Black Helicopters has an ambiguous conclusion, left open for readers to define, with some hints throughout the novel.
Black Helicopters is a dark and disturbing novel, distilled to its most intense form. But perhaps most importantly of all, Valley’s is not a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world. It’s next door to our own, a disquieting glimpse of a possible reality.
At just over 170 pages, Black Helicopters is a complex and dense work of literary fiction about terrorism.
The novel is constructed of carefully layered vignettes of the past and present, bound together with an overarching chess metaphor, narrated by fifteen year old Valley “Valkyrie” White, suicide bomber.
This is a challenging, bleak novel that is often uncomfortable to read. In order to comprehend how Valley has arrived in her present role as a weapon, Woolston endeavours to show readers how her journey through the intervening years has shaped and influenced her mission. Valley and her brother are raised in an atmosphere of paranoia, hidden from the world by their father, who inculcates in them a deep suspicion of Those People and the black helicopters. While Valley’s brother, Bo, is eventually awarded more freedom and able to follow his father into the outside world, Valley must remain secreted, a piece of her father’s plan yet to be actioned. When her father dies, Valley understands that she is able to take up where he left off; that she can set in motion his final message.
Valley is a compelling, yet chilling narrator. Her rage is palpable in the text, in the brief, brutal scenes of violence she endures. But she is also controlled, single-minded in her drive to see her assignment fulfilled. Unlike her brother, who integrates with the group that take Valley and Bo in, Valley remains focused and separate. In Wolf, she senses an opportunity to make her move, and as he notes, she is a player willing to make sacrifices.
There is an extraordinary amount to be unpacked from Woolston’s novel; it’s a book that would withstand multiple readings, each one revealing a new facet of the complex story. There’s a lot to be discussed in terms of how Valley is subject to coercion and control (and how in turn she manipulates and controls), how she is treated as a female, how conspiracy and distrust are normalised and inform her narrow world view. Valley’s body and its treatment – as a weapon, as currency – and how she comes to be Valkyrie, dissociated from her own image, could be unravelled at length. Yet Woolston leaves much of this to the reader; there’s a considerable requirement for interpretation and analysis of the text beyond what’s explicitly stated on the page. To this end, Black Helicopters has an ambiguous conclusion, left open for readers to define, with some hints throughout the novel.
Black Helicopters is a dark and disturbing novel, distilled to its most intense form. But perhaps most importantly of all, Valley’s is not a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world. It’s next door to our own, a disquieting glimpse of a possible reality.
March 19, 2013
This book is going to garner a lot of discussion. I read it three times before I felt like I had a grasp of what was going on.
15-year-old Valkyrie -- Val -- has had a hell of a life. If it can even be called that. Her mom was killed by the black helicopters when she was young, and her father went to great lengths to protect her and her brother from Those People thereafter. But Bo, her brother, had way more privileges than she did. He could actually go out. It was her job to stay hidden, to know the plan, to understand just how bad Those People were.
Then the house burns down and their father is now dead. It's up to Bo and Val to establish some sort of life now. Except, they've been so indoctrinated with contempt for all they've lost thanks to Those People, they see nothing but the need to destroy. And even in seeking safe places, they're finding more dangerous places. They're finding out about the true life dad lived. That true life means that, well, there's no hope here.
Val is herself a weapon.
Bleak might be a nice word to describe Woolston's third book.
Woolston marries Val's story with a brilliant and mind-bending metaphor about chess. But even though she's Queen and she has the power to keep the King in check, ultimately, she is reminded again and again that she can and will never rise above where she is now.
Val's a weapon because
This is a little book, but it is dense. It's very literary, and what is not said is more powerful than what's actually said. It's masterfully crafted and requires rereading to pick up on how the timelines interact, how Val's character comes to be as it is, and to appreciate the ending as it is. There are no punches pulled in this book: it's dark. It's not dystopia nor futuristic -- this is a slice of life by the likes we rarely, if ever, read or see. This is contemporary.
There are a lot of interesting threads here about gender, about power and privilege, about choices. I'm fascinated, too, by the depiction of rural life, of , sex/body politics/ownership, violence, government paranoia, and more. I'm not sure how so much is packed into 160 pages but damn.
Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/03/b...
15-year-old Valkyrie -- Val -- has had a hell of a life. If it can even be called that. Her mom was killed by the black helicopters when she was young, and her father went to great lengths to protect her and her brother from Those People thereafter. But Bo, her brother, had way more privileges than she did. He could actually go out. It was her job to stay hidden, to know the plan, to understand just how bad Those People were.
Then the house burns down and their father is now dead. It's up to Bo and Val to establish some sort of life now. Except, they've been so indoctrinated with contempt for all they've lost thanks to Those People, they see nothing but the need to destroy. And even in seeking safe places, they're finding more dangerous places. They're finding out about the true life dad lived. That true life means that, well, there's no hope here.
Val is herself a weapon.
Bleak might be a nice word to describe Woolston's third book.
Woolston marries Val's story with a brilliant and mind-bending metaphor about chess. But even though she's Queen and she has the power to keep the King in check, ultimately, she is reminded again and again that she can and will never rise above where she is now.
Val's a weapon because
This is a little book, but it is dense. It's very literary, and what is not said is more powerful than what's actually said. It's masterfully crafted and requires rereading to pick up on how the timelines interact, how Val's character comes to be as it is, and to appreciate the ending as it is. There are no punches pulled in this book: it's dark. It's not dystopia nor futuristic -- this is a slice of life by the likes we rarely, if ever, read or see. This is contemporary.
There are a lot of interesting threads here about gender, about power and privilege, about choices. I'm fascinated, too, by the depiction of rural life, of , sex/body politics/ownership, violence, government paranoia, and more. I'm not sure how so much is packed into 160 pages but damn.
Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/03/b...
June 27, 2013
3.5 Stars!
Black Helicopters is a brief novel that I have no doubt will puzzle a person a bit if the person just simple read it. There are hidden details that can be hard to spot-- even I don't really know if I truly understand the story that Black Helicopters offered. And I think that it was meant to be that way. I think that Blythe Woolston wrote this story so the reader could experience the feeling of being hallow, unsettled, and shocked.
One of the things about this book that surprised me is the very story itself. I would reckon that there aren't many YA books out there in the world containing the topic of suicide terrorist, much less have a main character who is one with a bomb currently strapped to her chest. But the bleak story isn't just about a teenage girl named Valley walking around with a bomb. No, it is about the reasons why she is the person she is in the now and how those reasons came to be.
Valley (now called Valkyrie) is a character that I was saddened by. She felt hallow and unhopeful, and that made my heart sink. In the chapters that tell of when she was a child, she was happy and innocent, but as she grew up in an environment that was gradually going completely rotten, she became a person whose only purpose was to destroy Those People. Woolston's characterization of Valley is excellent and I couldn't ask for anything better-- no matter how much Valley made me want to cry.
Another noteable thing about Valley is the fact that she is an unreliable narrator. Her perception of everything is tricky, clouded by what her father had drilled into her about Those People who fly inside the black helicopters. It's hard to tell if something she believes is true is actually true and not a lie. And while I don't believe there can be a large number different interpretations of the 'truth' that stay within a realistic spectrum, it can be hard to form an interpretation amongst the could-be lies and could-be truths. Unless, of course, you accept everything that Valley knows as the truth.
An aspect of Black Helicopters I especially liked is how Woolston connects her story with the game of chess. There is just something so powerful about building up a plan and strategy and comparing the obstacles and the things you control to the pawns on a chessboard.
Woolston's use of words is very simple and has a literary feel to it. This causes some passages to be nothing but lovely. Unfortunately, despite all the loveliness, the writing wasn't able to really capture me and create a strong emotional connection to me and the story for the majority of the novel until the end. I was definitely affected by the story, I felt sad, hallow, and I felt the bleakness, but I didn't feel particularly attached.
The novel has an odd ending. It ends everything in the middle of one important action, and action that could kill, making the reader just assume what happened. And I don't know how I feel about it. There are two different endings that one could accept, one ending being an ending that blows everything out like a candle, another one being a hopeful one. I love that. But I also love knowing how a story ends. So I can't exactly give a solid opinion on the ending...
It's hard to write a review for a book that I have such of an ambiguous opinion of. And Black Helicopters is one of those books. It's a book that is unapologetic for what it is though, a bleak book that makes a person feel empty and at the same time desperate. This is a story that is worth picking up and reading through only a little below two hundred pages, so I recommend it. Just be prepared.
Black Helicopters is a brief novel that I have no doubt will puzzle a person a bit if the person just simple read it. There are hidden details that can be hard to spot-- even I don't really know if I truly understand the story that Black Helicopters offered. And I think that it was meant to be that way. I think that Blythe Woolston wrote this story so the reader could experience the feeling of being hallow, unsettled, and shocked.
One of the things about this book that surprised me is the very story itself. I would reckon that there aren't many YA books out there in the world containing the topic of suicide terrorist, much less have a main character who is one with a bomb currently strapped to her chest. But the bleak story isn't just about a teenage girl named Valley walking around with a bomb. No, it is about the reasons why she is the person she is in the now and how those reasons came to be.
Valley (now called Valkyrie) is a character that I was saddened by. She felt hallow and unhopeful, and that made my heart sink. In the chapters that tell of when she was a child, she was happy and innocent, but as she grew up in an environment that was gradually going completely rotten, she became a person whose only purpose was to destroy Those People. Woolston's characterization of Valley is excellent and I couldn't ask for anything better-- no matter how much Valley made me want to cry.
Another noteable thing about Valley is the fact that she is an unreliable narrator. Her perception of everything is tricky, clouded by what her father had drilled into her about Those People who fly inside the black helicopters. It's hard to tell if something she believes is true is actually true and not a lie. And while I don't believe there can be a large number different interpretations of the 'truth' that stay within a realistic spectrum, it can be hard to form an interpretation amongst the could-be lies and could-be truths. Unless, of course, you accept everything that Valley knows as the truth.
An aspect of Black Helicopters I especially liked is how Woolston connects her story with the game of chess. There is just something so powerful about building up a plan and strategy and comparing the obstacles and the things you control to the pawns on a chessboard.
Woolston's use of words is very simple and has a literary feel to it. This causes some passages to be nothing but lovely. Unfortunately, despite all the loveliness, the writing wasn't able to really capture me and create a strong emotional connection to me and the story for the majority of the novel until the end. I was definitely affected by the story, I felt sad, hallow, and I felt the bleakness, but I didn't feel particularly attached.
The novel has an odd ending. It ends everything in the middle of one important action, and action that could kill, making the reader just assume what happened. And I don't know how I feel about it. There are two different endings that one could accept, one ending being an ending that blows everything out like a candle, another one being a hopeful one. I love that. But I also love knowing how a story ends. So I can't exactly give a solid opinion on the ending...
It's hard to write a review for a book that I have such of an ambiguous opinion of. And Black Helicopters is one of those books. It's a book that is unapologetic for what it is though, a bleak book that makes a person feel empty and at the same time desperate. This is a story that is worth picking up and reading through only a little below two hundred pages, so I recommend it. Just be prepared.
May 5, 2020
I feel conflicted about this book! It’s unique. It stars a teenage girl who decides to become a suicide bomber. I enjoyed the untrustworthy main character and the author’s attention to detail. I still have so many “Why?” questions! Stuff just happens without explanation. But, it’s definitely memorable. I can see myself rereading it.
November 13, 2013
Black Helicopters is a messed up little story, and while it's imperfect, it's worth the read.
It's reasonably obvious from the synopsis that Woolston’s novel is about a suicide bomber, but that only touches the surface of the story. It's about conspiracy theorists. To me, it was also about how strongly a person's upbringing shapes them and how deeply embedded values that are taught at a young age can become. Since I don't think I've seen other reviews mention it, it's worth noting that Black Helicopters alternates between present day and flashbacks from Valley's childhood.
Read the full review here:
http://www.consumedbybooks.com/2013/1...
It's reasonably obvious from the synopsis that Woolston’s novel is about a suicide bomber, but that only touches the surface of the story. It's about conspiracy theorists. To me, it was also about how strongly a person's upbringing shapes them and how deeply embedded values that are taught at a young age can become. Since I don't think I've seen other reviews mention it, it's worth noting that Black Helicopters alternates between present day and flashbacks from Valley's childhood.
Read the full review here:
http://www.consumedbybooks.com/2013/1...
August 10, 2025
DNF. i read the first page of this book and said if there’s any sexual assault i’m not finishing this shit and well look at the material. THIS BOOK IS NOT SUITED FOR TEENS THERE IS AN EXPLICIT SA SCENE.
literally was not worth the $5 i spent and the writing is going for “vague” and “mysterious” and “dark” when the plot isn’t compelling enough to warrant that.
like why am i reading about tin foil domestic terrorists with characters that are only vague concepts with no REAL GOAL made clear to the reader
give me my 70 minutes back. trust if i finished this would have been a 1 star
literally was not worth the $5 i spent and the writing is going for “vague” and “mysterious” and “dark” when the plot isn’t compelling enough to warrant that.
like why am i reading about tin foil domestic terrorists with characters that are only vague concepts with no REAL GOAL made clear to the reader
give me my 70 minutes back. trust if i finished this would have been a 1 star
April 10, 2023
Very well-written but deeply unsettling, this book does a far better job painting a disturbing picture of a young innocent raised by a delusional and paranoid father than did the film "Hanna." I hesitate to list this under "young adult" as it is definitely not for kids -- but the main character and writing style puts it firmly in that category.
I highly recommend this book if you don't require a happy, neatly-wrapped up ending, and it's short length means you can finish it in a day or two (if not in one sitting) and then get back to something a little more cheerful...although I'm sure you'll still be thinking about this story long after you've finished it.
UPDATE: Had really forgotten the details of the story, but turned out to be just as good if just as disturbing as the first time I read it. I also happen to be listening to Andy Weir's Artemis at the same time, and reading the fully realized if only 15-year-old Valkyrie here makes me dislike Weir's shallow, sarcastic, spoiled and immature 26-year-old heroine even more...
I highly recommend this book if you don't require a happy, neatly-wrapped up ending, and it's short length means you can finish it in a day or two (if not in one sitting) and then get back to something a little more cheerful...although I'm sure you'll still be thinking about this story long after you've finished it.
UPDATE: Had really forgotten the details of the story, but turned out to be just as good if just as disturbing as the first time I read it. I also happen to be listening to Andy Weir's Artemis at the same time, and reading the fully realized if only 15-year-old Valkyrie here makes me dislike Weir's shallow, sarcastic, spoiled and immature 26-year-old heroine even more...
March 28, 2013
Bleak and punchy. Dark. Incredibly moving. What an ambitious novel! -- if this one doesn't end up with a pile of awards I'll be surprised.
July 28, 2013
Well written and thought-provoking. Also grim, chilling and thoroughly horrifying.
July 12, 2013
This is a fairly short but intense read - I finished it in almost one sitting. I thought the concept was really interesting. The narrator is a suicide bomber who wants the world to realize that there are black helicopters that have sinister intentions - the catch is that you as the reader don't know if what the narrator believes is actually true.
I love stories told by unreliable narrators, and this book certainly has one of those. How many books have you read that feature fifteen-year-old girls with a bomb strapped to her chest? The narrator, Valley (or Valkyrie), tells you her story in two interchanging storylines - the events of today, the day she is on a mission to bomb a nearby city, and the events of the past 10 years that have led up to this day. Her voice is very choppy and rugged, which fits her unconventional upbringing. While many people have complimented this book on its literary style, I wasn't very impressed with it. I definitely felt the intensity and the conciseness of the prose, but it didn't speak to me in the way that other books have.
I really liked where the book ended, but I wished there had been more allusions to the titular Black Helicopters. You can sense Valley's paranoia about them, but you don't actually see very much about them. I didn't really understand how the bombing would make people more aware of the invisible threat either. I know part of the appeal of this book is trying to decide what's real and what isn't, but I wish there had just been a tad bit more to go off of.
I love stories told by unreliable narrators, and this book certainly has one of those. How many books have you read that feature fifteen-year-old girls with a bomb strapped to her chest? The narrator, Valley (or Valkyrie), tells you her story in two interchanging storylines - the events of today, the day she is on a mission to bomb a nearby city, and the events of the past 10 years that have led up to this day. Her voice is very choppy and rugged, which fits her unconventional upbringing. While many people have complimented this book on its literary style, I wasn't very impressed with it. I definitely felt the intensity and the conciseness of the prose, but it didn't speak to me in the way that other books have.
I really liked where the book ended, but I wished there had been more allusions to the titular Black Helicopters. You can sense Valley's paranoia about them, but you don't actually see very much about them. I didn't really understand how the bombing would make people more aware of the invisible threat either. I know part of the appeal of this book is trying to decide what's real and what isn't, but I wish there had just been a tad bit more to go off of.
May 30, 2013
This book… this book is… is…. stunning.
Or as I said when I was 50 pages in “Holy shiznat, friends. This book is breathtaking in it’s simplicity and intensity.”
Black Helicopters is probably the most captivating book I’ve read in a looong looong time. Now I’ve read decent books lately, but they are my typical genre YA fantasy/dystopia books. This book is neither and yet it will appeal to ANYONE who likes to read those. Keeping in mind that this is a dark book though! I am really struggling trying to write a proper review because I cannot capture the essence of this short story because it’s so… different? It’s pure and raw and graphic and its sooo emotional but it has the least emotional pro-tag I’ve ever read. It’s gritty and mind-boggling and twisted because the “bad guy” is our hero in the story. The warped, off-kilter villains we always read about in the newspapers is Black Helicopter’s narrators. It’s an amazing book with a deep, dark, scary viewpoint.
I’m in utter and completely awe of this. So I will stick with my original review on Goodreads of this:
Do your self a solid and take a few hours to read this baby. It’s short and will change your mind about a lot of things.
Read all my reviews at www.rattlethestars.com
January 31, 2013
I love books with strong voices, and this is one of them. Valkyrie White is a teenage girl cut off from society and any influences but those she gets from her survivalist father. What's so powerful here is how reasonable and approachable her voice is. Valley is single-minded, but she doesn't strike me as crazy -- just the product of a twisted, dangerous world view. In her own way, she's heroic, though for all the wrong reasons and toward a hideous goal. Blythe Woolston is so skilled at getting us into Valley's head, and then equally skilled at subtly showing other realities. I love the character of Eric, who stands in for the rest of the world, looking at and listening to Valley as both the person she is and the terrorist. Reading Black Helicopters, you can begin to see why for some people, violence seems not only logical, but imperative. I loved especially how subtly we get to see other perspectives -- and the moment where I understood what really had been going on was a shocker to me. The chapters bounce between the past and present to heighten the tension and suspense, and the end of the book was absolutely intense. Black Helicopters might not be for everyone -- and definitely not for the squeamish -- but it left me thinking long after I was done reading it.
December 12, 2013
I am in awe. This book arrived today. I picked it up just to look at it, but then read a page and couldn't put it down. This is one of those rare books: vivid, subtle, evocative, scary, wonderful, gritty, and brutally, beautifully real. It's brief, but I felt I knew Valley--she is so clearly portrayed here. I vividly saw where she went and what she did, what happened to her, and why. This is a case where less is more and the book's brief length is perfect.
I know this is a book I will re-read. It took me where I didn't want to go, but caught me right up and was so well done that every step of Valley's journey absorbed me. When I finished it I looked up at my husband and said, "Holy F***." Holy F*** indeed. He's reading it next. You should read it, too.
This book could very well be a classic.
I know this is a book I will re-read. It took me where I didn't want to go, but caught me right up and was so well done that every step of Valley's journey absorbed me. When I finished it I looked up at my husband and said, "Holy F***." Holy F*** indeed. He's reading it next. You should read it, too.
This book could very well be a classic.
April 3, 2013
It's short, but it packs a huge, huge punch.
This is the story of Valkyrie--Valley--who is raised by her father in the woods of Montana, who is taught to be extremely suspicious of Those People (i.e., the general population) and paranoid about The Government. The story is told via flashbacks from the present to the past.
It's a fascinating read, not least because Valley is shaped into what she is in a way that is utterly secular--her father teaches her and her brother Bo to be survivalists and true believers in the Government-controlled Black Helicopters, but they are not fundamentalists. Valley comes across as smart, level-headed, and honest--and utterly, utterly brainwashed.
This is the story of Valkyrie--Valley--who is raised by her father in the woods of Montana, who is taught to be extremely suspicious of Those People (i.e., the general population) and paranoid about The Government. The story is told via flashbacks from the present to the past.
It's a fascinating read, not least because Valley is shaped into what she is in a way that is utterly secular--her father teaches her and her brother Bo to be survivalists and true believers in the Government-controlled Black Helicopters, but they are not fundamentalists. Valley comes across as smart, level-headed, and honest--and utterly, utterly brainwashed.
June 19, 2013
This book was effing confusing, I tell you.
It kept me hooked, because the main character narrating left you in the unknown all the time.
I found myself asking questions that I never found the answers to.
Who and what are these black helicopters?
Are they really bad?
I did like it, but I didn't connect to it.
The ending was so strange, I literally spoke the words "what the hell" out loud when finishing the book.
I think this book will confuse a lot of people because how it is written.
I only wish things were answered and made more clear.
Full review: http://kitkat1242.blogspot.co.uk/2013...
It kept me hooked, because the main character narrating left you in the unknown all the time.
I found myself asking questions that I never found the answers to.
Who and what are these black helicopters?
Are they really bad?
I did like it, but I didn't connect to it.
The ending was so strange, I literally spoke the words "what the hell" out loud when finishing the book.
I think this book will confuse a lot of people because how it is written.
I only wish things were answered and made more clear.
Full review: http://kitkat1242.blogspot.co.uk/2013...
May 8, 2013
What.just.happened.
I read this in one short sitting and I am still reeling from this novel.
The main character reminded me of Saoirse Ronan in the movie 'Hanna'. Tiny, blonde and completely dangerous.
This book will leave you with a million questions and will make you want to pick it up and read it again - hoping you will find a tiny piece that you missed the first time around that will give you an answer.
I read this in one short sitting and I am still reeling from this novel.
The main character reminded me of Saoirse Ronan in the movie 'Hanna'. Tiny, blonde and completely dangerous.
This book will leave you with a million questions and will make you want to pick it up and read it again - hoping you will find a tiny piece that you missed the first time around that will give you an answer.
February 21, 2014
If you want to know how terrorists are bred, read this.
It's set in the US and the people are Americans but fringe-society, anti-government, Americans. These are the people that lived in the compound in Waco, or with that "polygamist" Jeffers.
Terrifying. Unfortunately, I believe this is all too real...
(I had this tagged as YA but as a mom, I wouldn't want my teen reading this. It's too graphic and has some very dark situations. Maybe only for very mature teens...)
It's set in the US and the people are Americans but fringe-society, anti-government, Americans. These are the people that lived in the compound in Waco, or with that "polygamist" Jeffers.
Terrifying. Unfortunately, I believe this is all too real...
(I had this tagged as YA but as a mom, I wouldn't want my teen reading this. It's too graphic and has some very dark situations. Maybe only for very mature teens...)
April 6, 2013
Troubling and fascinating. Still mulling it over.
January 9, 2018
Powerfully written in concise and direct language, just as one would expect from a teenager. I think it’s important for us to understand the indoctrination and viewpoint of people who have extremely different life experiences and beliefs than we do.
July 13, 2017
Bleak and riveting.
December 13, 2016
I chose to read this book because it seemed very interesting. I was wrong. The book started off very nicely. It grabbed my attention with the first few pages. They were recording a video, and the main character, Valkyrie White, said the words, "I'm Valkyrie White. I'm fifteen. Your government killed my family." (Woolston 8). If that doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what does. Then, all that excitement went away. The book got very boring, and went on and on about a garden. It's obvious the book is about terrorism, why else would she have a bomb strapped to her chest. I found it difficult at times to understand what was going on, with the minor details overpowering the important ones. The language used could've been better, and the author could've went simpler on some things, because like I said, this wasn't an easy book. As any other book, it got more interesting as it went on. The setting kept switching from present time, to the past. This could also be confusing. But this was overpowered by a message the author was trying to say. The intensity built as the book went on, and it started to hook me again. Some messages were unclear, because that's where the narrator left the reader. A lot of things the reader had to figure out themselves. The ending was a different story, and it took me by surprise. It was super intense and amazing.
I do not recommend this to a reader who has a tough time understanding what's going on, or someone without the desire to read. I was bored for the most part, and the author could have done a better job of hooking the reader in, instead of letting them lose interest. With all the flashbacks, wording, and much more, this book was very confusing. I got lost at times and had to back track to figure out what I just read. There was moments where it got interesting, but nowhere near as much as where it was dull and boring. I powered through it, and although the ending was nice, the book wasn't worth it, and seemed like a waste. I did like though, how it represented many things some people take time from their lives to try and help, like feminism, to terrorism. Those were very noticeable, and there were some things that many think are good, that were portrayed as bad, like the helicopters.
Valkyries mom was killed by the black helicopters when she was young, so she learned that those black helicopters may have sinister intentions. She kept hidden at most times, recommended by her father. Valkyrie takes no chances, and knows that she will instantly be killed by the people if she goes outside, with no second thought. She stays hidden in a den with her brother, Bo, where they can't be found. Her story is told through flashbacks, but Valkyrie finds herself in a life or death moment, one trigger away from what the future may hold.
I do not recommend this to a reader who has a tough time understanding what's going on, or someone without the desire to read. I was bored for the most part, and the author could have done a better job of hooking the reader in, instead of letting them lose interest. With all the flashbacks, wording, and much more, this book was very confusing. I got lost at times and had to back track to figure out what I just read. There was moments where it got interesting, but nowhere near as much as where it was dull and boring. I powered through it, and although the ending was nice, the book wasn't worth it, and seemed like a waste. I did like though, how it represented many things some people take time from their lives to try and help, like feminism, to terrorism. Those were very noticeable, and there were some things that many think are good, that were portrayed as bad, like the helicopters.
Valkyries mom was killed by the black helicopters when she was young, so she learned that those black helicopters may have sinister intentions. She kept hidden at most times, recommended by her father. Valkyrie takes no chances, and knows that she will instantly be killed by the people if she goes outside, with no second thought. She stays hidden in a den with her brother, Bo, where they can't be found. Her story is told through flashbacks, but Valkyrie finds herself in a life or death moment, one trigger away from what the future may hold.
May 13, 2013
Valley’s mother was killed by the black helicopters while she was out in the garden when Valley was four years old. Raised by her father, she has been taught to hide at all times. There is a den in their house where she and her brother Bo can never be found. Valley knows above everything else that Those People will kill her without even thinking about it, just like a coyote. But now Valley is out of the house and on the road with explosives strapped to her and the trigger waiting for her to decide exactly when to use it. When the first explosive goes off prematurely, Valley is left on her own in a world she has had little contact with. But Valley knows how to read people and how to manipulate them, right up to the end she is in complete control. Or is she?
This taut thriller turns the world on its head. Valley’s story is told in flashbacks so readers know that they are learning the backstory of a domestic terrorist. And what is amazing about the writing and the storytelling here is that despite that knowledge, readers will begin to understand Valley and the way she was raised and how she came to be the person she is now. That alone is a tremendous achievement.
Then there is Valley herself. A girl who is bitter, strong and lonely. She has lived much of her life in the company of only her father and brother and much of that she spent hiding completely alone. She is bright and fierce, burning with a hatred for Those People that her father carefully instilled in her. And she is wrong, oh so very wrong, about the world and about others and about her own family. She is flawed and ever so human under that bomb.
Well written and carefully paced, this book is tantalizingly taut and thrilling. In the end though, it is about a girl caught in a web of lies that she cannot see past. Appropriate for ages 15-18.
This taut thriller turns the world on its head. Valley’s story is told in flashbacks so readers know that they are learning the backstory of a domestic terrorist. And what is amazing about the writing and the storytelling here is that despite that knowledge, readers will begin to understand Valley and the way she was raised and how she came to be the person she is now. That alone is a tremendous achievement.
Then there is Valley herself. A girl who is bitter, strong and lonely. She has lived much of her life in the company of only her father and brother and much of that she spent hiding completely alone. She is bright and fierce, burning with a hatred for Those People that her father carefully instilled in her. And she is wrong, oh so very wrong, about the world and about others and about her own family. She is flawed and ever so human under that bomb.
Well written and carefully paced, this book is tantalizingly taut and thrilling. In the end though, it is about a girl caught in a web of lies that she cannot see past. Appropriate for ages 15-18.
May 7, 2013
There was so much I loved about this book - it's snappy writing that flies at a break-neck pace, dangerous and very edgy characters, a thrilling storyline that had me constantly on the edge and the mystery and shockers that were lurking around every dark corner.
The downfall for me was the lack of details - I'm a bit of a stickler for in depth detailing and I found myself longing for more of a back round story, I needed to know the how's and whys but I suppose that's just a personal thing.
The story jumps around a whole lot from the past and present but I really think that's the best part of the book. It's not confusing in the slightest and we get a good understanding of the very deadly character that is Valley White - who is awesome by the way!
The storyline follows Valley, who the whole world doesn't even know exists. She is used as a pawn in her dad's strange war. When something unexpected happens, Valley and her brother are forced to leave the safety of their cabin and follow their father's strict instructions. Valley will end up strapping on a vest of explosives and making a goodbye message....
A lot of the details are very vague in this but the ending itself is very - wow (even though I was a little frustrated).
This is a super quick but nail bitingly explosive book that ended all too quickly for my liking, I would recommend it for people looking for a quick thrill!
http://fictionfascination.blogspot.co...
The downfall for me was the lack of details - I'm a bit of a stickler for in depth detailing and I found myself longing for more of a back round story, I needed to know the how's and whys but I suppose that's just a personal thing.
The story jumps around a whole lot from the past and present but I really think that's the best part of the book. It's not confusing in the slightest and we get a good understanding of the very deadly character that is Valley White - who is awesome by the way!
The storyline follows Valley, who the whole world doesn't even know exists. She is used as a pawn in her dad's strange war. When something unexpected happens, Valley and her brother are forced to leave the safety of their cabin and follow their father's strict instructions. Valley will end up strapping on a vest of explosives and making a goodbye message....
A lot of the details are very vague in this but the ending itself is very - wow (even though I was a little frustrated).
This is a super quick but nail bitingly explosive book that ended all too quickly for my liking, I would recommend it for people looking for a quick thrill!
http://fictionfascination.blogspot.co...
July 22, 2013
This book is extremely hard to rate because, even though it packs so much power in just 170-something pages that leaves you ragged and disturbed at the end, this book is not a very enjoyable experience. This is dark, disturbing and confusing. I read the last two chapters about 5 times and my brain still felt as fragmented as the story-telling in the novel. You get a sense of what is happening, you think you understand what was said, but the thing with this book is that it gets its power from what is not said, especially with that ending. Not sure if I'm making much sense, but this book kind of has that effect from what I can gather from my own experience with it and the other reviews on this site.
This book is written in a very literary style, with pretty big and complicated metaphors that get drawn out throughout the whole novel. Valkyrie is a very powerful narrator and her voice cuts like a knife. There's a crazed urgency behind her seemngly cold voice, a calculating mind full of paranoia and that's the driving force behind the story. This book is full of disturbing topics and chilling scenes that made me close the book several times so that I could recover from that. Like I said, this is not an enjoyable experience, but I think this book is worth the read. This book is not for everyone, though, so I understand where the low average score comes from. I was going to give it 3 stars, but this book had way too much impact on me, so for me it is a 3.5 star book.
This book is written in a very literary style, with pretty big and complicated metaphors that get drawn out throughout the whole novel. Valkyrie is a very powerful narrator and her voice cuts like a knife. There's a crazed urgency behind her seemngly cold voice, a calculating mind full of paranoia and that's the driving force behind the story. This book is full of disturbing topics and chilling scenes that made me close the book several times so that I could recover from that. Like I said, this is not an enjoyable experience, but I think this book is worth the read. This book is not for everyone, though, so I understand where the low average score comes from. I was going to give it 3 stars, but this book had way too much impact on me, so for me it is a 3.5 star book.
April 4, 2013
Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston is a bleak, gut-wrenching book that evokes powerful emotions and confusion all at once.
The reader travels with Valley, or Valkyie, as her very small world grows darker and darker, and her dear brother transforms into someone she can barely recognize, and Those People gradually become more dangerous.
Valley's life is different from the mainstream child's life. She's has been taught to trust no one, to survive with few material possessions, to win the game she is playing - the game she may not fully understand.
The events of her life lead her to become a walking bomb at the age of fifteen with the intent to do extensive damage in order to make her message clear to the world.
Valley's story is told with few words, but each and every word is chosen carefully. The imagery throughout the book is lovely and compelling. Every detail that Valley shares is important to the way she thinks, right down to describing the clock spring or the mouse's frozen eye.
While this book is dark and depressing, it moves quickly and it is hard to tear yourself away from the pages. Black Helicopters is an excellent book, worthy of reading and even more worthy of discussion.
The reader travels with Valley, or Valkyie, as her very small world grows darker and darker, and her dear brother transforms into someone she can barely recognize, and Those People gradually become more dangerous.
Valley's life is different from the mainstream child's life. She's has been taught to trust no one, to survive with few material possessions, to win the game she is playing - the game she may not fully understand.
The events of her life lead her to become a walking bomb at the age of fifteen with the intent to do extensive damage in order to make her message clear to the world.
Valley's story is told with few words, but each and every word is chosen carefully. The imagery throughout the book is lovely and compelling. Every detail that Valley shares is important to the way she thinks, right down to describing the clock spring or the mouse's frozen eye.
While this book is dark and depressing, it moves quickly and it is hard to tear yourself away from the pages. Black Helicopters is an excellent book, worthy of reading and even more worthy of discussion.
January 12, 2014
Girl lives with survivalist off-the-grid paranoid parents. Parents are killed. Girl and brother try to survive. Girl ends up wearing a vest with a bomb in it, for reasons we are never given, but is rescued by the same people she was trying to kill. Not enough information about the bad guys, whoever they were, and not enough about the girl for me to sympathize with her. This book is an epic fail along the lines of The White Darkness. Not sure why it's on a Best of 2013 list.
April 4, 2013
Wow, this was intense. Cool storytelling, with alternating flashbacks and the now,with a very strong and different POV character - it's kind of scary how close you can come to understanding a person who is brainwashed (this is my review, so I'm allowed to use loaded words. My opinion!) into values that are so antithetical to what I would call mainstream values. I did have some questions left at the end, about what exactly the cult was and how Viking mythology fit into it, but nothing that took away from the power of the ending...
April 22, 2013
Morgan has it right: "a bleak, gut-wrenching book that evokes powerful emotions and confusion all at once." This short novel follows the life of Valkyie (Valley) following the separate deaths of her parents, and "her very small world grows darker and darker." Yuck.
July 12, 2013
I need to think about this one. I liked the structure and the writing was compelling. The story is going to haunt me. I need a stack of funny picture books now. Dinosaurs, mice who wear clothes...wait, even that will remind me of this book.
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