Black Helicopters Hardcover - 2013

Media reviews

This brief but razor-sharp novel from Woolston (Catch & Release) is as unpredictable as the bomb strapped to the chest of the girl at its center, 15-year-old Valkyrie White...The ambiguities and of-the-moment realism of Woolston’s story muddy the lines between right and wrong, while giving provocative insight into the mindset of those who see modern government as an unnecessary evil.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A chilling exploration of the life, motivations and strategies of a young American suicide bomber...Harrowing and unforgettable.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

BLACK HELICOPTERS is that quite remarkable event: a pace-perfect, pitch-perfect thriller that is exquisitely written and deeply thought provoking.
—Tim Wynne-Jones, author of Blink & Caution, a Boston Globe—Horn Book Award winner

This novel wrapped its icy hand around my heart and dragged me in. Admirably restrained, peculiarly fluent, and scary as hell, I read BLACK HELICOPTERS straight through and immediately told everybody I knew about it.
—Ron Koertge, author of Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses

The tension doesn't let up for a minute in this startling, terrifying story. It pulls you along like a rampaging river, then sucks you under.
—Ellen Wittlinger, author of Hard Love, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book

Blythe Woolston is a master of the unexpected. In BLACK HELICOPTERS, Woolston has given us part gripping literary mystery and part heart-racing psychological thriller. Suspenseful, dark and touching this is another winner from Woolston.
—A.S. King, author of Everybody Sees the Ants and Please Ignore Vera Dietz, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book