Themes in the book "Countdown" by Deborah Wiles

   There are a few common themes in the book "Countdown" by Deborah Wiles. One theme is fear because it takes place in the 60's which is when bombs were in Cuba and there many threats of death. Another theme is confusion because often times people won't tell Franny what's going on.
   One theme in the book is fear. Every second of Frannys life is consumed by fear of death. Living as a kid in the early 60's was horrible. all the grown-ups surrounding you are terrified as well, so there isn't much comfort. Franny overhears the news and all she can think about is how to "duck and cover when you see a flash brighter than the sun". If i were in her shoes i wouldn't even be able to sleep at night. There is so much stress in her household i would go crazy.
   Another theme is confusion. Franny is often confused by what is happening. She is confused because teachers and parents don't tell her anything about what is happening in the war. Her sister is also always running away and doing work at college that she won't tell Franny about for some reason. This just confuses Franny even more. The only person who isn't confusing Franny is her younger brother, Drew because Drew is on the same page as her.
  In conclusion Franny went through a tough time that made the book much more interesting. The author made this book super interesting and I loved every minute of it!