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From The [Manchester, Conn.] Journal Inquirer (1/13/96), by Chris Powell -
"This little book has no right tp be as good as it is.
"In the first place, it has been published too late, four years after the author's six-week visit to Ukraine that is recounted here and more than nine years after the famous but still unappreciated accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the cause of his visit.
"Second, the author...went to Ukraine without the least fluency in Russian or Ukrainian. He jokes that the better part of his Russian vocabulary were the three words 'zhornaleest,' 'Chernobyl,' and 'Americanskiy,' and that they were enough to get his points across....
"And finally, the books seems so damned casual - not that any ordinary reader will spot anything erroneous here, nor that the author does not acknowledge his ignorance, but that such an overwhelming subject could be treated largely as travelogue, and brief and mostl personal travelogue at that. To read Journey to Chernobyl is almost to waltz through unimaginable catastrophe and return safely back home none the worse for wear, except perhaps for a little radiation that may or may not manifest itself many years from now.
"But interesting and often compelling travelogue it is, never easily put down, set amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of Ukraine as an indepndent country that, at the hour of its historic liberation, finds itself with a gaping, growing cancer in its middle. Pages of light interplay between a bemused and indulgent American tourist and confused but usually hospitable (often extravegently so) natives are interrupted by gripping (if paraphrased) interviews with witnesses to the disaster and by illuminating explanation - interviews and explanation can be irritating for their brevity.
"...One never gets from Journey anything close to a comprehensive interpretation of the accident and its consequences...Instead, one is shaken and left hungry for more."
From The Decatur Daily (2.18/96) -
"..In addition to people in the media, the author also interviewed many ordinary people who were affected by the disaster. Accounts of conversations with people who lived in a town within two miles of the plant and even a man who was working in the plant when the accident occured, are included in the book.
"Also interviewed were several doctors to get their thoughts on the rapid increase of many kinds of diseases. His final interviews are of people who live inside the "prohibited zone" - the area within 18 miles of the plant.
"A unique feature of this book is that while it is informative, uit is also entertaining. I is not a typical, dull documentary of an event. Cheney ties into the book all of his rather humorous personal experiences of trying to live in a foreign city. I think it is a well written account of the effects of radiation. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about what happened on April 26, 1986 in Ukraine.
"...Cheney found that in such a debilitated society, instinct, chance and the generosity of strangers were his most reliable resources whether he needed information, lodging, food, transportation or documents required for travel. The very obstacles he faced in this gray world, however - the constant inconveninces, cold, hunger and life-threatening exposure to radiation in the Prohibited Zone - all contribute to the poignancy of his account. Ultimately, this simply told, often humorous, always compassionate narrative is a profoundly moral tale that satisfies the need to discover the human story behind a catastrophically failed attempt to be superhuman."
From Alexander Kuzma, assistant director, Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund -
"Mr. Cheney captures the texture and the essence of life in the Chornobyl Zone: the fear, the anger, the despair and sense of betrayal, the ocean of conflicting and disturbing information. His narrative reminds me of Joan Didion's journey into the horror of El Salvador. More than a stream of consciousness, it pours like a river swollen with alternately vague and vivid images, undigested observations that are sometimes poignant and often grotesque. Anyone who has travelled to this region will immediately recognize the accuracy of Cheney's insights, even when he relates episodes that might seem perverse or absurd to the uninitiated.
"Like Milan Kundera, Cheney never shies away from the bleak and seedy ironies that have become so much a part of Eastern Europe during the post-Soviet era. For all this dark humor, Cheney reveals a genuine compassion for the people who have to live with Chornobyl's legacy day to day. He conveys the awkwardness and hardships involved in abandoning long cherished values and adapting to a new social system while maintaining a sense of personal dignity and communal purpose.
"Most importantly, Cheney shows a genuine commitment to get at the truth that lies buried under all the lies and the secrecy surrounding Cornobyl. His book serves as a challenge to Western media and the scientific community to go beyond the government whitewash, beyond the convenient dismissal of all health effects as the result of 'hysteria' and 'radiophobia' and to look long and hard at the realities that continue to plague Ukraine and the entire contaminated region."
From U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (D-Conn)
"Glenn Cheney does a first-rate job of conveying his experiences as an American traveling in the former Soviet Union to seek the truth about the Chernobyl accident.
His observations about life in the former Soviet Union in the shadow of the Chernobyl disaster are vivid, insightful and thought-provoking. Glenn Cheney's account should inspire us to continue our vigilance in the handling of nuclear power in our own nation. The lesson must not be lost in the annals of the Cold War, and Mr. Cheney performs a public service by helping us remember what happened there, and why it is still important today.
From Booklist (1/15/94) - "Cheney has produced a truly frightening book in his suspenseful account of the worst man-made disaster of all time, giving thorough explanations of the mechanics of Soviet nuclear power plants and the immediate and long-term effects of radiation poisoning. It also features a sobering discussion of current problems and the potential for similar "accidents" occurring at other nuclear power plants in[former Soviet republics]. Cheney, who conducted research in Russia and...Ukraine, delivers his information in a concise, understandable and generally well balanced manner. It is only when he describes the Soviet authorities' inept treatment of survivors and evacuees, the suppression of information about the event, and the attempted cover-up that he allows his indignation to surface...."
From Booklist (8/1/95) - "Attend to the title carefully: this book isn't about the diseases or accidents that disable teens; it's about teens themselves. Daily life is the central concern, and the young adults profiled express a wide range of typical teenage attitudes - from belligerence to cynicism to idealism. The narrators...aren't poster children....A gritty,m touch collection of stories, the book will provide a strong complement to theoretical discussions..."
From School Library Journal - As theintroduction clearly states, "This is not a book about disabilities. It is about how a handful of young people are coping with physical disabilities." Cheney's book features eight remarkable teenagers whose physical disabilities include juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), muscular dystrophy, blindless from weak retinas, and blindness and deafness from Usher syndrome, cerebral palsy, and paralysis from automobile accidents and, in one case, from a gunshot wound to the spine. These teens opening share their thoughts and experiences on living with their physical disabilities, with an emphasis on how they struggle with the radical changes of adolescence. These real-life stories are gripping and painfully honest. Cheney makes no attempt to hide unpleasant truths, including the barriers and prejudice of an often times unsupportive, insensitive society. The teens are allowed to tell it like it is, including how feelings of depression, alienation, and humiliation can sometimes lead to drug abuse, thoughts of suicide, and atheism...."
Drugs Teens and Recovery: Real-life Stories of Trying to Stay Clean
From Kirkus Reviews (7/1/93)
"Seven pseudonymous first-peson accounts from young adults of varied backgrounds, each followed by questions and answers pertaining to the drug discussed. Many of the stories rehearse basic knowledge, but some go a bit deeper, e.g., by pointing out the added dangers of drugs during pregnancy. Most of the youngsters are in shakey recovery. Common patterns are striking: lying; parents in denial and/or turmoil; out-of-control behavior as a side effect - e.g., rape or tashing buildings. The simultaneous appeal and impotanece of rehabilitation are also stressed - it takes just a single AA meeting to make one boy yearn passionately to get clean, yet he realizes that despair is still a drink away."
From VOYA: Voices of Young America (12/93)
...Young people and adults are inundated with statistics and facts about narcotic addiction, so much so that the temptation is to say, 'Enough!' Even the most jaded of readers, though, will be sobered by the self-destruction, self-loathing, and utter waste of young lives in these personal accounts. These are grim stories, averaging eight to ten pages each, told in the individual's own voice, revealing what he or she feels are the essential details of his or her drug life. In most cases, parents or other family members were substance abusers. It is appalling how many of these teens and their friends began abusingdrugs while still in grammar school. As active abusers in high school, several of the narrators were actually leaders in school anti-drug programs, even making anti-drug presentations to other students. As these young people contemplate their futures, some are more hopeful about staying clean than others, but all frankly recognize their precarious situations.
...This books works better as background reading or as a pesonal perspetive toolwith practical information about getting help. There are better sources for hard research, but these words and images put flesh on those statistics. "
From Booklist (January 1997)
"Cheney, who begins with brief background on the creation of atomic weapons, focuseson the effects of tests on the U.S. population and the associated governmental cover-ups. A few interviews and exerpts from testimonies personalize the book, but given the secrecy that surrounds the subject (Cheney often alludes to the disappearance of government records), it is no surprise that these accounts seem insufficient. The chapter concerning victims' struggles to receive government compensation effectively summarizes the extent of illness attributable to testing. Cheney doesn't maintain a wholly impartial tone, but his straightforward presenation, attemtion to research (he makes good use of available records), and extensive footnotes give his book crediblity."
From School Library Journal (April 1997) -
A disturbing look at the effect of nuclear test fallou, paticularly in the Western U.S. The book covers nuclear testing and explosions from 1945 to the recent. Cheney sets the stage by explaining the devastating effect of radiation on the human body. Wieth extensive documentation, he traces government cover-ups, the careless exposure of military personnel, and the browbeating and intimidation used to deny that radiation was ever a problem in this country. Much data is cited, such as studies linking the high incidence of childhood leukemia in rural Utah towns, or strange bouts of livestock death and mutation, to nuclear testing. The author discusses the influence of politics and the desire for secrecy that resulted in no warnings for populations in fallout zones. Despite overwhelming evidence indicating the government and the distressing examples cited, Cheney's treatment remains evenhanded; he presents alternate explanations for the data and eyewitness accounts. Most valuable, however, is the overall sense of the determimental effect of imposed ignorance on the lives of our citizens. An important book on a neglected subject.
From Horn Books(1997)
In an expose manner, Cheney explores many of the dubious activities of the Atomic Energy Commission during and after the U.S. nuclear testing program. The text contains factual errors, describing bombs in kilotons instead of kilograms. Misleading overgeneralizations and adamant but unproven statements leave the reader wondering about the author's objectivity. Extensive source notes are included. "
From Science Books & Film (March 1997) -
"In this book, Cheney has put together a volume that aptly provides information on the atomic energy, nuclear testing, and their impact on the environment and the human race in a succint readable format....Cheney has conducted an excellent review of many articles critical to understanding the rationale for developing the bomb and its testing. These articles provide excellent materials for the reader to pursue for more details."
Nuclear Proliferation: problems and Possibilities
From: Booklist - July 1999
"Cheney sets and ominous tone in his first chapter by describing six worst-case scenarios involving thespread of nuclear weapons and radioactive materials. He then makes the usettling statement that 'events quite like them either have takenplace already or might well take place.' He follows with chapters that read like a cold war thriller, providing a history of the development and deployment of nuclear weapons, an explanation of the treaties drafted to limit the weapon use, and a thorough discussion of the problems involved with nonproliferation policies, rogue nations, and illegal trade in radioactive materials. A glossary, detailed source notes, an extensive bibliography, and an annotated list of Internet sites add to the value of this resource, which will be of use to both student researchers and debaters. - Chriss Sherman.
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