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solaris_zip's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The first book I have ever read from Sepetys was “salt to the sea” and I immediately fall in love with the writing style, the character, the flow of the words. Today I had the pleasure of finishing “between shades of grey “ and it did not disappoint. From the writing, to the character development Sepetys always knows what she is doing. The story is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time, you can feel Lina’s emotions on your own skin. The desire of freedom, that little spark of hope that never fully dies in her. The book shows, in a way or another, just a small portion of what 1000, it not more, people had to go through during WW2. And how those events scarred them and the generations to come. The book itself brings awareness to something that should be spoken more about, not just the moral of the book per se, but also about the tragic situation that those people where put in. What they went trough, what they had to see, what they had to leave behind and what they have lost in between. Rita Sepetys never fails to amaze me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, and Slavery
bwritesreviews's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Spoiler-free thoughts: Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read. It was so sad, but felt so important. Honestly, I think everyone should read it. Also, the copy I had of the book has lots of educational resources which made me super happy! It could easily be used for history classes and honestly should be. This is the second book that I’ve read by Ruta Sepetys and my already high opinion of her was once again proven true.
Characters: 5/5
I truly believe this may have been some of the best well written characters I’ve read in a book in a long time. Every single character is complex and reacts to their trauma in realistic ways. Some of them are downright mean to others, but they remain sympathetic because Ruta Sepetys makes sure they are. Lina, the main character, remains strong through the horrible things she goes through but her reactions to what happens to her is also realistic. My personal favorite character in the whole novel was Lina’s mother, she stayed strong for her kids and became the leader of their group of people. The villains felt like villains too, and even when they’re “sympathetic” they aren’t immediately forgiven.
Writing Style: 5/5
Ruta Sepetys knows how to throw an emotional punch. The writing style of the novel made me feel like I was going through an emotional roller coaster…I cried several times. One of the most interesting parts of her writing style is it’s written in third person omniscient, but the writing feels like your seeing what Lina is seeing. I think this is a really good idea for the topic of the novel. The ending felt “incomplete”, but I personally thought that matched the tone of the book perfectly. Speaking of tone, the book’s tone felt like it matched how traumatic it was. It remained serious and sad throughout the whole thing, but there were moments of happiness and hope that felt so real, it hurt.
Plot: 5/5
This book was so sad overall, so it feels a bit weird to be giving the plot any rating at all. But I think this book is one of those that are important everyone read. Despite the hurt of the book, I was glad I read it. Ruta Sepetys is a self-proclaimed “Seeker of Lost Stories” and I think she did a wonderful job doing that. The plot remains heavy and does not shy away from the horrors that these characters endured. The build-up to what was happening was short, but I think that was a good decision, when a book is as serious as this you don’t need too much exposition to set the tone. This story was character-driven and not necessarily plot-driven, but that doesn’t mean the plot wasn’t good. It felt like everything happened for a reason, there were no throwaway scenes. All of it was important.
Overall, a really, really excellent book that I suggest everyone read. Usually I would do a recommended for here, but I think this is such an important book that even if you don’t like this kind of thing, you should read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
my_username's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Death, Confinement, Child death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, Torture, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, Rape, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Abortion
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