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narcissia's review against another edition
5.0
Historical fiction is always hard for me to pick up and start reading. But I am so glad that I managed to pick this one up. And once I started it, I couldn't put it down.
Lina is a great character. All of them are great characters. Lina's mother is the thread that holds them all together. She is intelligent, compassionate, strong, and fearless. I love seeing characters like her in stories. Lina and her companions do what they can to remain strong, to seek out small hopes where they can get them, and to survive. They even find a sense of humor in their situation at various intervals. Lina spends her spare time documenting events in drawings and writings, scribbling them down on scraps of paper with whatever she can use to draw and then hiding them away so that they won't be discovered by the wrong people, hoping that her story will one day be told and that people will know what happened. I became truly invested in them and cared about what their fates would be.
The plot takes Lina and the other deportees from place to place, through various forms of transport and labor camps. Every day is a struggle for survival and hope. The pacing isn't really fast, but I found that I read it quickly and couldn't put it down because I was so interested in what would happen to Lina next and in seeing what would become of her and her loved ones. There are some sad parts, obviously, and disturbing ones. Sepetys handles the scenes which convey sadness, desperation, and horrific events without becoming unnecessarily grotesque; enough is said to put things into perspective for the reader, but it is done in a style that is matter-of-fact and not more descriptive than it needs to be in order to connect with the reader and to get the point across.
Lina is a great character. All of them are great characters. Lina's mother is the thread that holds them all together. She is intelligent, compassionate, strong, and fearless. I love seeing characters like her in stories. Lina and her companions do what they can to remain strong, to seek out small hopes where they can get them, and to survive. They even find a sense of humor in their situation at various intervals. Lina spends her spare time documenting events in drawings and writings, scribbling them down on scraps of paper with whatever she can use to draw and then hiding them away so that they won't be discovered by the wrong people, hoping that her story will one day be told and that people will know what happened. I became truly invested in them and cared about what their fates would be.
The plot takes Lina and the other deportees from place to place, through various forms of transport and labor camps. Every day is a struggle for survival and hope. The pacing isn't really fast, but I found that I read it quickly and couldn't put it down because I was so interested in what would happen to Lina next and in seeing what would become of her and her loved ones. There are some sad parts, obviously, and disturbing ones. Sepetys handles the scenes which convey sadness, desperation, and horrific events without becoming unnecessarily grotesque; enough is said to put things into perspective for the reader, but it is done in a style that is matter-of-fact and not more descriptive than it needs to be in order to connect with the reader and to get the point across.
issysarchives's review against another edition
5.0
Throughout the duration of this book, I was sure it was a solid 4. It was only the last 20 pages or so that bumped it up for a 5. I felt like the entire book I was waiting for something to happen, it didn't feel like it could go anywhere but wow I was wrong. It didn't need a huge climax to be a moving novel. Without spoiling too much, it ripped out my heart and haphazardly tried to tape it back onto the outside of my chest right at the very end. And like in 'Salt to the Sea', Sepetys is not afraid of being honest in her portrayal of life and death. Highly recommended.
harpyd's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
Eye opening and devastating. I hadn’t ever heard much about Russia’s involvement in WW2, so it was very interesting yet heart wrenching to read about. I loved Lina’s fiery attitude and their unwavering strength throughout. I felt that the ending was a little rushed, but I did like that the epilogue tied things together. I think I just wanted a little more to come out of Lina’s drawings and the storyline there. I felt sometimes it was a little bit repetitive, and also found the way the characters were referenced a little inconsistent - ‘the man who winds his watch’, ‘the bald man’, ‘the repeater’ etc. - sometimes they were named and other times not? Overall a good read, I was definitely hooked in by the story.
reader4evr's review against another edition
5.0
Rating: 4.5
This story was super sad but I am so glad that it was told. In high school when we studied WWII, we learned about the concentration camps that the Jews were put in but never did we study in full what happened to the people that were affected by Stalin. He was just as mean and evil as Hitler and it is crazy to imagine how someone can be so judgmental towards others.
Lina was an excellent main character. I loved her, her mother and her brother Jonas. I pulled for them to be ok and to be finally realized from the camps. When Lina's mother died, I was listening to it when I was shopping in Walmart and was tearing up. I can't imagine loosing a family member in that type of situation.
I loved the epilogue because I liked hearing the author speak about the book and her family history. Made me tear up again.
This book will be an excellent read alike for older students who liked the story of Anne Frank.
This story was super sad but I am so glad that it was told. In high school when we studied WWII, we learned about the concentration camps that the Jews were put in but never did we study in full what happened to the people that were affected by Stalin. He was just as mean and evil as Hitler and it is crazy to imagine how someone can be so judgmental towards others.
Lina was an excellent main character. I loved her, her mother and her brother Jonas. I pulled for them to be ok and to be finally realized from the camps. When Lina's mother died, I was listening to it when I was shopping in Walmart and was tearing up. I can't imagine loosing a family member in that type of situation.
I loved the epilogue because I liked hearing the author speak about the book and her family history. Made me tear up again.
This book will be an excellent read alike for older students who liked the story of Anne Frank.
ashemke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is the best historical fiction book I’ve read, and it details an often forgotten yet horrific history. My favorite book.
cait_readsxox's review against another edition
5.0
This book is phenomenal! I’m so glad I got to experience reading this story about how the Soviets in WW2 were affecting the lives of many Europeans, including the Lithuanians. This part of WW2 history is definitely brushed over and I believe everyone should read this book to better understand the impact of communism in that time. I cried multiple times reading this..there was heartbreaking moments but also moments that showed the light of human kindness in cruel times. This is an amazing story that I can’t recommend enough!
befab1486's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
annashiv's review against another edition
4.0
Really really sad for most of the books until the last twenty pages. I did kinda get tired of how depressing it was, though I know that it was trying to display truth. It just got tiring when I didn't think that it was leading up to anything. I didn't think that it would end happily and I couldn't imagine her finding her father after the first half or so. I did really enjoy that she was an artist and that it shows both sides of the stories, especially regarding the NKVD officer at the end. It was very sobering and interesting to learn about a part of world war two I had no idea about.