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elizabethpowers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
i thought this was much better than fountains of silence. it pulls you right in and there's always twists. the epilogue is CRAZY and the themes and messages were so good. so sad
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
dev921's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
kassidyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, and Grief
reginalibrorum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
befrazzledenby's review against another edition
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, War, and Injury/Injury detail
greylandreviews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A really informative and interesting book. I really like when Sepetys only writes from one point of view. When she does multiple, it just becomes jumbly and pacing is kind of thrown off. The narrator for this one was good also.
I never knew this about Romania and I'm really glad I learned about it. Giving a voice to a silent past is what Sepetys is a master at.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Vomit
bringmybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
This was a stunningly researched and unbearably heartbreaking book based on the grim reality of decades of oppression felt by the Romanian people during the latter half of the 20th century, and while it was hard to read, it also felt really necessary.
I was familiar with a bit of Romanian history prior to reading this book, but after reading this I realized just how much I didn’t know. I have such an appreciation for well researched historical fiction novels because they not only give me an idea of what was happening throughout the time periods & locales they are written in, but also the urge to do research on my own to learn and understand more (and absolutely ALL of Ruta Sepetys' books have done just this).
This book reminded me of Salt to the Sea in that it had short chapters, some choppy (on purpose) sentence structure, and once you were invested (happened at about 50pgs for me), you’re not going to put it down until you finish. (Unlike Salt to the Sea, this book only had one POV.)
100% recommended by me and now maybe I should read Fountains of Silence???
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
megmoore123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, Murder, and War
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and Excrement
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
lyzz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is set on the cusp of the Romanian Revolution in 1989. Starting this book, I knew next to nothing about Romania aside from them having great gymnasts. The book focuses on a teenager named Cristian who is recruited to be part of the spy network run by the Romanian government.
This is a fantastic book. It was informative, fast-paced and thoughtful. I learned so much about the country of Romania in this book. It makes me want to learn more about their history and their culture. This was a different type of historical fiction for me - historical thriller. I *loved* the pacing of this book. There are short chapters and the book clips along. Sometimes books that focus on pacing are short on character development - but I thought the author did a thoughtful amount of development of the main character and his family members.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book. This would be a perfect book for someone trying out historical fiction or a seasoned reader.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, and War
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence