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megatza's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
Genre: historical fiction
Bucharest, Romania 1989
Cristian Florescu is a normal teenager , a dreamer who wants to go to university. Except a normal teenage boy in Romania in 1989 isn’t just mooning over teenage girls: he’s also watching over his shoulder, wondering who may be listening and reporting him to the government. He and his family live in a tiny apartment, and his parents wait in long lines for food and household goods after long shifts at work. When a government agent accuses him of treason for having an American dollar, Cristian makes a bargain to spy on the son of the American diplomat in exchange for medication for his ailing grandfather. No one outside of Romania knows how truly terrible the living conditions are. But there is unrest in the streets, and the country stands on the cusp of a revolution.
This book is a brutal gut punch - graphic and heart wrenching, and important to read. The fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe happened within my own lifetime, and I have very vague memories of events in the early 90s. Having just spent two weeks in Poland and Hungary, this also hit a bittersweet chord for me. I spent several hours (and wished for more) at the Solidarity Museum and Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk. In 1970, people lost their lives in a strike, and in 1980, the Solidarity Union began the decade long bloodless revolution to bring democracy to Poland. This is mentioned in half a sentence in I Must Betray You. In Hungary, dictatorship looked a little different, but the devastation of the Uprising in Budapest in the 60s had echoes around Eastern Europe as well. We think of those things as a distant past in a faraway land, but they really aren't.
Ruta Sepetys has a gift of bringing out the human side of terrible tragedies. This book is YA, because it centers around 17-year-olds, and she presents the story of the revolution in Romania through the eyes of a teenager. But it's dark and difficult because life was dark and difficult. There are sparks of hope, of course. Don't assume that because this is YA that it's dumbed down. Sepetys is meticulous in her research and depiction. Don't sleep on this, or any of her other work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Police brutality, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
niven's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Genocide, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Suicide
elizabethpowers's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
"does the world know what's happening in Romania? if they did...would they do something?" </3
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
jazzsonnet's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Stalking
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
thisbookisbananas's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Gritty, raw, and heartbreaking. This is a historical fiction YA novel that captivated me from start to finish. Set in 1989 Romania where the people are beaten down by an oppressive government and don’t know who to trust. Cristian is a teenager who by a small happenstance is stuck being an informant for his government. In a world where no one can be trusted, how can Cristian choose to do what is right? I think every high schooler should read this book. Wow.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail
arthomas's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
I purchased a copy of this book from the library bookstore.
"I Must Betray You" follows 17-year-old Cristian in 1989 Romania. Cristian aspires to be a writer, but in Romania, there are other plans for people. Nicolae Ceaușescu is the dictator over Romania, and he rules his people by instilling fear and isolating them from the rest of the world. Cristian does not want to live this way anymore, and as he begins to learn more about what is happening in the world, he grows the urge to fight back and do something for the country he loves.
This was a difficult story to read because Cristian's life is made so difficult by a cruel and unjust leader. what is even more devastating, is that this book is historical fiction, and events like these occurred so recently. There were moments I was appalled and wanted to put the book down, but at the same time I was entranced by what was happening. I needed to know how Cristian's story ended.
I really enjoyed that this was written for the young adult sphere. I think it is important for young adults to be exposed to history, and historical fiction books are a great, entertaining way to do so. There were moments of violence and gore that were challenging to read, but again, I think it is important to learn that the world is not all sunshine all the time.
Ruta Sepetys is an immensely talented author, and I really enjoyed my first taste of her writing. Her eloquent prose is both beautiful and does not shy away from the truth. She writes raw stories about real hardship, but she does so in a way that makes it impossible to put the book down.
I could feel Cristian's stress radiating from the page, and I wanted to scream at him the truth that was just beyond his grasp. He is a strong protagonist, and I enjoyed his point of view. He was brave in the face of adversity, and he always sought the truth, even when that seemed impossible to do.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, and I cannot wait to pick up more from Ruta Sepetys in the near future.
"I Must Betray You" follows 17-year-old Cristian in 1989 Romania. Cristian aspires to be a writer, but in Romania, there are other plans for people. Nicolae Ceaușescu is the dictator over Romania, and he rules his people by instilling fear and isolating them from the rest of the world. Cristian does not want to live this way anymore, and as he begins to learn more about what is happening in the world, he grows the urge to fight back and do something for the country he loves.
This was a difficult story to read because Cristian's life is made so difficult by a cruel and unjust leader. what is even more devastating, is that this book is historical fiction, and events like these occurred so recently. There were moments I was appalled and wanted to put the book down, but at the same time I was entranced by what was happening. I needed to know how Cristian's story ended.
I really enjoyed that this was written for the young adult sphere. I think it is important for young adults to be exposed to history, and historical fiction books are a great, entertaining way to do so. There were moments of violence and gore that were challenging to read, but again, I think it is important to learn that the world is not all sunshine all the time.
Ruta Sepetys is an immensely talented author, and I really enjoyed my first taste of her writing. Her eloquent prose is both beautiful and does not shy away from the truth. She writes raw stories about real hardship, but she does so in a way that makes it impossible to put the book down.
I could feel Cristian's stress radiating from the page, and I wanted to scream at him the truth that was just beyond his grasp. He is a strong protagonist, and I enjoyed his point of view. He was brave in the face of adversity, and he always sought the truth, even when that seemed impossible to do.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, and I cannot wait to pick up more from Ruta Sepetys in the near future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
dale_in_va's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Felt real and touching. Kept you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Truly a YA book because it centers on a High Schooler...part of me wishes that there was more insight into the college age people of the era, but I guess I will have to read another book for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, and War
mformato's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An exciting and fast paced story. I had no predictions for anything because it was full of twists and turns. I enjoyed being able to see inside of history, Sepetys really cares about accuracy in her literature. To know that the living conditions of this story were real is heartbreaking. I also like how the story wraps around if you go back to the prologue after reading the end.
Not a full five stars because of personal reasons. I felt like there was a lot of telling rather than showing in the beginning. Also Cristian felt a little too American for the story. Plot points happened a bit too much out of convenience.
But overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend the book to someone who enjoys reading about revolutions, noir, and an undying spirit of hope in a hopeless land.
Not a full five stars because of personal reasons. I felt like there was a lot of telling rather than showing in the beginning. Also Cristian felt a little too American for the story. Plot points happened a bit too much out of convenience.
But overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend the book to someone who enjoys reading about revolutions, noir, and an undying spirit of hope in a hopeless land.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
adireadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I don’t often write reviews for books, but some just deserve it. I must betray you is one of those books. The account is beautifully written, portraying details of stories I heard only fleetingly. I recommend this book to anyone interested in history or even just interested in the Romanian communist period.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Medical content