You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

4.14 AVERAGE


A coming of age story set against the backdrop of the Soviet Union crumbling apart. Beautifully written, gripping story that lingered long past the last page. Have recommended it to so many people who also loved it.

DNF. Could not get into the story.

Wow. One of the best books I’ve read this year. Maybe ever. The prose is delicious and her depictions of Perestroika Russia are familiar, haunting, bewildering, heartbreaking and overwhelmingly beautiful -- in other words, she's somehow managed to write something that mimics my own experience of Russia. Thank you Kristina for writing this book!
dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Russians dying in sad ways
dark emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional reflective sad medium-paced

This was a gut wrenching read, but worth it to gain some understanding.
challenging emotional sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I don’t know how much actually happened in this book. Events took place but I could never figure out the purpose or when they would coalesce into plot, which they never did.