Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

81 reviews

chuckielittle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Death of parent, War, and Sexual violence

bunnypez's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, War, Death, and Child death

ocnlvr83's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

It's a book about the Holocaust. It is depressing as hell, as any book talking about such subject matter ought to be. There are a few light moments here and there, but this book is full of depressing moments. If you are sensitive to sad moments, love your parents or siblings, approach this book at your own risk. I personally decided to bombard myself with too much Holocaust-related content when I was reading this, and ended up having a tiny nervous breakdown over the plight of the people sent to the ghettos and camps. Don't be me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Child death

Deaths in this book can at times be somewhat detailed, and heartbreaking.

maralrose's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Violence

Moderate: Child death

_mya_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Confinement, Excrement, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Hate crime, and Miscarriage

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Vomit

maxandrambo's review against another edition

sad tense medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Child death

claudiaslibrarycard's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? No

4.0

This was my second Ruta Sepetys book. I read this shortly after her newest release, I Must Betray You. Between Shades of Gray focuses on Soviet work camps at the beginning of WWII. I was almost unaware of this portion of history, and this book brought the atrocities to life. I highly recommend this book for its educational value, but I must mention that it is very dark. Be prepared for an emotional experience, and don’t skip the incredible afterword from the author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death of parent

Moderate: Death of parent and Torture

Minor: Genocide

nebraskanwriter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Wow, what an incredibly powerful and important book! I am so grateful Ruta wrote this, it is so important we do not forget what happened to these amazing people. 

The book begins immediately with Lina and her brother and her mother getting taken to start working in a camp. 

The story is told rather methodically, “I said this, she did this, this happened then that happened” which I did not think I would like. However, I enjoyed the simplicity and that there weren’t a lot of purple prose or anything, nothing to distract you from the direct words you were reading. 

This is Ruta’s first published book and it definitley sounds/reads different than her others that I’ve read. But I still enjoyed it, as much as one can enjoy such a heart breaking book. 

I am not a crier but I did cry at the end, it moved and touched me so very deeply. 

As Ruta is Lithuanian, this felt like an homage to those who endured in silence for so long. I’m so glad light is being shed on the truth of what so many that suffered in silence went through for so many years... 

Quotes: 
“Have you ever wondered how much a person’s life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch.” 

“We’d been trying to touch the sky from the bottom of the ocean. I realized that if we boosted one another, maybe we’d get a little closer.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Police brutality, War, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Antisemitism, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Violence

calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, War, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Police brutality, Xenophobia, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Rape, Murder, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Cursing

slowreaderlmao's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Child death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Rape