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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
I started this book a while ago and for some reason I kept putting off finishing it. Now that I have finished it, I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. This book is a heartbreaking, yet inspiring account of the famine in the USSR during 1930's. It is a well written and engaging book, that introduced me to a part of history of which I was personally unaware. This is a middle grade novel, but I would also highly recommend this book for teens and adults as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, War, Classism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Three stories converge in this middle grade historical fiction book. Thirteen-year old Matthew is forced to unpack his 100-year-old great-grandmother, GG’s, storage boxes. Matthew finds a photo that sparks questions and ultimately unspools a long-hidden history about GG’s childhood in Stalin-ruled Soviet Ukraine. The three perspective are set in different places and time: 1930s Ukraine, Depression-era Brooklyn, and N.J. during Covid-19 lockdown. I knew next to nothing about Communist Ukraine during its man-made famine, the Holodomor, before reading this book. I love how the book explores families and history and reminds us “we need to tell the whole story” and be mindful of whose stories have not—or cannot—be told. I loved the tie-in to the real life reporter who reported false information, encouraging readers to consider carefully their sources. This story has something for everyone and will appeal to fans of Alan Gratz and Ruta Sepetys.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
This is not how Matthew expect this year to go. The world has shut down because of Covid. His journalist dad is stuck overseas and his mom just moved his 100 year old great grandmother in with them to keep her safe. And when his mom takes away his only fun, his video games, he finds a new way to occupy his time, helping GG go through her boxes full of memorabilia. In those boxes he finds clues to a history he does not know, abed her sets it to get GG to share her story.
As GG opens up to Matthew, we get two perspectives from the 1930s. Mila in Kyiv, Ukraine and Helen in Brooklyn, New York. All three perspectives help tell the story of the famine in Ukraine in the 1930s and make a commentary on who and what gets to define the truth.
_____
I love reading books that open my eyes to parts of history previously unknown to me, and this book does that in a such a carefully crafted way. The way the story was woven through the three perspectives fleshed it out more and made the characters more three dimensional.
There are some horrific things that happen in this novel, but I think they were presented tactfully where the reader gets the picture without having to experience all the gritty details.
Overall I enjoyed this book and because it opened my eyes to a new part of history, it will be one that I think about for years to come.
_____
Content Note: This book addresses the 1930s famine in Soviet Ukraine, so there are descriptions of abuse and people starving to death. Other things to be aware of are: antisemitism, bullying, execution, classist rhetoric, and descriptions of 2020 Covid pandemic. As such, I highly suggest parents or guardians read this one alongside their children to discuss with them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
As GG opens up to Matthew, we get two perspectives from the 1930s. Mila in Kyiv, Ukraine and Helen in Brooklyn, New York. All three perspectives help tell the story of the famine in Ukraine in the 1930s and make a commentary on who and what gets to define the truth.
_____
I love reading books that open my eyes to parts of history previously unknown to me, and this book does that in a such a carefully crafted way. The way the story was woven through the three perspectives fleshed it out more and made the characters more three dimensional.
There are some horrific things that happen in this novel, but I think they were presented tactfully where the reader gets the picture without having to experience all the gritty details.
Overall I enjoyed this book and because it opened my eyes to a new part of history, it will be one that I think about for years to come.
_____
Content Note: This book addresses the 1930s famine in Soviet Ukraine, so there are descriptions of abuse and people starving to death. Other things to be aware of are: antisemitism, bullying, execution, classist rhetoric, and descriptions of 2020 Covid pandemic. As such, I highly suggest parents or guardians read this one alongside their children to discuss with them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
I loved this book so much! This book made me realize why I love historical fiction. The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh is a middle-grade historical fiction novel about the Holodomor – a man-made famine in Ukraine in the early 1930s. This is a timely and vital story everyone should read. I highly recommend this book.
The author ingeniously and magically connects the multi-generational family stories in this book. Matthew is bored at home during the pandemic. When he gets grounded, his mother tells him to help his great-grandmother go through the boxes of her belongings. In so doing, he discovers her past – a story of three young girls, Helen, Mila, and Nadiya, during the Holodomor under Stalin. At first, I was confused about which was his great-grandmother, but about halfway through it became clear which girl she was. From that point forward, it was unputdownable. The story is told alternatively between Matthew during the pandemic in New Jersey in 2020 and Helen in Brooklyn and Mila and Nadiya in Ukraine in the 1930s.
I highly recommend the author’s notes at the end because readers will learn how many events mentioned in the book are actually based on her family story.