A review by thenovelmaura
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

emotional 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? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me a copy of this one after its paperback release! I have high expectations for Sepetys so I admit to feeling let down here. Was the book engaging and informative? Yes! I didn't know anything about the Romanian revolution before reading it, and all of the details about the daily lives of those under this communist regime were eye-opening. But was I invested in any of the characters and their fates? Not really... Something just wasn't clicking here and I felt like I was watching the events unfold from a distance. The last third of the book was rushed and messy; while I know some of that was probably a narrative choice, I can't help but be critical of the outcome. Again, I'd recommend Sepetys' previous works to just about anyone, so maybe I'm being harsher than I would be of another author! In all fairness, this was a quick, well-researched read that taught me quite a bit about this particular period in history.
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