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A review by nataliealane
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
4.0
3.5/rounded to 4 stars
BOOK REVIEW:
“They steal our power by making us believe we don’t have any. They’re controlling us through our own fear.”
~Ruta Sepetys, I MUST BETRAY YOU
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If you read this book, what did you think? If not, do you read historical fiction? What’s your fave HF book/author?
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Inspiring and gripping are 2 words that definitely describe I Must Betray You! This book follows Cristian Florescu in communist Romania and how he becomes involved in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 that overthrows Nicolae Ceaușescu
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This is only my 2nd RS book, but both I’ve read Incorporate the arts into their characters and plots and emphasize the power of words and the people’s voice. As always, I also love that Sepetys’ books focus on aspects on history that don’t receive as much attention. I couldn’t put it down! There’s lots of high stakes, and it’s fast paced. My mom even read it in a few days, when she typically is a slow reader.
~
My main complaint is the pacing was too quick. If the revolution progressed within a number of days, as it did in real life, it totally makes sense that the last half of the book reflects that pacing! But the first half of the book was like that too. I didn’t feel emotionally connected to the characters or that I understood them very well as a result. I didn’t feel upset when major death characters occurred, despite them being inciting, important events for Cristian. His relationship with Liliana, although quiet and sweet, and the realization that his leader had been lying to his country similarly felt rushed or not as developed. There’s a frame story element hinted at that I wish had been explored more fully; I really liked Adult Cristian’s writing voice.
~
This is one of those YA books I would have enjoyed more as a teen myself. However, I still want to read the rest of Sepetys’s works, and I Must Betray You deserves a spot on the class library shelf. It would pair well with Fahrenheit 451 or 1984 as an example of real-world censorship.
CW: torture (including of minors/children), death of a family member, poisoning, gaslighting, non consensual medical procedures, sexual harassment, animal abuse, gun violence, war themes, imprisonment
BOOK REVIEW:
“They steal our power by making us believe we don’t have any. They’re controlling us through our own fear.”
~Ruta Sepetys, I MUST BETRAY YOU
———————————
If you read this book, what did you think? If not, do you read historical fiction? What’s your fave HF book/author?
~
Inspiring and gripping are 2 words that definitely describe I Must Betray You! This book follows Cristian Florescu in communist Romania and how he becomes involved in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 that overthrows Nicolae Ceaușescu
~
This is only my 2nd RS book, but both I’ve read Incorporate the arts into their characters and plots and emphasize the power of words and the people’s voice. As always, I also love that Sepetys’ books focus on aspects on history that don’t receive as much attention. I couldn’t put it down! There’s lots of high stakes, and it’s fast paced. My mom even read it in a few days, when she typically is a slow reader.
~
My main complaint is the pacing was too quick. If the revolution progressed within a number of days, as it did in real life, it totally makes sense that the last half of the book reflects that pacing! But the first half of the book was like that too. I didn’t feel emotionally connected to the characters or that I understood them very well as a result. I didn’t feel upset when major death characters occurred, despite them being inciting, important events for Cristian. His relationship with Liliana, although quiet and sweet, and the realization that his leader had been lying to his country similarly felt rushed or not as developed. There’s a frame story element hinted at that I wish had been explored more fully; I really liked Adult Cristian’s writing voice.
~
This is one of those YA books I would have enjoyed more as a teen myself. However, I still want to read the rest of Sepetys’s works, and I Must Betray You deserves a spot on the class library shelf. It would pair well with Fahrenheit 451 or 1984 as an example of real-world censorship.
CW: torture (including of minors/children), death of a family member, poisoning, gaslighting, non consensual medical procedures, sexual harassment, animal abuse, gun violence, war themes, imprisonment