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A review by sophiekindareads
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
An extremely emotional and eye-opening novel about the deportation and genocide of the people of the Baltic states during WWII.
Writing: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Sadness Meter: 20/10
Total: 49/40
Writing: This book was written beautifully. I think it perfectly balanced the naivety of a teen narrator with a lot of emotional depth. It also managed to be super informative about a world event that I barely even knew happen. Also, if you LOVE short chapters like me, this book is the holy grail for you. Overall, really well written, and I can't really say anything bad about it.
Plot: All I can say is that the plot of this novel made my heart shatter into a million pieces. It seemed like each chapter it just kept getting worse, but it wasn't so depressing that I couldn't get through it. Because the novel still somehow convinced me that everything would end well, so I just HAD to finish it.
Characters: The only reason this isn't a 10/10 is because some characters kind of irritated me at certain points. But, they were also in extremely horrible circumstances, so I understand if they weren't at their absolute best.
Sadness Meter: I literally don't have to really elaborate in this. Just know that this book was one of the saddest I've ever read, since The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. For some reason, Historical Fiction always just make me break down.
Overall, incredible book. I recommend it to everyone, because I think this event in history also needs to be more widely discussed. And, it is just an all around incredible novel.
Writing: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Sadness Meter: 20/10
Total: 49/40
Writing: This book was written beautifully. I think it perfectly balanced the naivety of a teen narrator with a lot of emotional depth. It also managed to be super informative about a world event that I barely even knew happen. Also, if you LOVE short chapters like me, this book is the holy grail for you. Overall, really well written, and I can't really say anything bad about it.
Plot: All I can say is that the plot of this novel made my heart shatter into a million pieces. It seemed like each chapter it just kept getting worse, but it wasn't so depressing that I couldn't get through it. Because the novel still somehow convinced me that everything would end well, so I just HAD to finish it.
Characters: The only reason this isn't a 10/10 is because some characters kind of irritated me at certain points. But, they were also in extremely horrible circumstances, so I understand if they weren't at their absolute best.
Sadness Meter: I literally don't have to really elaborate in this. Just know that this book was one of the saddest I've ever read, since The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. For some reason, Historical Fiction always just make me break down.
Overall, incredible book. I recommend it to everyone, because I think this event in history also needs to be more widely discussed. And, it is just an all around incredible novel.