A review by ledegennaro
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

challenging dark sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I have been seeing and hearing about this book for years but I am fairly positive I never actually read it. I found this to be a really great YA historical fiction novel. Though it was about a time period that is frequently featured in this type of book, this was a very different setting and population. I truly knew absolutely nothing about the Soviet occupation of Lithuania during WWII and it was really interesting to hear a new perspective.

Obviously most things written in WWII era are horrific and this was no exception. The tragic death and suffering was really hard to read but, in my opinion, done very well. Too often books like this can feel like trauma porn and I didn’t feel that at all here. I was also touched by feeling of hope that managed to stay alive despite all of the atrocities.
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