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A review by votesforwomen
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
3.0
This is a powerful, heart-wrenching, and beautiful look at a part of history few people know about. Russia's atrocities were just as awful as those of Germany during the days during and after World War II, and the horrors inflicted upon the people of Lithuania are rarely spoken of. So I think this book raises answers about a crucial and oft-ignored part of history.
I love Sepetys' book "Salt to the Sea," which definitely tops my shelf as one of the best ones this year. However, I don't think this one is anywhere near as good. The writing style is flat, Lina has very little distinctive personality, and the other characters are more archetypes than real people. Sepetys uses this same technique to brilliant effect in SttS, where various characters with a defined character trait make up most of the cast and tell the story in a way no one else could. However, this being her debut novel, I think it can receive some grace. Not my favorite of her works by far, and not one that's going to soar to my favorites list, but definitely a worthy story of a forgotten part of history. 3.5 stars.
I love Sepetys' book "Salt to the Sea," which definitely tops my shelf as one of the best ones this year. However, I don't think this one is anywhere near as good. The writing style is flat, Lina has very little distinctive personality, and the other characters are more archetypes than real people. Sepetys uses this same technique to brilliant effect in SttS, where various characters with a defined character trait make up most of the cast and tell the story in a way no one else could. However, this being her debut novel, I think it can receive some grace. Not my favorite of her works by far, and not one that's going to soar to my favorites list, but definitely a worthy story of a forgotten part of history. 3.5 stars.