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A review by allyexa
Spring in Siberia by Artem Mozgovoy
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Holy moly.
A childhood tale of a boy growing up in 80s-00s Siberia, and it was a very hard life. Add to that the fact that the boy was queer, small for his age, and loved poetry, and it’s amazing he lived to tell the tale.
Yes, the book was mostly bleak. Abuse, bullying, sexual assault of minors, poverty, oppression, government corruption, gang violence, etc, etc… But the boy and the story persist. Through the love of family and a few friends, the support of a handful of well-placed teachers and other adults over the years, and Alexey’s own true passion for learning, he keeps living and growing and figuring out life.
The writing is immersive, vividly drawing one into freezing pre-dawn two-hour treks to school, catching butterflies in babushka’s garden, riding all the semi-working transportation, sneaking into apartment blocks to hang out on the roof. I learned history alongside Alexey, who often had to learn from his cool friends or figure out what the real story was behind the propaganda. There was plenty of humor sprinkled throughout, and a great deal of understanding for some of the worst times and people.
Ah, I’m explaining it poorly. I’ll just say then, that the book moved me, I’m glad to have read it, I’ll never read it again, and I’m looking forward to reading part 2. If this is indeed a thinly veiled autobiography, then going from this childhood to living the enviable life from the author’s bio should be a wild and hopeful ride.
2/12/24
A childhood tale of a boy growing up in 80s-00s Siberia, and it was a very hard life. Add to that the fact that the boy was queer, small for his age, and loved poetry, and it’s amazing he lived to tell the tale.
Yes, the book was mostly bleak. Abuse, bullying, sexual assault of minors, poverty, oppression, government corruption, gang violence, etc, etc… But the boy and the story persist. Through the love of family and a few friends, the support of a handful of well-placed teachers and other adults over the years, and Alexey’s own true passion for learning, he keeps living and growing and figuring out life.
The writing is immersive, vividly drawing one into freezing pre-dawn two-hour treks to school, catching butterflies in babushka’s garden, riding all the semi-working transportation, sneaking into apartment blocks to hang out on the roof. I learned history alongside Alexey, who often had to learn from his cool friends or figure out what the real story was behind the propaganda. There was plenty of humor sprinkled throughout, and a great deal of understanding for some of the worst times and people.
Ah, I’m explaining it poorly. I’ll just say then, that the book moved me, I’m glad to have read it, I’ll never read it again, and I’m looking forward to reading part 2. If this is indeed a thinly veiled autobiography, then going from this childhood to living the enviable life from the author’s bio should be a wild and hopeful ride.
2/12/24