Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray

In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Based on the author's family, includes a historical note.

Between shades of gray

i remembered reading this 2 years ago and its still beautiful and heartbreaking as the first time i read it. This really opened me on reading more historical fiction especially world war 2 topics. 

I just wanna mention nikolai, I'm so thankful of what he did, he somehow gave them hope and im just really thankful. 

And Jonas, I'm so proud of him..

I really love Lina as a character, she's not afraid of saying her opinions instead, the people arround her is afraid for her. 

Overall, Ruta really did a great job. I just really love this.

THIS IS ONE OF HER BEST BOOKS YET I cried many times and it’s so interesting I loved it and this is my book that I’m jealous of people who get to read it for the first time the ending is so beautiful and the letter AND THE FACT SHE AND HIM FOUND EACHOTHER  AGAIN i loved this book so much and it shine some light on something that is not talked about and this is the first book about this that I have read and I have read a lot of books about Europe during and right before and after ww2 

Stella

amelia <3

In 1941, Lina and her family are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers.

Kits for Teens

Between Shades of Gray Book Discussion Kit

Sarah Sammis

Overdrive due 8/8


There's nothing wrong with it. I just wasn't in the mood for it. 

http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...

Mel 

Ruta Sepetys is an exceptional writer. Her ability to shine light on areas of history that many people are not familiar with is remarkable. The only reason why this isn’t 5 stars is because I didn’t really connect with Lina that much (same problem I had with Salt To The Sea). Heartbreaking but a source of hope and strength in these times. I’m going to read everything she writes.

Ivan

“What was life asking of me? How could I respond when I didn't know the question?” 


What a gut-wrenching novel, yet full of lessons. It has ups and downs; love and hatred; hope in distress: light at the end of the tunnel. So good. So balanced.


This novel is an eye-opener for those who didn't know, including me, the other side of Stalin's evilness. Yeah, I've learned from my history classes that he is evil but I didn't pay attention or maybe we were not taught about the story this novel focuses. 


I so loved the characters here. Despite their differences, they still managed to get along (well.. not at all times). Elena's love to her children were pure and touching. Their smiles despite all the sufferings they had made me smiled, too. I sympathized. I shed tears. I frowned. And of course, smiled again-- their unwavering faith was moving.

This novel does not only revolve on Stalin's wickedness, the war, the killing; it is also about love and its forms.

Love for oneself. Love for family. Love for friends. Love for neighbors. Love for God. 

I'm so glad I discovered this novel. Definitely worth the read! 


“You stand for what is right, Lina, without the expectation of gratitude or reward.”

Naiya

one of the best books I’ve ever read

it pretty much changed my life 

definitely in the top three

currently watching the movie and it’s not that great: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars so far

Denaiir

3.5 stars, I think this one was a bit overhyped for me, I've read way more impactful books about WWII. 

It was an interesting point of view since the Baltic countries were not mentioned in school when we studied the war. However, after reading this book I kind of have the feeling that I don't know much more about what happened. Since the story focused on one family, not a lot was described in terms of the overall strategy of Stalin, which was normal since the characters had no idea what was going on. However, the problem was that it resulted in the story not being very powerful, compared to other books about WWII that made me cry quite hard (The Book Thief, All the Light We Cannot See). Maybe the author toned it down since it's YA but the result was a very meh story.

I was looking for something more out of this book, the only thing that made me cry was actually the author's note at the end, but unfortunately it was not a memorable read for me.

The audio version was very good, Emily Klein did a good job differentiating the various characters and her narration was good overall. However, I didn't like the fact that there was no way to know when the narrator was starting a flashback because there was no pause/sound so I was always trying to catch up and figure out when the chapters stopped and the flashbacks started.

Elizabeth Wood

This book tells of a time that many have forgotten. So many historical fiction books focus on Hitler and Nazi Germany, but this taught me something new. I appreciated learning about Lithuania and the years many people spent as slaves in Siberia.

Jenny Vuu

4.5/5
Really heartbreaking reading from the main character's perspective of the cruelty she faced and how much her life had changed because of the Soviet Union. When Lina is deported to the camps with her mother and brother there is a strong sense of the human spirit and the fight for survival.

Brooklyn Montri

This book was good, i liked the relationship dynamics i absolutely hated the ending though, with every fiber of my being :)

Beatrix Haase

My new favorite book. This book was so powerful. I really enjoyed it. The plot was phenomenal. God this book was so good.

xoxo,
Bebe

mercy

Rachel Kanyid

Wow... Just wow...
I know this was historical fiction... But it seemed so real...
The struggles, the pain, the realism...... It was so heart breaking, and yet so beautiful...

This book flowed beautifully from page one until the end, and the main characters, though some are unnamed, are all so...real. 

At least to me.

This book is not for people who cannot stomach war stories. 

There is mildly graphic detailings of violence and death and dead bodies, etc, as it is set during the 1940's at work camps, and all that jazz....But it still managed to be beautiful and hopeful...

Reminded me somewhat of "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom, just fictional and set in Lithuania/Russia.

Jeannette Ordas

Such an unfortunate title for such a good book. This is the second book I've read in the past few months about the soviet occupation of Lithuania (this was the first), except that this one is put in YA territory with a teenage Lithuanian girl forced from her home to work as slave labour in Siberia. It's cold, harsh and I cried like a baby.

Ana Paula

"it is my greatest hope that the pages in this jar stir your deepest well of human compassion. I hope they prompt you to do something, to tell someone. Only then can we ensure that this kind of evil is never allowed to repeat itself"

this book, like most historial fiction, was heartbreaking; however, knowing history is short of repeating itself at the moment made it a much more serious read.

reading about Russia's occupation of the Baltic countries during (and after) wwii, and their freedom in the 1990's, while news report about the 2022 armed invasion on Ukraine (and the 8 years before this) is just...

and so, I finish with this:

"but [...] to remain neutral or independent will be impossible"

P. S
I just found out there's a movie adaptation of the book, which means I'm definitely watching it this weekend

devin.reads

To say that this book is very emotional would be an understatement. This book is so powerful. You can see that the author puts a lot of thought and research into the topic of this story. Because this book is based off actual events that happened, it allows you to see the book in an all new light. Between Shades of Gray is a book that you'll always remember. If you're a fan of WWII, ones that won't be dry and full of politics, I highly suggest reading this one!

Katelyn Sykes

I really like Ruta’s writing style. The book moves fast and is easy to get through. It is brutal what people went through in those work camps. Not a pretty or happy story, but an important story to tell.

Talia Dominguez 

oh my, this book!!!! it made me feel so many emotions all at once! It was A great read! I loved it!!


So many people died in this book that i cant help but feel so sad about it! they did not deserve to die the way they did because of a war going on! its so sad how people's freedom can cost other people's death.
i loved Lina! She didnt pay much attention about what was happening in the political world to know why she was taken away from her home and father! on another note, I am glad she could survive every single second in that world of chaos she lived in.
Powerful Story indeed.

Sierra Nguyen

A beautifully written historical fiction about a usually forgotten, but important, part of history in the 1940s in Europe. 

Lina, a fifteen-year-old girl, and her family were deported from Lithuania to Siberia in 1941. Among other Lithuanians, Estonians, and Latvians, they were moved in tightly packed train cars from one place to another and worked in labor camps as if they were slaves to the Soviets. A lot lost their lives in those years and for those who remained, they could only lean into each other for support and hope that they had enough resilience to live through this hell and await a better day.

I learned so much of history from reading this book, and you should too. This part of history was kept silent for too long, and now, it deserves to be learned, so something like this will never repeat itself.

Rose McReynolds

I read this book a few years ago when I was in high school and the first thing I have to say is that this book is not a for the faint of heart. It’s brutal and it’s tragic. Honestly if it weren’t for my librarian recommending the book, I probably wouldn’t have picked it myself but I’m so glad I read it. It will leave a pit in your stomach. You ache for the main character. When I read the book, I was the same age as the main character. I tried putting myself in her shoes and it was eye opening. Could I survive what she went through? Could I do what she had to do? It definitely gave me insight to my own privilege and made me look at the things around me differently. 10/10 would recommend this to everyone I know.

One night fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother and young brother are hauled from their home by Soviet guards, thrown into cattle cars and sent away. They are being deported to Siberia. An unimaginable and harrowing journey has begun. Lina doesn't know if she'll ever see her father or her friends again. But she refuses to give up hope. Lina hopes for her family. For her country. For her future. For love - first love, with the boy she barely knows but knows she does not want to lose . . . Will hope keep Lina alive? Set in 1941, Between Shades of Gray is an extraordinary and haunting story based on first-hand family accounts and memories from survivors.

soph <33

‘𝐖𝐞’𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧. 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐞’𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫.’

——————

I honestly don’t know what to say; no words will be able to do this book justice. I’m so glad to have read this, having had no idea about this side of WWII before. This book manages to be brutal and heart-wrenching yet is also so 𝘬𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘺𝘢. Everyone should read this book.

Emelie

Second Read; still amazed by The story. Terryfying and absolulety heartbreaking. Still My favorite book! 

First Read: 30/12/15-2/1/16;
I have nothing bad to say about this book.. It was just extraordinary! Everyone should read it!

Ayden

There were so many lines that I wish I could’ve highlighted if I hadn’t read it on Shabbos. This is a side of the war I’ve never read and the writing being so simple is what helps keep it both informative and heartbreaking.

Between Shades of Gray

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