kimveach's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a fascinating story of Romania in the late 1980s under the dictatorship of Ceausescu. Under Ceausescu's system, many people became informers. It was a country where no one could be trusted, including your friends and family. We've heard about the orphanages, but this young adult story tells more about what happened to the rest of the people living there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Genocide, War, Cancer, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Injury/injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
padawan17's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Confinement, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Excrement, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Blood, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Gore, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cursing, Suicide, Antisemitism, Addiction, and Child death
jackiescifi's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Genocide, Medical content, Murder, and Confinement
linnybear's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.5
4.5
One of the best books I’ve read since a while. I set up my own expectations towards it pretty high based on the reviews and I was certainly not disappointed. Although throughout the entire book we read about sufferings of entire nation the writing and very short chapters make it so much more digestible to get through. Personally, I love almost lyrical style of the author and the way narration just flows naturally. The characters are lovable, each in their own little ways, and especially Cristian as a main character stay very authentic in his thoughts throughout the entire story.
Even though in the end I hoped for more depth of the plot and descriptions of daily lives in the oppressive system I think the way it was described was just enough from the main character’s point of view at 17 years old. The last few chapters gave just the perfect closure to the entire story and made me want to read more books of that specific genre (and definitely more of Ruta Sepetys’ books!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Torture, War, Police brutality, Injury/injury detail, Stalking, and Confinement
Minor: Sexism and Murder
hkropp77's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Police brutality, Death, and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Terminal illness
gabrielab's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/injury detail, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, and Police brutality
shesreadthat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Medical trauma, Murder, Genocide, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Antisemitism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Torture, Violence, War, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Gun violence
jessgreads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Title: I Must Betray You
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Genre: Historical Fiction
Setting: Bucharest, Romania
Month Read: February 2022
Book Type: Hardcover
Publication: 2022
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 336
TRIGGER WARNING-
Murder / Illness / Genocide / Hunger / Abuse (there are more, but these are the bigger ones)
"WILL YOU REMEMBER ME? A boy with wings of hope.
Strapped to his back.
That never had a chance to open, denied Forever knowing,
What he could have become. What we all could have become."
No Spoiler Summary:
I Must Betray You is a historical fiction book about the Romanian Revolution in 1989. You follow Cristian, a 17 year old who is blackmailed into helping the Government against his will, and he decides that the only way in which he can survive this morally corrupt act is to burn it to the ground from the inside.
Review:
I'm blown away by how good every book Ruta Sepetys writes is. Every time I pick one up, I think that this can't be as good as the last novel, and every time I am speechless once I have finished because she has done it again.
I went into this book barely knowing where Romania is, never mind having any slice of historical knowledge about the country. I think it is absolutely wild that school in the United States barely touches on the Iron Curtain, and the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe in the late 1900s. How several countries were filled with dying, starving, walled off communities similar to what I assume we're being told is happening in North Korea nowadays.
This book is dark, but the moments of hope are such bright spots, and I think the love story subplot was absolutely necessary to keep you from being so incredibly sad the entire book. I think Cristian is SUCH a great character, and an amazing narrator for this novel, in particular, and I was also THRILLED to see Nick Van Dorn (a character in her previous novel, Fountains of Silence.)
If you love, or even like, historical fiction- this is for you. If you want to know about a history you've likely never heard of, this is a great book to learn from. It's technically billed as YA, but her books can 100% be read by adults. This book is fantastic. I'd also listen to her on the podcast: The Book Review by the New York Times. It was a great 20m or so of listening to her talk about this book, and also touch upon some of her others.
See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com
"Sorrow. Anger. An expanse of emptiness that takes form as a separate entity living inside of you. It digs, takes root, and dwells there. And somehow, you know that even if it worms its way out, there will be no relief. If it leaves, there will be nothing left but charred remains, like the inside of a house torched by fire."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Injury/injury detail, War, Violence, Stalking, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Child death, Torture, Grief, Death, Confinement, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infertility
foreverinastory's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Damn Sepetys did it again. Her writing and books are phenomenal.
I Must Betray You takes us to post WWII Romania where Ceaușescu's reign is still going strong. But the people are overworked, being starved and harassed by Ceaușescu's secret police agents. The country is governed by isolation and fear. When Cristian Florescu is blackmailed to become an informant, he feels even more lost. His choices seem impossible, but when the opportunity to expose what is happening in Romania to the world, he jumps into the revolution.
All of Sepetys's books have taught me something. I love that most of her books have focused on Eastern Europe because US public schools hardly talk about these subjects. Even though I took AP European history in high school, I knew nothing about this. This book takes place in 1989 and focuses on the Romanian revolution of December 1989.
Cristian was an easy character to empathize with. We see the horrible things happening in Romania through his eyes and with his sense of compassion. He is such a cinnamon roll. I loved how much he loved his family, especially his Bunu (grandfather). Their relationship was one of my favorite things in this book. Among all the fear and paranoia, these two were bright stars. The love they had for each other was always palpable.
This is a heavy book, but wow I sped through it. Sepetys is a masterful writer, never shying away from the hard truths, but also doing so in such a way that the characters' humanity is always preserved. My heart hurts so much for 1989 Romania and the people who went through these real life events. Sepetys also weaves in reports throughout Cristian's narrative. So not only do we get his POV, but we see how the Securitate see him. And wow, it was menacing. The environment created in this was so tense and fearful.
There's not a ton of action in the beginning of this. Don't get me wrong, things happen and we get to know all the characters. But the first half of the story really sets in tension and depicting just how awful conditions were for the average Romanian citizen. The juxtaposition is made clear whenever Cristian interacts with Dan Van Dorn, the son of the American embassy delegate. The way the Van Dorns are treated and the access they have compared to Cristian is wild. It really slams home the point of how privileged the American delegates are treated.
I highly recommend reading the historical and author note at the end, it is amazing to see a glimpse of the research process and the real people whose lives have been touched.
Rep: All Romanian cast, male side character who loses an arm, chronically ill elderly male side character, Roma male side character.
CWs: Blood, confinement, death, death of parent, emotional and physical abuse (government to its people), genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, police brutality, stalking, violence. Moderate: torture, gun violence, chronic illness, war. Minor: cancer.
Damn Sepetys did it again. Her writing and books are phenomenal.
I Must Betray You takes us to post WWII Romania where Ceaușescu's reign is still going strong. But the people are overworked, being starved and harassed by Ceaușescu's secret police agents. The country is governed by isolation and fear. When Cristian Florescu is blackmailed to become an informant, he feels even more lost. His choices seem impossible, but when the opportunity to expose what is happening in Romania to the world, he jumps into the revolution.
All of Sepetys's books have taught me something. I love that most of her books have focused on Eastern Europe because US public schools hardly talk about these subjects. Even though I took AP European history in high school, I knew nothing about this. This book takes place in 1989 and focuses on the Romanian revolution of December 1989.
Cristian was an easy character to empathize with. We see the horrible things happening in Romania through his eyes and with his sense of compassion. He is such a cinnamon roll. I loved how much he loved his family, especially his Bunu (grandfather). Their relationship was one of my favorite things in this book. Among all the fear and paranoia, these two were bright stars. The love they had for each other was always palpable.
This is a heavy book, but wow I sped through it. Sepetys is a masterful writer, never shying away from the hard truths, but also doing so in such a way that the characters' humanity is always preserved. My heart hurts so much for 1989 Romania and the people who went through these real life events. Sepetys also weaves in reports throughout Cristian's narrative. So not only do we get his POV, but we see how the Securitate see him. And wow, it was menacing. The environment created in this was so tense and fearful.
There's not a ton of action in the beginning of this. Don't get me wrong, things happen and we get to know all the characters. But the first half of the story really sets in tension and depicting just how awful conditions were for the average Romanian citizen. The juxtaposition is made clear whenever Cristian interacts with Dan Van Dorn, the son of the American embassy delegate. The way the Van Dorns are treated and the access they have compared to Cristian is wild. It really slams home the point of how privileged the American delegates are treated.
I highly recommend reading the historical and author note at the end, it is amazing to see a glimpse of the research process and the real people whose lives have been touched.
Rep: All Romanian cast, male side character who loses an arm, chronically ill elderly male side character, Roma male side character.
CWs: Blood, confinement, death, death of parent, emotional and physical abuse (government to its people), genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, police brutality, stalking, violence. Moderate: torture, gun violence, chronic illness, war. Minor: cancer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Stalking, and Violence
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Torture, and War
Minor: Cancer
infinitegoldenfloors's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Genocide
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Injury/injury detail, Torture, Police brutality, and Murder