Reviews tagging Gore

I Must Betray You, by Ruta Sepetys

13 reviews

hazzy_'s review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Gun violence

Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Blood, Grief, Genocide, Murder, and Death

Minor: Vomit, Excrement, Terminal illness, and Gore

Tread carefully with this book, as with most of the content of Ruta’s book. Deffo be in the right headspace to read it though, because it needs to be read.

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

unforgivenparrot58's review

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, and Violence

Moderate: Genocide, Gore, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Injury/injury detail, Gun violence, and Grief

Minor: Excrement, Torture, Sexism, and Pregnancy

catreads247's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Ruta Sepetys did it again. This book was so addicting! Every time I put it down to take a break, I wanted to pick it right back up again. I cried and laughed. A moving narrative about a little known event in history. All the stars. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

clevelandbookgirl's review

reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Toxic relationship, Death, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, and Blood

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Grief, Alcohol, and Police brutality

Minor: Toxic friendship, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Animal cruelty

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

f7owens's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Gore, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, and Violence

readingvoyage's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-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? No

5.0

“How could we expect others to feel our pain or her our cries for help when all we could do was whisper?” 

 

This novel is set in Romania in 1989 during the last year of communist rule under Ceausescu. I’m old enough to remember Perestroika, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the change of governments in the former Eastern Bloc countries. Ceausescu in Romania was the last holdout, and the West was shocked by the the atrocities and living conditions found. 

 

What is brilliant about this story is that it is told through 17-year-old Cristian’s eyes. He would very much like to be a writer one day (although it wouldn’t be possible under Communist rule). He sees his world clearly, and through his daily encounters, he paints a picture of everyday life during 1989. What really struck me is how the Securitate (the secret police agency) created an environment where no one could trust anyone. 

 

This novel is compelling and one I will remember for a very long time. Bravo, Ruta Sepetys.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Death and Gore

kayaks's review

dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

[ pre-review ]

ruta sepetys you have done it yet again, constantly raising the bar for us all and doing it flawlessly. i’d say i’m surprised but i read the rest of your books. i’ve seen it up close and personal. ruta sepetys, you make me so proud

review to come — 4.5 ⭐️’s 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Gore