Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

20 reviews

chuckielittle's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Sexual violence, Death of parent, and War

ashylibrarian's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

"Sure, we are safe. Safe in the arms of hell." (179)

Between Shades of Gray tells the horrific and grueling story of hidden Lithuanian history during World War II (2). Set in 1941 Lithuania, readers follow the Vilkas family who is startled by an aggressive knocking on their door one evening, followed by an invasion of Soviet guards telling them that they have just twenty (20) minutes to pack their belongings and abandon their home. Told from the perspective of fifteen (15)-year-old Lina, readers follow her, her mother Elena, and her brother Jonas as they are shipped like cattle across countries to serve in labor camps across Siberia.

Ruta Sepetys crafts an emotional, rawfully honest, and historically accurate story that gives readers just a glimpse into the hidden history of the Lithuanian genocide that happened in World War II (2) at the hands of Joseph Stalin. This is the third time I have read this story (once from the graphic novel edition which I highly recommend), however, before reading Between Shades of Gray, I was ignorantly unaware of the atrocities that happened across Easter Europe in the Baltic States. 

There are a few lines from the beginning of the book that are so full of emotion and honesty about what was happening in these countries - the injustice and confusion, the inconceivability and anger:

"A newborn. The child had been alive only minutes but was already considered a criminal by the Soviets." (21)

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's was worth a pocket watch." (27)

Being told from the perspective of a fifteen (15)-year-old really helps this story become relatable to the intended young audience (though just as equally impactful to an older audience, as well). Often times history is told from the perspective of adults, giving only one type of narrative and making it a bit more difficult for young readers to fully comprehend what people have lived through. By using a teenager as the main character, Sepetys is able to share this story and event through the eyes of those who make up about 1.2 billion people in our world population. 

I enjoy reading the author's notes and acknowledgments at the end of the book because, to me, it really shows the purpose and power of this book. I commend Sepetys for the research and dedication she puts in each of her hidden history stories and the fact that she takes the time to recognize that the stories are not hers but she is here to share them for those who have not been able to do so themselves. Sepetys takes time to talk with those who have the stories to tell and learns as much as she can about the event while writing. That is what historical fiction is all about.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Minor: Antisemitism and Religious bigotry

karla_w_a_k's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? N/A

5.0

Difficult book to read as it recounts a dark time in history, but it is history worth learning about. I would not recommend if traumatic storylines, realistic depictions of trauma are difficult to handle in reading, generational trauma/ genocide are things too difficult. Think very similar to Anne Frank and other survivor stories of POW’s from WWII era. I found it a story that I appreciated as it’s about a genocide often overlooked/ forgotten that reverberates to today still. Incredibly accurate description of what many endured but never had the chance to share. If stories like that inspire you to reflect or empathize, change the world, or simply understand history of other cultures- this is a story that would be beneficial to read. But, it is a difficult one. Take breaks!! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Blood, Antisemitism, Colonisation, and Classism

courtneyh_reads's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

sofmar917's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Amazing book and incredibly sad.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

mimela78's review

adventurous challenging dark informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

WWII historical fiction seems to be everywhere right now. Even if you feel like you read them all you need to read this story. While most focus on Germany or Japan this is a look at the Soviet treatment of the Baltic states during this timeframe. The book opens with Lila, a 15 year old, and her family being arrested by the NKVD, precusor to the KGB, because her father was a professor at the university. As the story progresses we follow Lila, Jonas, her younger brother, and her Mom from their home in Lithuania to exile in Siberia. Along the journey you meet other people from her same village and the community they form to survive the brutality of the climate and the NKVD.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

ishieemouie's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

"My husband, Andrius, says that evil will rule until good men or women choose to act. I believe him. This testimony was written to create an absolute record, to speak in a world where our voices have been extinguished."

This book is a testament to what the Baltic countries silently endured during Stalin's regime. It may not be the loudest part of history that most of us have heard of but I hope this book finds its way to more readers and remind that it happened, they exist, and they are now free.

This is a story of hope and of families who lived and loved amidst the horror of a ruthless ruler.


Full review: ✨ https://acupofmouie.blogspot.com/2021/01/ook-review-ashes-in-snow-by-ruta-sepetys.html?m=1

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent

awells96's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

chivalryxsword's review

challenging emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

 

Spoiler-free thoughts: Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read. It was so sad, but felt so important. Honestly, I think everyone should read it. Also, the copy I had of the book has lots of educational resources which made me super happy! It could easily be used for history classes and honestly should be. This is the second book that I’ve read by Ruta Sepetys and my already high opinion of her was once again proven true. 

Characters: 5/5

I truly believe this may have been some of the best well written characters I’ve read in a book in a long time. Every single character is complex and reacts to their trauma in realistic ways. Some of them are downright mean to others, but they remain sympathetic because Ruta Sepetys makes sure they are. Lina, the main character, remains strong through the horrible things she goes through but her reactions to what happens to her is also realistic. My personal favorite character in the whole novel was Lina’s mother, she stayed strong for her kids and became the leader of their group of people. The villains felt like villains too, and even when they’re “sympathetic” they aren’t immediately forgiven. 

Writing Style: 5/5

Ruta Sepetys knows how to throw an emotional punch. The writing style of the novel made me feel like I was going through an emotional roller coaster…I cried several times. One of the most interesting parts of her writing style is it’s written in third person omniscient, but the writing feels like your seeing what Lina is seeing. I think this is a really good idea for the topic of the novel. The ending felt “incomplete”, but I personally thought that matched the tone of the book perfectly. Speaking of tone, the book’s tone felt like it matched how traumatic it was. It remained serious and sad throughout the whole thing, but there were moments of happiness and hope that felt so real, it hurt.

Plot: 5/5

This book was so sad overall, so it feels a bit weird to be giving the plot any rating at all. But I think this book is one of those that are important everyone read. Despite the hurt of the book, I was glad I read it. Ruta Sepetys is a self-proclaimed “Seeker of Lost Stories” and I think she did a wonderful job doing that. The plot remains heavy and does not shy away from the horrors that these characters endured. The build-up to what was happening was short, but I think that was a good decision, when a book is as serious as this you don’t need too much exposition to set the tone. This story was character-driven and not necessarily plot-driven, but that doesn’t mean the plot wasn’t good. It felt like everything happened for a reason, there were no throwaway scenes. All of it was important.

Overall, a really, really excellent book that I suggest everyone read. Usually I would do a recommended for here, but I think this is such an important book that even if you don’t like this kind of thing, you should read it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Antisemitism

my_username's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

TRIGGER WARNING: One of the characters mother needs to prostitute herself to save her son. That was honestly the hardest part for me to read