Reviews tagging 'Death'

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

97 reviews

mbm7pink's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book was a good and sad read. Very informative about the seldom told story of what happened to the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia under the rule of Josef Stalin. The things that these people had to go through are just heartbreaking and infuriating. I appreciated the short chapters. Again, such an incredible story of the will to survive and fight for love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, War, and Deportation

elisabeth888's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

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

I recently read Ashes in the Snow for the third time as it is one of my favorite historical fiction novels. Ashes in the Snow focuses on the experience of people in the Baltic states, who were torn between Hitler and Stalin's aggression. Because of continued Soviet occupation in the Baltics following WWII, many survivors accounts were silenced.

Ashes in the Snow follows the story of fifteen-year-old Lina who is deported from Lithuania to Siberia, along with her brother Jonas and mother Elena. Despite the suffering, the innocent prisoners attempt to help one another and establish normalcy for the children. Throughout the novel Sepetys demonstrates how the line between good and evil is blurred, especially in the young officer Kretzsky who struggles with the immorality of the orders he is given.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and War

beckfest's review

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Genocide, and War

julesmq's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.5

A horrifying story but fast-paced and compelling. This is yet another period of history that needs to become well-known, if only to prevent repeating. Ruta Sepetys always tells these stories well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

f_r_e_d's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

I got sucked into this book, and I couldn’t get out. It was super good and interesting. I loved the writing style. I wish it had more closure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Genocide

creolelitbelle's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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

Parts of history are not taught or discussed as often as others, and those are the times and events I enjoy most reading about. Sepetys's books are always eye-opening and emotional, but I appreciate the peek inside fictional accounts of what real people experienced. Between Shades of Gray (or Ashes in the Snow, depending on the edition) is no different. Multiple scenes brought tears to my eyes. What Lina, her family, and others with her suffer is heartbreaking, but she manages to never lose hope or love. Flashbacks of her memories connect to her current events very well and give a solid contrast between the warm, safe life Lina used to know and the bitter, cold life she suffered at the hands of Soviets. I love how her art and writings are incorporated into the narrative and tie into how deportees really chronicalized their trauma. 

The strangest deja vu feeling crept over me while reading the book, making me feel like I'd read it before. I hadn't, and I can only explain that feeling by thinking back to an adult historical fiction book by Heather Morris that was set in a Soviet labor camp or gulag. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Physical abuse, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

misterbugman's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Deportation

pastorscratchy1reads's review

dark emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Blood, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

I just wish the ending was a little more clear. Like did Lina's father actually survive? What happens to Jonas? How does Lina find Andrius again?

mayakay's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-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? No

5.0

I loved this book, I read it in one weekend :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Blood, and Pregnancy

Lina's mother did not have to die(!!!!), does she find her father(???), and does Andrius find her??

I need a sequel but this book cannot have a sequel.

puzzling_reader's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Deportation

Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and War