Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

11 reviews

sapphicreaderlucy's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Death, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Genocide, Death of parent, Antisemitism, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, War, Torture, and Gore

megs_baer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Antisemitism, Torture, Gore, Grief, Police brutality, Trafficking, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Slavery, Classism, Colonisation, Hate crime, Racial slurs, War, and Child death

carissa230's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is set during WWII. You wouldn't know it from this book though. There were so many horrible things happening during WWII, but the world usually concentrates on Germany. A book set under Stalin is an interesting viewpoint and one we need. 

Lina and her family are being deported from Lithuania for "crimes". They have no idea what they did, but they haven't seen their father in a long time. While being transported on the train to the prison camp we meet many other families that are also being deported for unknown crimes. 

Lina's story is about survival. About the horror that humans can endure and survive. About the lengths that people will go to in order to survive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Kidnapping

Moderate: War and Rape

jojo50's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Bullying, Confinement, Hate crime, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, and Genocide

Moderate: Xenophobia, Torture, Violence, and War

_mya_'s review

challenging dark emotional informative tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Confinement, Excrement, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Hate crime, and Miscarriage

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Vomit

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.

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Antisemitism and Religious bigotry

maximauve's review

challenging emotional informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, War, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Antisemitism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Suicide

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.

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Content Warnings

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

sbaker21's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is inspired by true events and is incredibly sad. However there are times where there is still hope in the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Confinement, and Kidnapping

brookey8888's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative tense fast-paced

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

5.0

“Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's was worth a pocket watch.”


This book broke my heart. This is a very important book to me though because I am Lithuanian and my great grandmother was born there. I learned a lot. Like I didn’t even know this happened and it disgusts me. Like how did the world come to that? Everyone should read this!! I’m going to be shoving this down everyone’s throat telling them to read it.

Reread
I honestly enjoyed this more the second time. I think it’s because of the state of the world. I just love all the characters and how strong they are. I just can’t believe this even happened. I loved how these people found happiness or hope in little things to keep going. It’s very inspirational. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicide, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Death of parent, Excrement, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and War