A review by idogrocker
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

I have always really appreciated Sepetys’ ability to reveal the histories of young people living in totalitarian/oppressive regimes. The care and research put into her books is so present and vital, and it really brings the stories to life. Except, I can’t escape a nagging feeling that this particular novel felt a bit more wooden. Some of the story seemed to get lost behind the emphasis of the evil of communism, rather than be artfully framed by the context of communism. Given the ending author’s notes, I hope this was more an effect of attempting to underline Romania/Ceausescu’s specific brand of communism than it was delivering a ham-fisted (or should I say “paddle-handed”) “communism bad” message. As a student of the region, I’ve always been impressed by Sepetys’ nuance, so I’m hoping some of the loss of that nuance in this novel is only another symptom of COVID-19.

TLDR, I enjoyed it despite my qualms, and look forward to learning from Sepetys’ future work as I have in the past.