Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Books about the Holocaust draw me and I had read some wonderful reviews on the young adult novel, Between Shades of Gray. I agree that it was so well written that I know my review will fall short of capturing the haunting loveliness of the indomitable human spirit and compassion that can be shown even in the most ugliest of times. Although this book is fictional, true accounts of refugees have went into the writing of it. For most parts I have read books about the capture and genocide of the Jewish people, but this books goes at it from a different angle - the possession and slavery of the people of the Baltic States.



Lina is a fifteen year old girl living comfortably in Lithuania with her family - mother, father, and younger brother and is on the verge of entering a prestigious art school. Soviet soldiers appear at their door one day and order Lina, her mother and brother to pack a bag and leave with them to board a rail-car, with others from their town. There Lina finds out that her father is on another train car and they are being taken to the Russian countryside to be used as free labor workers in the beet fields. Losing track of Lina's father, they continue on until they actually reach the Arctic Circle and disembark as winter approaches. The small caravan must throw anything they can find together to make a suitable shelter while the Soviets live in warm cabins and eat a wealth of stockpiled food. Lina watches in horror as her friends and family become starved, sick, fevered, and fall prey to death.



If you read one teen book or any book this year, make it this one.



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