Between Shades of Gray (2011) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 4 stars

“This was a riveting and well written book on a subject rarely discussed in fiction: Stalin's murder of 20 million during World War II. I knew very little about this topic except for the horrific number of deaths until I read this. My only quibble with the book was the rushed ending where me move from possibly saved to fifty years later with so many questions unanswered. It felt as if the author had a limited number of pages and she had filled them up, so she had to fit fifty pages of plot into one.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Why do we watch atrocity after atrocity committed by one man to another? Why do we never learn from the evils of the past. The world just rolls forward in the same cruel manner.”

• Rated 4 stars

“really good and very exciting book it has journey every chapter. good so far.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 338 pages

I really enjoyed this book! If I could talk to the author, I'd let her know how much I loved reading this book! I thought it was written very well, and it wasn't difficult at all to get really get into this book. I will admit though I wasn't thrilled with the ending of the book, but I think what she tells you in the epilogue makes up for it.

As I read this book I was very caught up in the story. I found it easy for me to understand and feel what Lina was feeling. As I think about the risks she and the others took to survive, I'm not sure if I would have taken the same risks. I liked how Lina was very bold and opinionated. I also liked the hopefulness and humbleness of her mother.

What the author did that made me enjoy the story was the reality of it . I liked how it showed how WW II affected more than just the Jewish people in the sense of being deported and treated as if they were of no worth. I think when we think of WWII we generally think of Hitler and the Jews, and I think it kind of shows the other part of the story with the Soviets and the Lithuanians.

I think the character that changed the most was Lina's little brother Jonas. I think this because he went from being a typical little school boy, to having to grow up and be responsible. Jonas suddenly has to help his family survive. He had to labor everyday, all day, just to get his small ration of bread. Towards the end of the story, he even ends up having to watch his mother and make sure she eats her full ration and try nurse his mother back to health.
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• Rated 5 stars

“Between the Shades of Gray by Reta Sepetys was recommended to me by English 10 teacher. Im really glad she recommended the book it was a very good read. Between the Shades of Gray is a book about a girl named Lina and her family are took away to different villages and camps and are forced to work. The book is narrated by Lina but gives other characters dialoge. The book is set during WW2. They are sent off to Siberia and the men and women are seperated. I would recommend this book to mainly women, but some men may like it too. It does a lot with killing and hard challenges the people must face. I'm really glad that i picked this book up, it was hard to put down and kept me wanting to read more.
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• Rated 5 stars

“Historical fiction takes the reader into the intimate and horrible world of the Lithuanians who were sent to Siberia when Stalin invaded their country. A mother and her two children endure forced labor camps but learn to create a civil world for themselves in an uncivil environment. The characters are so real, and the story so heartbreaking. I could not put it down.”

• Rated 5 stars

“There are not enough words to express my feelings for this book. I haven’t felt this way about a book since reading The Book Thief which I loved so, so much. So yeah, I really loved Between Shades of Gray.

There are a lot of books that tells us about Hitler’s cruelty in Germany and other countries but there aren’t many that tell us about Stalin’s cruel rule. This is the first book that I have read which is about the Baltic states if Lithuania, Latuia and Estonia and its people who were deported. I really admire Ruta Sepetys for pouring her heart into writing and researching this book. My heart goes all out to all those people who had to face Stalin’s iron fist rule.

Between Shades of Gray is a brilliant and wonderful book that portrays survival, love, hope, beliefs perfectly. There were a lot of scenes that made me cry but that didn’t stop me from finishing this book.

Overall, Between Shades of Gray is one of those books that stick in your mind for a very long time. Everyone should read this book. Ruta Sepetys is another author whose work I would look forward to from now on. Seriously, this is one amazing book. Go pick it up now if you can.
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• Rated 5 stars

“Such a great book - it was over too soon! I wished the ending would have followed the characters a bit more, but that was my only complaint. I was drawn into this story from the very beginning and it did not disappoint!”

• Rated 4 stars

“Good historical fiction dealing with the dark side of Russia's prison camps during the events of WWII.”

• Rated 4 stars

“This book tells of story of Jewish Lithuanians who were deported by the Soviets during WW II. The main character is a 12-13 year old girl who weaves her tale of struggle, courage, and survival into a well written novel which is based on actual events.”