RUTA SEPETYS
Synopsis:
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Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.
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Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae CeauÈ™escu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.
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Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?
Content:
Language:a few minor swear words used here and there throughout the book, one use of stronger language.
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Violence:
This book depicts the terrible circumstances of those living in Romania in 1989. The violence in this book is not too graphic, but there is some shooting and wounds of that sort, characters undergo beatings/some torture, wild dog attacks and the threat of being torn apart by one, prisoners (including children) who are forced to go to a terrible prison, and other similar instances or stories told of them. An old man is also found as having been beaten to death and there are instances of poisoning, as well talk of killings. There are also protests that turn violent.
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Sex: A few chaste, undescriptive kisses. Some romantic pining. Talks and mentions of others being in a relationship. The romance aspect of the book is not a main part, so don't go in expecting some grand love story.
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LGBTQ: Not present
My Review: I loved Ruta Sepetys' other books and this one was just as good! Be warned, the pacing is much faster than her other books and the writing style is different. But it was still a very powerful story.