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Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

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Book Cover
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Sepetys, R. (2011). Between shades of gray. New York, NY/USA: Philomel Books,

 PAGES/AUDIO BOOK TIME
352/8 hours

PURCHASING OPTIONS
Hardcover $16.19
Paperback $9.62
NOOK $9.99

Kindle $9.99
Hardback $9.99
Paperback $8.99
ANNOTATION
Lina Vilkas is deported from her home in Lithuania to live in a Siberian gulag.

SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert*
Lina Vilkas is a 15-year old Lithuanian girl who is an aspiring artist. She lives in Vilnius, the capitol of Lithuania, with her mother, father, and younger brother, Jonas. In 1941, a year after Lithuania is annexed by the Soviet Union, Lina and her family are arrested and deported. Her father is separated from them and sent to a distant prison. Lina, her mother, and younger brother are sent off to a gulag-a prison work camp-in Siberia. They are put into cattle cars and spend six plus weeks on the train where several of the other prisoners starve or freeze to death. 

They are charged with treason and sentenced to 25 years of hard labor. While in the gulag Lina watches her mother deteriorate and eventually die from malnutrition, exposure, and disease and learns of her father's death. Lina and her brother are kept in the Siberian gulag until 1954 when they were allowed to return to Lithuania after 12 years of being wrongfully kept as criminals.

MY REVIEW
Very few stores are able to penetrate the soul to its core. Between Shades of Gray is one of those stories. Ruta Sepetys has created a story that bores into your heart and soul from the first page and doesn't stop until the last, and then, just as the last climactic note of an orchestra performance reverberates throughout the performance hall, the powerful message of this book reverberates in the heart and mind of the reader for days after. It is a piercing tale of crimes against humanity that defy the imagination. It is a standing ovation to the courage and enduring hope humans are able to hold on to even in the worst of injustices. Sepetys does more than tell a story of a girl and her family. She is telling the story of the thousands of victims of a cruel dictator. She gives a voice to those who had none. She puts a spotlight on a piece of human history that has been pushed into the dark for far too long. The dead have finally been given a chance to tell their story through Lina, Andrus, Jonas, Mrs. Vilkas, and many others. The only questions left for us to answer are are we going to listen? Are we going to change? Are we going to ensure that these stories are never repeated again?

RATING
Quality Rating: Gold
Popularity Rating: Diamond

GENRE & SUB GENRES 
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
Fiction
War
World War II
Cultural > Russia
Romance
Holocaust

APPEAL FACTORS
Between Shades of Gray sheds light on a part of WW ll that is rarely talked about and very few people know about. It presents strong female characters and demonstrates the strength and resilience of the human soul and its ability to overcome the worst cruelties. This is a must read for anyone with an interest in WW ll era books. 

BOOKTALKING
Mrs. Arvydas, mother of Andrius and whose husband is said to be dead, must choose between allowing her son to be killed by the NKVD or save his life and sleep with them. Issues of morality are found throughout this book where prisoners must decide what morals they will keep and what morals they will give up in order to stay alive. 

 Lina finds herself jealous of her best friend and cousin, Joana, when she finds out her father, Kostas, helped Joana and her family escape to Germany leaving Lina and her family starving in Siberia. Her mother, Elena, tries to reassure her that it is their responsibility to take care of those around them even if they put themselves at risk in the process. 

 Lina, who loves art, must find a way to express herself through this median, without risking her life. Art if powerful because it tells the truth. If the NKVD were to see how she sees them through her art, she could be killed.

DISCUSSION POINTS
This book is about the Baltic people's genocide. Why is the not-very-well-known historical event important to read about? Why do you think it is not well known? 

 How was the use of art important in this novel?

 Do you think Lina knew too little about the political unrest in her time? Is that typical for teens?

 How is Elena's calming nature a benefit to her family?

 Is Elena rebelling when she smashes her precious china and crystal? How, in her own way, does Elena fight the NKVD?

 Did Lina's candor make you uncomfortable? Did it make you think more than if she were to censor it? How did you feel with her frankness?

 How does Lina use art to stay connected to the world?

 Do you think the bald man is an unsympathetic character? Throughout the novel are you able to see examples of redeeming qualities? 

 Why does Elena act like she does not know who Regina is?

 How do Lina, Jonas, and Andrius survive? What character traits help them? Who are you most like?
WHY THIS BOOK?
When I read the premise of this book I immediately knew that this was a book I could not turn away from. It had the appeal of being historical fiction and from the WW ll era, which is my favorite era to read about. Even better, it pertained to a part of WW ll history that I had no prior knowledge about, which was Lithuanian WW ll history. I could not pass up the opportunity to read it, and I was not disappointed. This book has become one of my favorite books of all time. 
THE AUTHOR
REVIEWS

"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." -The Washington Post

"Lina is a heroine young and old readers can believe in." -Entertainment Weekly

"Please read this small window into a tragedy." -NPR

"This is a gripping story that gives young people a window into a shameful, but likely unfamiliar history." -School Library Journal

"A compelling love story." -VOYA

"A document long overdue" -Richard Peck, Newbery Award-winning author of A Year Down Yonder

"A book hasn't moved me this much since I read The Help." - Deborah Sinclaire, Editor-in-Chief, Book-of-the-Month Club


SIMILAR TITLES/AUTHORS
The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow
Strings Attached by Judy Blundell
Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

AWARDS
Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee for Honor book (2012)
SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Fiction (2012)
William C. Morris YA Debut Award Nominee (2012)
Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2012)
Indies Choice Book Award for Young Adult (2012)
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Nominee (2012)
Lincoln Award Nominee (2016)
Cybils Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2011)
Carnegie Medal Nominee (2012)
Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2014)

POINTS TO REMEMBER
  • Lithuania
  • Siberian gulags
  • WW ll

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