Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys

38 reviews

creolelitbelle's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Parts of history are not taught or discussed as often as others, and those are the times and events I enjoy most reading about. Sepetys's books are always eye-opening and emotional, but I appreciate the peek inside fictional accounts of what real people experienced. Between Shades of Gray (or Ashes in the Snow, depending on the edition) is no different. Multiple scenes brought tears to my eyes. What Lina, her family, and others with her suffer is heartbreaking, but she manages to never lose hope or love. Flashbacks of her memories connect to her current events very well and give a solid contrast between the warm, safe life Lina used to know and the bitter, cold life she suffered at the hands of Soviets. I love how her art and writings are incorporated into the narrative and tie into how deportees really chronicalized their trauma. 

The strangest deja vu feeling crept over me while reading the book, making me feel like I'd read it before. I hadn't, and I can only explain that feeling by thinking back to an adult historical fiction book by Heather Morris that was set in a Soviet labor camp or gulag. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Genocide, Deportation, Death, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Confinement, Murder, Chronic illness, and War

Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide

misterbugman's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deportation, Grief, Sexual harassment, Death, Police brutality, Violence, War, Torture, Trafficking, Antisemitism, Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Murder, and Religious bigotry

mayakay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this book, I read it in one weekend :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Child death, War, Genocide, Physical abuse, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Death, Slavery, Police brutality, and Deportation

Moderate: Sexual assault, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, and Gun violence

Minor: Blood, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, and Cursing

Lina's mother did not have to die(!!!!), does she find her father(???), and does Andrius find her??

I need a sequel but this book cannot have a sequel.

sachiara's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

It was really good and so well written but also, absolutely brutal. The unimaginable atrocities these characters experienced were experienced by millions in real life who had their entire lives stolen. It has this really strong connection to art as the main character is an aspiring artist. I find that aspect really beautiful, how she was able to turn her work into hope that someone would find it and help. It is so incredibly heartbreaking, these people were unable to enjoy so many gorgeous parts of life that everyone deserves to enjoy. It definitely made me extremely grateful for everything I have. Would not read if you are going through a tough time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Deportation, Death, Torture, Slavery, Violence, and War

Moderate: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

gurgelmurgel's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Deportation, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: War, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Sexual harassment, and Murder

lexluth0r's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 

This harrowing tale tells the story of a Lithuanian family who is deported to Siberia to work in a labor camp. Lina, her little brother Jonas, and their mother Elena are ordered from their home with just a few minutes to pack their belongings. They have no idea what has come of their father, Kostas, and whether or not he is still alive at this point. They are then boarded onto a cattle car with many other Lithuanians, whom we get to know during the journey, and transported to Siberia where they perform forced labor. Their treatment at the hands of the Soviet soldiers was horrifying, and the loss that these characters and the Lithuanian people endured cannot be fully encompassed in words. I could say so much more, but this is a book that I feel needs to be read to fully understand everything that the characters experience and I don't want to give away any spoilers.

This is a book that was powerful, moving, and heartbreaking. After finishing the book, I put it down and I had to process a lot. How could people treat one another this way? How could it happen over and over again throughout history? How did these characters (who represent very real people and very real survivors) endure? This story represents the story of millions of people whose lives were lost or stolen by the Soviets, and too few people know their stories. Too few people know this history. 

This book is one that every living soul needs to read. There are stories and histories that are unknown, voices who have been silenced. And this book helps to give those people and their history a voice. That is one of the things that I love about Ruta Sepetys books; she helps histories be revealed. A beautiful, stunning book that is equally devastating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and War

Moderate: Excrement, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault

yanskeedoodle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Deportation, Slavery, Murder, Racism, and War

lizziaha's review against another edition

3.0

I found it hard to connect with the characters, and the end felt unsatisfying. I almost wish that we had seen at least a little of the twelve years after the end of the book. And while this book is definitely not about romance, since romance was part of the epilogue, I wish we’d seen a little more of it throughout the book. I think that Sepetys always includes characters that don’t exist within comfortable lines of morality, but in this book it felt rushed and not fleshed out enough. I do kind of want to reread Joana’s story in the other book though. I didn’t remember enough from my read several years ago. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, War, Suicide, Torture, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Deportation, Rape, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Child death, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Antisemitism

Minor: Animal death

oceanwriter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I don’t think I will ever find a book Ruta Sepetys has written that I don't adore. Her books have set my expectations for all historical fiction astronomically high that I’m at the point where I’m okay if she’s the only historical fiction author I ever read again. 

 

Lina and her family are forcibly removed from their home in Lithuania by the Soviets in the midst of World War II. They are deported to Siberia along with several other families. Lina holds out hope that her father will come to rescue them and even attempts to get coded messages to him. With her drawing talents, she also creates secret documentation of the cruelties she and her fellow deportees are forced to endure. 

 

I think I say this every time I read one of Ruta Sepetys’ books, but I absolutely love that the story follows a part of World War II history that is not as well known as others. I consider myself fairly well-studied in this time period and I knew nothing of the atrocities discussed in the book. On top of that, the characters are so marvelously fleshed out, flaws and strengths and all. They felt as authentic as their situations, which can be difficult to find, especially in this genre. 

 

It’s safe to say I am head over heels in love with these plots and the writing. I’m curious to see the movie (retitled Ashes in the Snow) but I know it will shatter my heart. I can bear a lot more of this kind of content in books than I can on screen. Honestly though, it might be worth it if it remains true to the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Child death, Gun violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: War, Sexual assault, and Suicide

chelle22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Deportation, Murder, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Blood, Violence, Suicide, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, War, Sexual violence, Torture, Cannibalism, Confinement, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Dysphoria, Genocide, Deadnaming, Death of parent, and Excrement