A review by alexxrose
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Very interesting and informative, even for fiction this was something I felt learned a lot from. I'd recommend it for sure, but I feel like it comes with some homework that you have to do on your own. 

I struggled to connect with the main character's love of the artist Edvard Munch. This might be because I'm not well versed in art but I also felt like the paintings were supposed to be in reference to things happening in Lina's story but I couldn't make the connections very well. 

I felt like the book shied away from some of the horrors of these camps. I don't know if this was a specific choice give the fact its a YA novel, or if the author didn't feel like it would be appropriate but it felt like it took away from the story. I don't need to see misery and death exploited on the page but it felt like there were grim undertones that were being purposefully looked away from. Which did disappoint me given the topic of the book. 

The book also ended very abruptly.
once the doctor arrives and helps the prisoners at the camp, I thought there would be more about their continued survival at the camp or how they eventually left. Yes there was a set prison sentence but the text also implied it was indefinite, so its very unclear how one would leave a labour camp like this. I also wish there had been more closure with Lina's father and her relationship with Andrius and the sympathetic soldier. All of these end abruptly or get a one line wrap up that tells us nothing.</spoilers> 
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