Between Shades of Gray
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4.6 • 1.2K Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the award-winning author of Salt to the Sea comes a “superb” (The Wall Street Journal), “eye-opening” (Los Angeles Times) novel of survival and hope in the darkest of places—the inspiration for the major motion picture Ashes in the Snow
"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." —The Washington Post
WINNER OF THE GOLDEN KITE AWARD • A CARNEGIE MEDAL NOMINEE • A WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD FINALIST • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE CENTURY
A knock comes at the door in the dead of night, and Lina’s life changes in an instant. With her young brother and mother, she is hauled away by the Soviet secret police from her home in Lithuania and thrown into a cattle car en route to Siberia. Separated from her father, Lina secretly passes along clues in the form of drawings, hoping they will reach his prison camp. But will her letters, or her courage, be enough to reunite her family? Will they be enough to keep her alive?
A moving and haunting novel about loss, fear, and ultimately, survival, Between Shades of Gray is a tour de force of historical and emotional storytelling.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Through the pained yet resilient narration of 15-year-old Lina, a gifted artist, this taut first novel tells the story of Lithuanians deported and sent to Siberian work camps by Stalin during WWII. From the start, Sepetys makes extensive use of foreshadowing to foster a palpable sense of danger, as soldiers wrench Lina's family from their home. The narrative skillfully conveys the deprivation and brutality of conditions, especially the cramped train ride, unrelenting hunger, fears about family members' safety, impossible choices, punishing weather, and constant threats facing Lina, her mother, and her younger brother. Flashbacks, triggered like blasts of memory by words and events, reveal Lina's life before and lay groundwork for the coming removal. Lina's romance with fellow captive Andrius builds slowly and believably, balancing some of the horror. A harrowing page-turner, made all the more so for its basis in historical fact, the novel illuminates the persecution suffered by Stalin's victims (20 million were killed), while presenting memorable characters who retain their will to survive even after more than a decade in exile. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
Full of emotion
Even thou the novel tells the horrifying experience of a nation, it is tell with great emotion and warm. I cried, laugh, .... It was a great Journey ..
So Powerful!
I am a high school student who was on the selection committee for my local library's teen book club, and this was one of the nominated books. I loved it and so did the other readers, it easily made the club's list. This was really powerful, there were times I wanted to laugh, times I wanted to cry, times when I loved Lina, times when I wanted to scream at her, it was AMAZING! I would of loved them to explore the ending more, but it was still such a powerful book. All teens should read, and adults too!
Between Shades go Gray
Great book,! When you read it will make you mad because the author does a great job portraying the horror that these that these people went through!