Book Review -- Between Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

My "appreciation" rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source:  Nook

Genre:  YA fiction

Potential objectionable material:  graphic descriptions of death and deplorable living conditions

For the record, “mommy porn” got nothing on Joseph Stalin...

Fourteen year old Lina and her family have been forcibly removed from their home in Lithuania and shipped via train to Siberia to work in a prison camp at the onset of WWII. Their father, having been removed by the NKVD (the Soviet secret police), is missing as well and Lina is determined to find him through her “secret messages.”

In harrowing detail author, Ruta Sepetys, brings to life the forgotten story of Stalin’s obliteration of the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania) during WWII. This was an illuminating account of what happened to nearly 20 million Russians, primarily doctors, authors, professors and other intellectual and political dissidents, who were shipped to Siberia under Stalin’s fascist regime.

It’s hard to say whether I “enjoyed” this novel. It was so brutal at times I nearly stopped reading. But Ms. Sepetys does such an amazing job recreating the misery and bleakness of what Lina’s family endured (and the hundreds of thousands of those that these characters represent) that I felt I owed her the respect of finishing her novel.

Personally, most WWII historical fiction that I have read focuses on Germany or the Holocaust during WWII. I was extremely appreciative that I could learn about another “front” of the WWII story.

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Book Review -- The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


My rating: 3 of 5 stars






First there was Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Then Twilight (do I need to mention by who?!). Most recently The Help. Three wildly successful, überpopular novels that I absolutely hated. I thought The Hunger Games was going to be the fourth. It didn’t end up that way, but I still have my reservations about the novel.

Panem is some post-apocalyptic version of North America. The region is divided into “districts” with a CAPITOL ruling them all. There used to be 13 districts, now only 12 – those silly rebels in district 13 got what was coming to them when they tried to revolt and were blown to bits. As a result, the CAPITOL decideded to create The HUNGER GAMES to punish the remaining districts by selecting two teenagers (tributes) from each to perform in the gladiator-like ritual where the goal is to KILL each other and survive to the end. Yeah, that’s it – teenagers killing each other in a vast arena that is televised nationally. Takes bullying to a whole new level.

I’ll save the summary of the entire book, for fear of spoilers, but here is my take:

• The thought of these kids killing each other for sport for the sake of a festival for the “country” was hard for me to swallow. I had a really hard time getting over the premise of this book.

• Once I got to section II “Games” I could see why this is immensely popular: Author Suzanne Collins has created two highly appealing characters – Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Melark. Their relationship and the way they out wit, out maneuver, and defend themselves is contagious. You can’t help but keep cheering for them – even if you are continually reminded that, “oh great, another 12 year old was murdered.”

• I was highly annoyed at the use of the word CAPITOL. Didn’t anyone tell her that CAPITAL with an A is used for a region and CAPITOL with an O is used for an actual building? Her use of CAPITOL was always (correct me if I’m wrong) used for a region – so I guess her editor had reasons for it. It bugged me and was distracting.

• The ending was predictable. I can’t say why, because, well, SPOILERS.

Once again, I’ve been the naysayer against popular opinion. I’m not sure I would recommend this book to others, but luckily I don’t have to, since others have already done if for me. Also, I’m not sure I’m that eager to read books two, and eventually three. If the “death match” with teenagers continues, I think I will find something else to read. Call me a curmudgeon.

Summation: I read it to the end, so I liked it enough to see it through, but not enough to possibly continue the series.

Book source: borrowed a copy from a friend.

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