Review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

From Goodreads: Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions. Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. 

My Rating: 4.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: We all know about the plight of Jews under Nazi Germany, but the suffering of people from the Baltic states (i.e. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) during Stalin’s regime is one that most people probably aren’t aware of. So, kudos to Ruta Sepetys for writing Between Shades of Gray and giving voice to those people who were silenced. 

I find it shocking that more than twenty million people died in Soviet prisons or as deportees in Siberia; and that those who survived had often spent as many ten to fifteen years in forced labour camps. These survivors and their descendants were considered criminals by the Soviets until 1991!  

Lina’s story was hard to read; but amidst that horror, Sepetys shows our ability to be resilient even in the worst of circumstances. I also liked that the Russians featured in the book were portrayed as human – some were terrible, but others were capable of kindness.

A historical fiction that should be read, Between Shades of Gray was released in March 2011 by Philomel Books. 

Comments About the Cover: It’s such a striking image – the plant has managed to survive despite the harsh environment.

Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

From Inside Jacket: Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything - including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

My Rating: 4.5 hearts

Thoughts on the Novel: I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump with all the essays and midterms I have to study for. So, Nightshade by Andrea Cremer was the perfect book to get me out of my funk, especially since it brings you into the action right away and then explains gradually what’s going on.

The world Cremer has created is my favourite aspect of Nightshade because it’s so detailed and captivating. Calla even describes the origin of the Keepers, the Searchers, their enemy, and the Guardians, essentially leaving no questions about how this society came about.

I also really liked reading about the different Banes and the Nightshades and their interactions with each other. They were all solidly developed – especially Mason and Neville – and it was interesting to see how the two packs initially backed their own alphas, but as they started to merge into one, loyalties started shifting.  

It’s only when thinking about primary characters that I get mixed feelings about Nightshade. I thought it was great that Calla was an alpha who could protect herself and those she loves, but didn’t find her as appealing when it seemed like she was stringing along both Ren and Shay. I get that she’s conflicted – hey, there’s two hot boys to choose from – but even when it finally seems like she’s made a decision by declaring her love to one, she refuses to admit it to the other! How aggravating!

Speaking of boys, to me, Shay only appears interesting because of how he connects with the bigger picture. Calla’s attraction to him seems more physical, which is the only reason I’m assuming she saved him in the first place (since Calla herself doesn’t know the reason why). I find Ren on the other hand more intriguing because of his history and more similarity to Calla, but sadly, he isn’t featured as much as I’d like him to be. Here’s to hoping there’s more of Ren in Wolfsbane, the sequel to Nightshade.     

If you want a fast-paced, suspenseful and passionate novel, Nightshade, released by Philomel in October 2010, is it!

Comments About the Cover: The white and red of the lilies stand out really nicely against the backdrop of light purple, but it's the green eyes and the intense stare of the model that make the cover mesmerizing. I also really like the tiny details that have been added to make the cover even more gorgeous such as the glitter on the model's face to make her more otherworldly and the drop of blood on the "T" of Nightshade.