Between Shades of Gray

By Ruta Sepetys

Lina lives in Lithuania with her parents and younger brother Jonas. She is just a normal teenager, with normal problems and a normal life. Until, that is, that fateful night in 1941 when her family is arrested by Soviet guards. Through Lina’s eyes we see the terrible journey they faced, slowly trekking north to work camps where they are put under Stalin’s cruel order. Separated from her Father, Lina tries to communicate by recording her pain, joy, and her journey in her artwork which she hopes, one day, will find its way to her father. As Lina and her family fight to survive in the freezing conditions with barely any nourishment, will they ever be reunited again?

I really enjoyed this book as it was very emotional and gripping. The plot itself was distinctive and struck a chord with me. It made me want to read on because you were constantly thinking about what was going to happen to Lina and her family. Sepetys created an enthralling book which is even more interesting once you find out it was based on true stories. The idea of people facing the ordeal Lina does is unbelievable and I admire any person who was brave enough to write about their journey and tell of their life. I read this book from start to finish in one day only, it was amazing, and I couldn’t put it down. The author has chosen a controversial period to write about, when humans were treated like animals just because of their race, origins or religion. The phrase below illustrates just how drastic the line in society was at the time:

“Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch…”

The characters in the book are realistic and full of life. The situation they are in makes their troubles all the more emotional. I loved the way Lina tells the story, she grows up far too quickly during these years of her life, first looking after herself, and then slowly as time progresses, being forced to look after her mother and brother too. She is an enchanting character with so much depth. The diary style, first person account of the book allows you to see all her thoughts and feelings as well as view the world through her eyes. You can track her emotions as time moves on and she becomes more and more desperate, and the feeling of elation fills you when you read of a happy time she had such as when she sees her father, or when she becomes friends with Andrius. In Lina, Sepetys has created an intelligent teenager well beyond her years, who’s passion for art drives through.

However, my favourite character of the book has to be Jonas. At the start of the novel, he is unaware of what is happening. His naivety and innocence make you love him more but at the same time it is sad that he knows so little. But, as the novel goes on we witness Jonas change from a little boy to a young man. He takes on work and does his best to protect the women in his family whilst also making his own friends too. Jonas has been created by Sepetys as in no way the main character, the focus is mostly on Lina and her mother, but, I think that Jonas’ quiet charm and driving determination to keep going make him just as important.

Furthermore, the description and detail in this book is outstanding. Every page, although told by Lina, is packed with description and emotion. No small detail is missed and no scene skipped. The chapters are all set close together and you never feel as though you have missed anything. The author uses a variety of techniques to write the account of what happened and I think each one is effective. She also includes flashback passages which show Lina’s thoughts. They always relate to the chapters topic and added yet more emotion as Lina gives us an insight into life before the arrest. As this book is about such a sensitive topic it is in places complicated and as I mentioned before, I was shocked at the way the people were treated. It seems unreal and it is hard to believe that these events really happened and that these people really lived and died at these camps. What is even more shocking is that it was all set only 70 years ago!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as I thought it gave an accurate insight into the cruelty and hardships of this time. Sepetys has got the mixture of emotion, fact and tension just right and has created a gripping novel which anyone could easily devour! The characters were detailed and obviously planned and created in depth. I particularly liked the way the story was told through Lina’s eyes because you could witness her thoughts and feelings and watch her and Jonas turn from children into adults quicker than expected. To conclude I cannot fault this book or the way it was written and I would recommend it to anyone. Emotional and enthralling, it gripped me from start to finish!

Eleanor, Year 9