Book Review:

 

 

Bibliography:

Sepetys, R. (2012). Between shades of gray. Philomel Books.

ISBN 014242059X

 

Plot Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life -- until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive?

 

 

Critical Analysis:

In the Author's Note, Ruta Sepetys gives background information of the time period and countries involved. Her style of writing is simple yet powerful and compelling. In this book she tells a side of World War II that was not often talked about, stories of displaced Europeans that suffered under Soviet rule. Her writing style gives readers a wonderful sense of place, even when the place isn’t so wonderful.  I found this book to be very educational and historically accurate. The title is fitting for this story about characters we think are horrid that end up doing incredibly kind things, and characters we regard as friends doing awful things. All the characters feel like family in the end, even the most frustrating characters manage to redeem themselves. Sepetys does a brilliant job of eluding to untold stories, underneath what she shows and writes about. Many of the characters are not as they seem. Many cope with unimaginable strength, like Lina’s mother, and many do not cope at all. The quiet breaking of each of the characters is truly heartbreaking, but their resolve gives us a sense of hope. Although books like this are tough to read, I think it is essential that we do. We cannot allow horrific events of human suffering to be forgotten. The knowledge can only lead to greater understanding and compassion.

 

Review Excerpts:

New York Times notable book
Carnegie Medal nominee
William C. Morris Award finalist
Golden Kite Award winner

"Beautifully written and deeply felt . . . An important book that deserves the widest possible readership." - Booklist, starred review

A haunting chronicle, demonstrating that even in the heart of darkness ‘love is the most powerful army.'”- The Horn Book Magazine

 

Connections:

-Before reading the novel, lead students through research to gain background knowledge about Lithuania in 1941.

1. What was the political climate?

2. Create a visual presentation of the country, its leaders (their beliefs) and the surrounding countries and political leaders (their beliefs).

3. Students can take it a step further and make a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast Lithuania and United States political climate.

-Sepetys uses flashbacks to help readers understand Lina’s family history. Have students create a one-page representation of the various flashbacks and what information they give you about Lina’s family. Students can use Canva or Prezi. 

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