Thursday, January 2, 2025

I Must Betray You

 
I Must Betray You
By Ruta Sepetys
New York: Philomel Books, 2023. 319 pages. Young Adult

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren't free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He's left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves--or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe. Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

"I Must Betray You" pulls you right into a cold, dark moment in history. I could feel the tension and fear coming off the pages. Even though the story is heavy at times, there’s this sense of hope that keeps you going. Cristian’s journey is so real and emotional—it really makes you think about trust and betrayal. The book is well-researched and tells such a powerful story. If you’re looking for something thought-provoking and unforgettable, I think you’ll love this one.

If you liked I Must Betray You, you might also like: 


Artifice
By Sharon Cameron
Scholastic Press, 2023. 387 pages. Young Adult

Isa de Smit grew up in her parents' art gallery in Amsterdam, but in the middle of the war she survives by selling fake paintings to the Nazis while trying to help her friend, Truus, smuggle Jewish babies to safety--but in 1943 it is hard to know who to trust.





The Blood Years
By Elana Arnold
Balzer + Bray, 2023. 390 pages. Young Adult

From Michael L. Printz honoree & National Book Award finalist Elana K. Arnold comes the harrowing story of a young girl's struggle to survive the Holocaust in Romania. Based on the true experiences of her grandmother's childhood in Holocaust-era Romania, award-winning author Elana K. Arnold weaves an unforgettable tale of love and loss in the darkest days of the twentieth century-and one young woman's will to survive them.


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