The story takes place in Romania in 1989 as communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Holy smokes I never learned about this in school (I feel like we never quite made it up to more recent history) but this was such a powerful story.
It's told from the perspective of 17-year-old Cristian who knows he needs to do something to help protect his family but doesn't know who he can trust because everyone is an informant, himself included. He believes he can outwit the secret police and shine a light onto the reality of life in Romania under communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and how the country is governed by isolation and fear.
I learned so much about this time in history—from the horrifying reality of ratting out family and friends, the deprivation of food and resources, to the bravery of the Romanians who joined the revolution to fight for change and freedom. You feel the emotions, struggles, and fight for survival on each page alongside the characters. I loved the writing and highly recommend picking this up!
It's told from the perspective of 17-year-old Cristian who knows he needs to do something to help protect his family but doesn't know who he can trust because everyone is an informant, himself included. He believes he can outwit the secret police and shine a light onto the reality of life in Romania under communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and how the country is governed by isolation and fear.
I learned so much about this time in history—from the horrifying reality of ratting out family and friends, the deprivation of food and resources, to the bravery of the Romanians who joined the revolution to fight for change and freedom. You feel the emotions, struggles, and fight for survival on each page alongside the characters. I loved the writing and highly recommend picking this up!