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Book Review — I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (2022 Penguin Books)

Categories: Historical Fiction, YA, Romance, Coming of Age

Themes: Communism, 1980s Eastern Europe & Romania, Fear/Paranoia, Poverty & Hopelessness, Informing/Spying

Quick Summary — MC and POV narrator is 17 year old Cristain who lives under authoritarian rule in Romania in the 1980s. He lives in poverty with his mom, dad, terminally ill grandfather, and older sister. The State is run by Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife under authoritarian Communist rule. Cristian, like many others, is blackmailed into informing (spying for the State) on those around him, chiefly the American diplomats for whom his mother is a cleaner. Urged on by his desire to help his dying grandpa, Cristian’s grappling with the morally dubious nature of informing, his interpersonal relationships, and life under the regime is explored in this novel.

Things to Know ⤵️

🌸 Short chapters at around 4-5 pages each
🌸 Meant for YA audience, which I didn’t know til I got the book. Can tell in some ways, it’s rather mostly clean and has light romance between MC and a neighbor girl.
🌸 Lots of research went into this book. Author cites personal ties and motivations, as well as lots of primary and secondary research sources for further reading.
🌸 Themes are clear, with life under Communism obscuring freedoms and expression.

My thoughts ⤵️

This is my first book by this author but won’t be the last. I finished this in a day, which is mostly due to its short chapters spurring me on; however, I was interested in what would happen to the MC & his family. I think this book is appropriate for YA readers as its themes are clear and scratch the surface of the typical Soviet or anti-regime revolutionary storyline: poor but smart teen goes against authority tries things from the West, reading books, has moments of philosophic clarity. While it may seem highly convenient that a 17 year old has foresight to grapple with the removal of a tyrant within 300 or so pages, I think the underlying messages here stem from the personal experiences of those living under similar regimes: fear, paranoia, anger, curiosity.

4.5 stars from me!