In 1980s Romania, Nicolae Ceasescu ruled with a dictatorship based on fear, suspicion and constant supervision. In this bold and striking young adult novel, Ruta Sepetys shines a light on a period of modern history many of us have already forgotten about, or were barely even aware of.
The story follows 17 year old Cristian Florescu, a would-be writer living with his parents, sister Cici and his beloved grandfather, Bunu in a state of constant deprivation and forced submission.
This story grips from its opening page, throwing us straight into a world of spying and subterfuge. We follow Cristian as he is unwillingly recruited as an informer and forced to lie to everyone he knows, in a desperate attempt to secure lifesaving medicine for his dying grandfather.
It is a riveting story, which had me desperately turning each page and constantly finding myself having to read just ‘one more chapter’.
As someone who grew up in the 1980s, details in the story resonated with me, evoking memories of news bulletins at the time: names and details I had heard as a child, but never really understood the significance of. Reading the stark realities of that time in this novel - which does not hold back from the horrors, but also hails the bravery of revolutionaries – it is both fascinating and horrifying, and it can be difficult to remind yourself that while Cristian’s story is fictional, the things he experiences were not.
I loved this book, and would rate it as my favourite of the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Award shortlist. The narrative is compelling, the characterization skillful and evocative, and it absolutely leaves you wanting to learn more – what any good historical fiction novel should do.
Though its accessibility and teenage protagonist mark this as young adult fiction, it is one of an increasingly large number of novels which could deftly span young and adult readerships.
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