Country Lithuania
Your Name__Rebecca Smith_____________
FICTION
Book title _______Between Shades of Gray
Author_________Ruta Sepetys
Date published ___March 22, 2011
List three adjectives that describe this book
Heart-wrenching Thought-provoking Meaningful
What is the book about? (write at least three sentences)
Between Shades of Gray is about a young, Lithuanian girl named Lina, who is taken in the night with her mother and brother, by soviet secret police under Stalin. Her family and other Lithuanians are labelled as criminals against communism and are crammed on to cattle cars. Her father is separated, and forced to a prison camp while Lina, her mother and brother are sent to a horrible work camp in Siberia. Lina must survive under harsh working conditions, cruel Soviet soldiers, and mental and physical turmoil, all while trying to contact her father through her drawings.
What was good about the book?
Between Shades of Gray had thought-provoking themes, like “How much is a human life worth?” and loyalty. There were strong characters, like Lina’s mother who did everything to keep her family together, and individuality with Lina’s love for drawing. The descriptions were beautiful and Lina’s flashbacks were meaningful to how quickly her life had changed from wonderful to a battle for her life. The idea of the book was also good; I had never heard of Stalin’s treatment of Lithuanian’s until Between Shades of Gray. It showed a specific history we hadn’t covered in history class.
What was challenging about the book?
The book was not very challenging. It is a bit longer, a little over 300 pages though, so that could possibly be difficult.
Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?
I would definitely recommend this book. It had me addicted with the imagery and Lina’s narrative of her horrible situation. I could feel the emotions of the characters, and really felt for them.
Your Name__Rebecca Smith_____________
FICTION
Book title _______Between Shades of Gray
Author_________Ruta Sepetys
Date published ___March 22, 2011
List three adjectives that describe this book
Heart-wrenching Thought-provoking Meaningful
What is the book about? (write at least three sentences)
Between Shades of Gray is about a young, Lithuanian girl named Lina, who is taken in the night with her mother and brother, by soviet secret police under Stalin. Her family and other Lithuanians are labelled as criminals against communism and are crammed on to cattle cars. Her father is separated, and forced to a prison camp while Lina, her mother and brother are sent to a horrible work camp in Siberia. Lina must survive under harsh working conditions, cruel Soviet soldiers, and mental and physical turmoil, all while trying to contact her father through her drawings.
What was good about the book?
Between Shades of Gray had thought-provoking themes, like “How much is a human life worth?” and loyalty. There were strong characters, like Lina’s mother who did everything to keep her family together, and individuality with Lina’s love for drawing. The descriptions were beautiful and Lina’s flashbacks were meaningful to how quickly her life had changed from wonderful to a battle for her life. The idea of the book was also good; I had never heard of Stalin’s treatment of Lithuanian’s until Between Shades of Gray. It showed a specific history we hadn’t covered in history class.
What was challenging about the book?
The book was not very challenging. It is a bit longer, a little over 300 pages though, so that could possibly be difficult.
Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?
I would definitely recommend this book. It had me addicted with the imagery and Lina’s narrative of her horrible situation. I could feel the emotions of the characters, and really felt for them.