Excellent story about the tragedy of totalitarian regime and cult of personality. ( )

Gr 9 Up—In 1989 Romania, Christian is forced to become an informer for the tyrannical Communist regime and
betray everyone he loves. Rife with tension and historical details, Sepetys's novel shines a light on another dark
moment in history and forces readers to ask themselves what they would do.

Great YA historical fiction ( )

Amazing! Once again Sepetys does not disappoint. I would highly recommend her books to teens and adults looking for historical fiction.

This novel is set in the months leading up to the violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989. The Romanian revolution started in the city of Timisoara and soon spread throughout the country, ultimately culminating in the trial and execution of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena.

We are introduced to Cristian Florescu, and his family and friends and get a horrifying glimpse of life in Communist Romania. The population is subjected to constant surveillance, cruelty, punishment, and starvation to prop up the personality cult and power of Ceausescu. Told from Cristian’s point of view, the novel has energy and suspense. ( )

Excellent, gripping read. A heartwrenching, eye opening work of historical fiction. It inspired me to learn more about Romania and the Ceausescu dictatorship. ( )