I could not put this book down and to this day it is my favourite book. Yes, it is written for teenagers, but I really believe that anyone could read this book and be just as engulfed as I was. This story shows the connections and devotion between family members, moral values, and love. Being told from the perspective of a younger teen, it makes it that much more heartbreaking. It's a great book if you knew about Stalin's actions, haven't, or want to. I found it absolutely amazing and it left a great impact on me. I recommend ANYONE to read this.

I could not put this book down. I read it in 2 days. It was sad but the accounts of this book are true.

My daughter read this book when it first came out and suggested I read it too. I did and loved it. Written for teens, I'm sure all adults will enjoy it as well. The book uses the fictional Vilkas family of Lithuania to tell the story of Stalin's deportation of millions in the Baltic states to Siberia in the early 1940's. Although a work of fiction, many of the events and experiences in the story are real and actually happened to deportees. Many died in Siberia or in transit. Some were eventually able to return to their homelands in the 1950's to find homes, possessions and businesses confiscated and being used by others. Forbidden to speak of their experiences and constantly watched by the secret police, they endured and relived their time in Siberia in silence. This is their story, it must never be forgotten.

I had a very hard time putting this book down as I did not even realize that this war was on in the 1940's. I love the way its told thru a young girls eyes. Everyone of the people in this book had hidden secrets but at the end were revealed. Very touching, sad but at the end you saw a light at the end of the tunnel. It deserves 5 stars for sure and hope this author has more books to come.

Story Description: Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions. Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart. MY REVIEW: The Soviet Union occupied Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, known as the Baltic states, in 1939. The Kremlin drafted hundreds of people and deemed them anti-Soviet. They eventually would end up either murdered, sent to prison, or sent to labour camps being forced to dig for beets and potatoes under Josef Stalin’s orders. The first deportation happened on June 14, 1941 when 15-year-old Lina and her family were taken. She and her family were not as lucky to escape Lithuania like her cousin, Joana and her family. They had escaped through Germany to refugee camps. Those who survived spent 10 to 15 years in Siberia under below zero temperatures in nothing but poorly constructed jurtas. There was really no heat and after working long days, each person was only given 300 grams of bread rations per day. Hardly a sustaining meal for people doing hard labour in severe conditions. Although this book is fiction, it was based on “true” events that were well researched through documentation that was found buried in the ground by people who were there, and from people brave enough to speak out. The book is written like a memoir. In Lithuania on June 14, 1941, Lina Vilkas put on her nightgown and sat at her desk to pen a letter to her cousin, Joana. Suddenly there was such a loud banging on the front door that Lina jumped out of her chair. When her mother opened the door it was the NKVD, otherwise known as the Soviet Secret Police. Three of them came in holding the passports of their mother, Elena; their father, Kostas; her 11-year-old brother, Jonas; and Lina’s. They were transported in a truck along with other people and deposited at a train station. It was complete and utter chaos as families were being separated. Children screamed and mothers pleaded for their offspring. Everyone was herded onto cattle cars - the stench of body odour was overpowering. There wasn’t any room to move and the NKVD kept piling more and more people onto each car. Lina counted 46 people in their car which she called the “prison box.” Eventually these poor people ended up in Siberia in the fight of their lives. The treatment was cruel and vicious! This beautifully written, sad story is a dark reminder from the past. The hard thing about reading the book beside the fact the story is based on truth is understanding that these horrible things did actually happen to these people. I thank those brave enough to bring stories like this into the open. As kind, compassionate, decent, and caring people, we must NEVER, EVER allow anything like this to happen again. You will not be able to put this book down. Although hard to read, believe me, you’ll be so absorbed that you’ll want to keep reading. Be sure to read the “Author’s Note” and the end of the book for important information. Be sure to have kleenex standing by for this book! Absolutely excellent.

I wasn't sure if I would like this book when I bought it. A friend recommended it to me and I'm so glad I decided to purchase it! This heartbreaking novel will leave you reading for hours on end with a few tears. It was very well written and always kept the readers wondering what was going to happen next. This was truly a great read.

What I liked the most about this book is although it focuses on World War II, it’s from a different perspective than what most readers are used to when reading something from this particular era in history. I think that although learning and reading about the Holocaust is important, let’s not forget other tragic incidents that also happened during this time frame as those victims should not be forgotten as well. Personally, I have not found many fictional accounts concerning this time frame (and geared towards younger readers) and I am hoping Between Shades of Gray will be the one that will open the doors to a lot of readers on this particular subject. For one thing, it’s good to know and good to let others be aware of this moment in history. Also, it’s good because it sets the stage for other writers to write about this subject. This book has the most beautiful writing I have ever read so far. It’s beautiful, yet at the same time, it’s sad and the sense of loneliness, isolation, and helplessness is felt all throughout the book. It certainly does feel as if Lina and all the rest of the prisoners have indeed been forgotten by the world - considering they’re placed in a camp in literally what looks to be in the middle of nowhere. What’s ironic is they’re labeled as thieves and prostitutes, and some of the prisoners have actually become that way as a means of survival. Lina and her mother are major beacons of hope throughout the story and it’s through their unbelievable strength that they attempt to survive through this ordeal. What I also liked about the book is the several flashbacks Lina has, to contrast between how she lived before she gets taken and arrested. They almost seem trivial compared to what she goes through in the camp. When Lina finds love in the camp, it’s what propels her to survive through this moment in her life. I thought Lina’s relationship with Andrius was the main reason why she kept hanging on. Although she had plenty of courage to show, she needed something else to cling on so she won’t lose hope. It’s a bleak story, and gets worse later as the book progresses. The writing in this novel is excellent and makes the reader feel what Lina feels, the detail in the setting and atmosphere is well done and also adds to the feeling of the book. It’s not until literally, the last few pages of the book where Lina’s outcome is revealed, and leaves the reader with the feeling of hope, however with a melancholy feeling to it as well. One of the best books I’ve read so far this year, I greatly recommend reading this. The writing is beautiful, and the story although tragic, focuses on Lina’s strength to survive and shows how courageous and hopeful one can be while enduring awful horrible events such as the one Lina went through herself.It’s definitely not a subject for everyone to read, however it’s not one to forget either.

Hands down my favourite book. Absolutely amazing. Eloquently written from start to finish this book will haunt you for a long time. The characters are just as they should be. They tell a heartbreaking story of love and life during a time when the world was plagued with death. “Between Shades of Gray” had everything a good story should have. Love, hope, sorrow and heartache all based on truths pulled from our past. An absolute must read. This book won’t disappoint. Loved it.

Between Shades of Gray is a heartbreaking, hauntingly beautiful story. Written like a memoir the book chronicles the Vilkas family who are removed from their home in Lithuania during Stalin's Reign and are eventually taken to a camp in Siberia. I have read quite a few books that surround the Holocaust but this is the first I have read that spoke of Stalin's reign. Like Lina, the author created a vivid picture, the pages come alive with the horror and the pain, but also with the hope and the love. Sepetys told the story like it really was, never sugarcoating a moment. The book is heart-wrenching, you almost have to resist peeling your eyes away from the pages because the horror described is difficult to read at times. The book may be based on fictional characters but the terror that is described in this book are real. People lived the same lives that Lina shared with us and endured. Ruta Sepetys created such a riveting and memorable cast of characters. Each tells their own story and you begin to care for and fall in love with all of them. This book is not just a book about the horror that occurred during Stalin and Hitlers time. It is about a mothers love, the distance she will go to protect her children. It is about a family's love and loyalty. Between Shades of Gray is a story about survival. Pain, heartache, hope and strength. If I had to sum this book up in one word I would say this book is...Krasivaya. *Orginally posted on my blog 'The Crazy Bookworm' www.crazy-bookworm.blogspot.com