From my blog: Always With a Book

Ruta Sepetys is an author I have been wanting to read for quite some time. I’ve heard that she is a crossover novelist, meaning that her books can be enjoyed equally by young adults and adults alike and if this newest one is anything to go by, I am all in – which is good considering I have recently bought a few of her backlist books already!

This book immediately grabbed me and I did not want to put it down until I finished it. I went back and forth between the audio and the print so that I didn’t have to stop and all I can say is that both formats are excellent. This was such a gripping, tense-filled read that kept me engaged all the way through. The use of the single point of view really gives this story such an immersive feel, while the short chapters propel the story along at a quick pace, allowing the tension and suspense to build at just the right moments. It’s such a powerful story and one that I know will stay with me for quite some time.

This book gives off all the feels – so much anxiety over what the characters are going through, anger towards the government, love for some of the characters and intense dislike for others. It’s so hard to believe that while this story is fiction, it is based on fact, on history that occurred not that long ago. I love reading historical fiction, but it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that some events that are now happening and are prime material for historical fiction have happened in my lifetime. This book is set in the late 1980s…I was 15 then…not that much younger than Cristian and yet I cannot imagine living the way he and his family were forced to, or even being made to spy on others as he was tricked into doing. It was so eye-opening that the people in Romania were living like this.

This book is not always an easy read but it is definitely one that should be read by everyone. It really showcases just how brave some are willing to be to stand up for what they believe in and I am so glad I read it. This really would make such a great bookclub pick because there is so much to unpack here and I am so glad my online bookclub, #bookfriendsbookclub, picked this as one of our February reads – I cannot wait to discuss it tonight!

I Must Betray You is set in 1989 during the communist rule of the Ceausescu dictatorship in Romania. We follow Christian, a 17 year old high school student who has been blackmailed into being an informer.

This story kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down, I read it all in one sitting. I could feel Christian's paranoria and anxiety. During this time it was impossible to trust anyone which is so heartbreaking to think that your own family is spying on you.

death of family, torture, blood, gore

I understand that Christian's story was fictional but the way the Romanian people were treated was not. I believe that the author put so much care and research into this story (it's evident at the end in the Author's Note). I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging piece of historical fiction.

This book was AMAZING. I listened to it, and the narrator was exceptional. The story will be interesting to teenage readers--even though they are not living under a Communist regime, the will understand feelings of wanting to fight for a better life. What struck me the most was not knowing who to trust and the emotional toll that would take.

I am not typically a fan of historical fiction so I wouldn't normally pick up a book like this. After hearing amazing things about it, I had to give it a try. The story was compelling and captivating. I felt so emotionally invested in the welfare of the characters. The struggles during this time in Romania are not anything I was previously familiar with. My family is historically Romanian, but I have no living relatives there any longer. This book makes me want to research more into the political climate my ancestors experienced. While I still do not plan to seek out more historical fiction novels, I am glad I read this one and would consider reading more from this author in the future.

I really enjoyed I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys and the historical information is provided. I was completely unfamiliar with the history of it prior to reading, but this really opened my eyes. The characters felt a little flat, but I enjoyed them and the story as well. It can be difficult to put yourself in the shoes of the characters, but that's likely a fortunate thing has not been through something similar. This story really made me stop and think about things and learn to appreciate things.

I absolutely love Ruta Sepetys' books. There are a lot of reasons for that (gorgeous writing and excellent stories are up there) but a big one is the fact that they're based on true things I didn't know about before. My knowledge of Romania is incredibly lacking so reading about this relatively recent time frame and series of events was shocking to me.

It's hard enough to stand up for what's right when probably the worst thing that could happen to you is losing friends or relationships, but what the Romanian people faced to do so is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Highly recommended.

Anybody else get weirded out when they're reading a historical fiction story and it's taking place within your life time?

Oh Ruta Sepetys, I now understand why everyone has been raving about your novels. I thought my earpiece was going to become a permanent fixture because I just did NOT want to stop listening to this novel. Y'all, add this to your TBR immediately!

History is probably one of my least favorite subjects, though I hear we are all doomed to repeat it (but whyyyyyyy). However, as I've gotten older, that hasn't changed BUT I do find myself becoming intrigued when reading a hisfic novel as long as it's not *too* heavy on the history. Feel me? And I cannot express enough how important it is to read the Author's Notes - and especially so with this book - which shed a lot of light on why the author wrote this from a young adult perspective and how we should really study the true history behind any fictional novel. I sit here now thinking I should deep dive about Romania but I also know me and will just be in awe of this author and how this storyline played out.

Friends, while this story is fictional, what it is based on is absolutely true and NOT THAT LONG AGO. Which, for me, made such a harder impact. My anxiety levels for Cristian were off the charts. I absolutely adored his character, his tenacity, his relationships - especially with his sister. I honestly could go on and on about this book. I felt in the action. I felt for the characters. I was pissed at the government and all the manipulation. A roller coaster of feelings, for sure.

**Runs to add Sepetys backlist books to tbr**

This book wrecked me in the best way. The emotion, the story, the characters. Ruta Sepetys is a very rare type of writer that can suck me into a story with her evocative language so incredibly thoroughly and so incredibly quickly. By the end of the book, my heart felt simultaneously ripped from my chest and shredded but also stitched together and healed.
This book made me think about the life I live. The little inconveniences I face every day vs. the very threat of life against the Romanians that they lived through every day. Seeing Cristian drink his first Coke and eat his first Twinkie and marvel at a single US dollar brought me to tears. I'm so grateful for the freedoms that I have where I live, the blessings that I have in a roof over my head and heat and food and a closet full of clothes. This is an absolute must-read as it reveals so much about what many humans today have forgotten--we are so blessed and so ungrateful for those blessings.

I love Ruta Sepetys' books because she brings light to historical events that people from the western world may not have heard of. I always finishing her books wanting to do more of my own research to educate myself further. This book was no exception. I had never heard about communist Romania in the 80's. I really learned so much from this. I also always love Ruta Sepetys' writing. She has a way of putting you in the story and making you feel all the emotions the character is feeling.

The reason why this wasn't 5 stars was because I did not connect to it as much as some of her other books. Everything happened so quickly. The story took place over several months (I think), but it was so hard to know that because of how quick the story was. I would have enjoyed it more if we slowed down and saw more of everyday life and the horrors the characters went through.

I am thankful that Ruta Sepetys writes these stories. I will always look forward to what she writes!

I Must Betray You - Ruta Sepetys

This is the story of the 1989 revolution in Romania against the rule of a brutal and repressive communist regime. A teenage boy, Christian, living in Bucharest is recruited to be an informer for the secret police while he seeks ways to defy the regime in small and big ways. Everything is owned by the state, including the people, and they are isolated from the rest of the world, scared into silence, starved, brutalized, living in pure fear, and positioned against one another. Cristian is blackmailed into becoming an informer and is left with the choice to betray everyone he knows and loves or use his position to undermine the dictator.

Review: All of Ruta Sepetys' stories have shed light on a historical event that I had not known about. The plot moves quickly in this, there is constantly new information being offered for the reader, this was truly such an immersive book and I learned so much about this time, Romania, and what the people endured. I felt so much for the people and their paranoia which was just a general part of their lives. They lived in fear and were terrified of being listened to, even bathrooms in your own home were not safe. Families informed on one another, teachers on students, coworkers on coworkers, etc. They were intimidated and were threatened and were told informing was a patriotic duty to their homeland. They were provided rations of food that included one can of two year old expired beans. The women did not have the luxury of tampons. Some people have never had the simple pleasure of a banana or Coke. I had never thought twice about some of my privileges, but this book provides a new perspective for me about these little luxuries that the people in Romania were not prohibited to enjoy. I just could not fathom this was 1989 and the isolation that was forced on the people.

This is an absolute masterpiece that will be tough to beat as my favorite historical fiction of the year. Do not let this YA category deter you from picking up if you are a fan of historical fiction! Ruta Sepetys educates readers on a lesser known portion of world history. The amount of time and research that went into this book is so impressive. Ruta is a remarkable storyteller.

This is the story of a teenage boy living and struggling under the communist regime of 1980s Romania, where everyone is miserable and no one can be trusted.

Ruta Sepetys is, by far, one of my favorite historical fiction authors, and this book is EXACTLY why. She has created such an engaging story from a very small portion of history that many people have never even heard of and cultivated a beautiful tale of young people trying to fight for their future and their countries future.

This waa a beautifully woven tale of misery, trust, family and perseverance. I would HIGHLY recommend this to any historical fiction lover.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. My views and opinions are entirely my own.

3.5 Stars

I was in my late teens when all of this happened and I don't remember hearing a thing about it. It's really sad when you think about it, comma all of the suffering that the people of Romania went through and no body knew. I want to thank this author for shining a light on this. It's truly was needed.

I really enjoyed the history with this, as I am somewhat unfamiliar with what went on during this time since I was so young. The characters themselves were bland and it felt more like I was reading a history book because I didn't feel the emotional connection with the characters. It used a lot of dialogue and I didn't really get a chance to put myself in the shoes of the characters. It still made me think and learn which I appreciate!

This was a fantastic read. It was written wonderfully and fast paced enough to hold the readers attention. The story had a lot of built up tension that really made it hard to put down. I loved the historical fiction aspect and how well that time and place was portrayed. The author did a great job of really immersing the readers in Romania. This was my first book from Ruta Sepetys but it won't be my last!

An important account of the 1989 revolution in Romania against the rule of a brutal and repressive communist regime. A teenage boy living in Bucharest is recruited to be an informer for the secret police while he seeks ways to defy the regime in small and big ways. One of the things Sepetys best portrays is how authoritarian regimes keep power through fear and distrust by pitting people against each other. Timely lessons for us all.

A harrowing tale of what a tyrannical government looks like, told through the eyes of a teenage boy in Romania 1989. Everyone is trapped by the “Secu” security that enforces the draconian rules of the leader, which there are many. Everything is owned by the state, including the people. They are starved, brutalized and scared into silence, and nearly everyone could be an informer.

Cristian is put into a position where he must become an informer, despite how much he despises the system. “Paddle Hands” says he will get medicine for his sick grandfather, and really Cristian doesn’t have a choice, they knew he had a US Dollar bill, illegal to own foreign currency. Besides, Cristian would do anything for Bunu, his beloved grandfather.

This is a quick read, written for teenagers, which likely will be horrified as anyone would. Yet this is based on fact, what did happen not that long ago. Perhaps it is something that is happening now in other countries, like North Korea. Isolate the people from the rest of the world, control the media, control everything, then to enforce it have informants, a network of spies by the citizens themselves. They will fear everyone and can trust no one, they will behave. Until they don’t.

When the wall comes down in Germany and Communism collapses, Christian is wondering if the world will forget about Romania, will they be left alone?

5/5 stars, Romania has always been an interest for me so this was a really good book

I am still in shock myself that I managed to get an advanced-readers-copy of the next Ruta Sepetys book. She is one of my favorite authors and my absolute favorite historical fiction author. All of her stories have shed light on a historical event that I had not known about. I think it's very startling how many historical events the education systems do not teach us about, and I'm grateful that her books are always able to shine a light on some things.

This story is set in Romania during the communist era, which is often overlooked very heavily. The only reason I knew about this before I read this book was that I researched Romania for a school project. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Flores is watching communist regimes crumble around the world, while his own country stays stuck under the powerful rule of one. He is blackmailed by police to become an informer and is left with two choices, betray everyone he knows and loves or use his position to undermine the dictator. But things are never so cut and dry in this world, and he has to discover what is the cost of freedom?

I loved every single aspect of the story from the setting to the way the plot ended up playing out. Romania has and always will be a very interesting country for me, from Vlad the Impaler to the communist era when others were crumbling, to present-day problems. I think it is too often overlooked in the history books and so seeing its real-life struggles represented here was so important. The plot moved along very fast as well, there was constantly some new information being thrown at the main character and reader. The twists that Ruta put into this story took me by surprise, I did not see any of them coming and it made for an excellent thriller plotline. There were some other media forms in this book too, transcripts of meetings between people and photos of what was really happening. For those unfamiliar with Romania's culture and history, the photos give great insight into the real history behind this story, and the transcripts made it fun to read.

Cristian Florescu was an amazing main character, he really was just a young boy doing what he could to survive this horrid time period. Despite what he had to do he was still constantly thinking of others and how he could help him. He gets roped into working with some bad people so that they will give money to help his grandfather. I enjoyed seeing things from his point of view, especially as the book progressed and got darker and more intense.

Overall, this was one of my favorite reads of the year, and it's only January! Ruta Sepetys never fails to deliver a captivating and heartbreaking story, bringing new light to stories of history. She spins tales wonderfully while keeping facts at the forefront as well, really channeling everything into creating an accurate and fantastic story. I highly recommend this for everyone to read, as it's very fast-paced and a wonderful historical thriller.

[TW: death of a family member, death of friends, torture, beatings, blood, and gore (sometimes heavy), violent protests, betrayals, blackmail]

4.5 stars.

An absolute masterpiece that I'll be recommending a lot. I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys is a historical spy thriller that'll keep the readers on edge with its suspense while educating them about a not so well known portion of world history aka the Romanian Revolution of 1989.

One of the things I love about Ruta Sepetys' book is how she picks up a slice of history overlooked by the world, weaves it into a work of fiction and enlightens her readers with true facts and figures while also keeping them entertained. Until I read I Must Betray You, I was pretty ignorant of the situation in communist Romania, the horrors inflicted by Ceaușescu's reign and the Romanian revolution.

The story begins with a 17-year old boy, Cristian who dreams of becoming a writer but instead is forced into spying for the Romanian secret police, the Securitate. What does Cristian do? Does he spy for the government and betray his family and country? Or does he betray the Securitate and risk the lives of all his loved ones? I Must Betray You is an unputdownable story full of tension, fear and betrayal, it's about loyalty, freedom, family, romantic love, broken promises and impossible choices. Beautifully written and capturing innumerable emotions, I Must Betray You is a must read for every reader. I'd never even given a second thought to eating a banana, or enjoying a can of Coke before, but reading this gave me a new perspective to the littlest things we simply take for granted.

Highly, highly recommended!

Huge thank you to Ruta Sepetys, Penguin Teen Influencers, Philomel Books and Penguin Young Readers for sharing this e-arc with me. The following review reflects my honest reading experience.

I am a massive fan of Ruta Sepetys’s books. Each of her stories have made such an impact on me and continue to be favorites of mine. My favorite thing about Ruta’s books is that she choosing topics that are lesser known or have been forgotten. Not only do I get to read an incredible story, I also get to learn about pieces of history that I had no knowledge of. Once again she has accomplished this by sharing the moving and tragic story of Romania in its communist era. In the author’s note, Sepetys states:

“History is the gateway to our collective story and the story of humanity. Historical fiction allows us to explore underrepresented stories and illuminate countries on the map.”

This is exactly why I love reading historical fiction, but especially love Ruta’s books. She does a phenomenal job of telling beautiful stories while shining the light onto these underrepresented peoples and countries. The amount of time spent and research done is simply amazing. Ruta devotes her life to telling these underrepresented stories! She really is a master storyteller. I Must Betray You is a powerful read that I recommend everyone read.

I always have complex feelings about Ruta’s books. It feels odd to say that I enjoyed it because there is so much tragedy and heartbreak. But I really did enjoy I Must Betray You despite the difficult to read parts. Ruta is able to seamlessly tell these heartbreaking stories with respect, love, and poise. She creates characters that I always come to love and bond with. I was fully immersed into 1989 Romania. I am so inspired by the citizens, especially the young people, who stood up to oppression.

I highly encourage everyone to read the author’s note at the end of the book. Reading Ruta’s authors notes are actually one of my favorite parts of reading her books. You can just feel the amount of love and dedication that she puts into telling these stories. I’ll end my review with another quote from her author’s note,

“Please remember that when adversity is drawn out of the shadows and recognized, we ensure that human beings living under oppression-past and present–know they are not forgotten.

Together, we can shine a light in dark corners of the past.

Together, we can give history a voice.”

Read if you like: Eastern European history, revolutions.
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This book looks at the impact of Communism in Romania and the eventual fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. Our main character, Cristian, wants to become a writer but he knows he wouldn't be able to in Communist Romania. When he is forced to become an informer, Cristian gets wrapped up in the anti-Communist sentiments, which sets him on a dangerous path.
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This book was so good! Author made the story and the action in it very intense and I could not put it down.
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CW: death, violence, murder, revolution, torture, blackmail.