G! O! O! S! E! B! U! M! P! S!

We follow Christian Florescu, a 17 year old boy who has grown up under the Communist regime and the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. When information about Christi having ownership of an American dollar gets to the secret police, they blackmail him for information on the people around him.

There is a reason why Ruta Sepetys is my favorite author. The stories that she creates are so immersive and impossible to put down and I Must Betray You is no exception. This is the shortest of her books, yet it still packs in all the emotional aspects that are a staple of her stories. The plot is incredibly fast paced and continues to pull the reader in.

The characters are incredibly well created and so complex. Each person has their own stories and motivations, pulling the reader in to feel as if we are truly in 1980s Romania. It is impossible to tell who we are supposed to trust.

I cannot even express how much I loved this book please just do yourself a favor and pick it up.

“Mistrust is a form of terror. The regime pits us against one another. We can’t join together in solidarity because we never know whom we can trust or who might be an informer.”

Ruta Septys is one of my favorite historical fiction writers. She’s able to take a point of history that we all know, and add more details than we ever imagined. Proof of the accuracy is in her notes in the back of the book. I highly recommend reading those!

Romania is not a place I tend to think about when I think about communism (especially only a few decades ago!), but Septys has brought it to light and now I’ll never see the same again.

“Does the world know what’s happening in Romania? If they did . . . would they do something?”

It’s a heartbreaking story of what happens to a forgotten country. Other countries are eliminating communism, the Berlin Wall is falling. So why aren’t they noticing the starvation and dictatorship Ceaușescu enforces? He rules with a “perpetual sense of surveillance,” he admitted a man to an insane asylum for writing negative song lyrics about Romania, he denied the country of “food, electricity, truth, and freedom.”

“If communism is Paradise, why do we need barriers, walls, and laws to keep people from escaping?”

The more I learned, the more I was astonished at the capacity some have for cruelty. I also was stunned at their true ability to do almost nothing about it.

“How could we expect others to feel our pain or hear our cries for help when all we could do was whisper?”

I applaud Septys for bringing to light more atrocities than I ever imagined. She’s able to connect me with these stories enough that I feel better for knowing. Each time I am able to learn something new that sticks with me long after I’ve finished the book. She has the ability to be informative while still keeping it mild enough that almost anyone could read it.

Content Summary: The story is about a dictatorship similar to Hitler. While the actions are horrific, the author keeps the details mild enough for most readers. Example; Instead of experiencing a scalping, she has another character get emotional while trying to portray the incident. So while these stories may be too much for some, I believe most would benefit from reading this.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book releases February 1, 2022.

I Must Betray You is brilliantly written. It's heartbreaking, suspenseful and a must read. Can't wait to get it into the hands of library patrons tomorrow!

I suppose I'm not what one would call an emotional reader, I get teary eyed a lot but I rarely cry at sad things while reading (despite feeling terribly sad lol) but this book had me in tears. I don't think I've had multiple cries in a VERY long time while reading. This book is extremely powerful and emotional. While Romania will most likely never forget what it went through, the rest of the world (especially perhaps us in the USA) will forget or never know about this period in Romanian history.

The constant having to check over your shoulder, the mistrust that can occur within a close knit community and even your own home is palpable. It's so easy to connect with Cristi he's very relatable for his age and it's the sort of thing that transcends time the desires and hopes and he's very revealing in his feelings to the reader.

The things that happen to the people around him, to him, they're heartbreaking and that ending certainly had me crying a little more again. I can't believe the truths that were found out.

Amazing novel, 5/5 cups of coffee from me., thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Romania under the Communist regime is a dangerous place and people live in fear of the secret police. When seventeen year old Cristian Florescu is blackmailed into becoming an informant, he has no choice and must live with the guilt of betraying everyone around him. But when the task given to him unexpectedly provides an opportunity to expose the atrocities taking place in Romania to the rest of the world, he risks everything to reveal the truth behind the regime through his writing. Communist regimes around Eastern Europe are falling by the day, and when the revolution comes to Romania, Cristian seizes the chance to fight for change.

When it comes to historical fiction, I am usually very hesitant to pick up any books outside the comfort zone of the handful of eras I am familiar with and enjoy reading about. But Ruta Sepetys’ books have always been excellent choices when I want to try something new within the genre, and this time was no exception. I love that this author’s works tend to focus on such a variety of places and eras, particularly those not always written about, and Romania during the Communist regime was a time period I’d never read about before.

It takes a lot of time for any action to begin in this book, but I hardly noticed it when I was reading. The first half of the story portrays how terrible the conditions were for the average citizen in Romania, building up the tension page by page as it becomes clear just how paranoid and fearful a life they were forced to live – and that’s not even counting the food shortages and awful working conditions. The narrative is interspersed with reports about Cristian that the Securitate receives, and the depth of information contained in them really drives in the chilling situation of not being able to trust anyone, even their own family for fear of one of them being Informants.

Cristian was a great narrator and a protagonist who was easy to sympathize with. His relationship with his grandfather was so wonderfully depicted and it was one of my favourite parts of the story. Seeing things through his eyes emphasizes the delicate balancing act he carried out as an Informant, giving the government just enough information that his family would be safe, while also testing how much he could get away with.

I only wish that this book was longer. Once the action started and revolution broke out in the streets, things moved very fast and it felt like it was all over in the blink of an eye. I would have loved for the last couple of chapters to be more extensive, especially given those twists revealed in the epilogue which definitely had me very frustrated that the story was over.

I Must Betray You was an amazing read, and a thought provoking one. With this well researched, powerful narrative, Ruta Sepetys continues to be one of those authors whose books I would add to my TBR blindly. The writing draws the reader into the story and the era so effectively that it was impossible to put this book down. This Rebel Heart, another book which is set in the same era, is on my TBR next month and now that I have a little more background history wise, I’m really looking forward to reading it. I would highly recommend this book for any historical fiction fans!

AHHHH RUTA SEPETYS
Ruta Sepetys is by far my favorite historical fiction author of all time! Like her other books, this one did not miss. I love how she writes about more then just the “big” historical events and how she focuses on lesser known ones like this book! Definitely a book i would recommend to everyone who loves historical fiction!

I Must Betray You written by Ruta Sepetys

PUB DATE: Feb 1, 2022

In 1989, Romania is under the oppressive tyranny of Nicolae Ceaușescu. 17-yo Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a philosopher and writer like his beloved Bunu (grandpa) but Romanians aren’t allowed to think or dream. In this YA Historical Thriller, the story follows Cristian who is blackmailed into becoming an informer.

I was immensely invested in Cristian’s life and the suffering and torture that he and those around him had to endure under Ceaușescu. As tensions built towards the end of Dec 1989, Cristian becomes desperate to undermine the dictatorship that has consumed his country, his people and his family. There is a young romance, sweet & touching, best-friends & loyalty, and family relationships that is broken by a dictator that purposely creates misunderstanding, mistrust & fear to demoralize its people.

"They steal our power by making us believe we don't have any, but words and creative phrases they have power".

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its short chapters, & well-paced story line. I felt sorrow at the end of the story, the unfairness of it but ultimately understand that is what happens when a dictator commands isolation & fear into it’s people.

Ruta Sepetys is renowned for her stories of lesser-known history and giving voice to those who have experienced it. Her research is well done, her writing incredible & have led me to look up these events myself.

I'm obsessed with this book. Ruta Sepetys does it again with a raw, engaging historical novel. The story was constructed in a way that caputred me from the very beginning. Cristian speaks with clarity and his confusion is something I felt as a reader. You can read my very first thoughts on this thread: https://twitter.com/bookdragonbooks/status/1486102423714377736?s=20&t=5Uzanz5Bu_zWqm-BzY89sg

In I Must Betray You, Sepetys takes the reader to 1989 revolution in communist Romania, a topic I had never even heard of before this novel. The story was fast paced, telling the story of a young boy struggling with love and family in the midst of political oppression. While the writing felt distant, I really enjoyed learning about a time period that is never taught to students, and I am very interested in reading more of Sepetys' work.

I MUST BETRAY YOU is one of those novels that I couldn't stop thinking about over my time reading it. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about this time in history and how lacking my knowledge was about the horrible dictatorship leading Romania. This book takes place in 1989, right as Romania is on the verge of revolution, and we follow a teenage boy as he is caught up in the midst of the oppressive leadership. He longs for freedom and is able to recognize that their lifestyle is not natural, but there is little he can do. This is my second Ruta Sepetys novel (BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY was the first) and like that one, her writing style does such a good job of telling a heartbreaking story that still maintains a semblance of hope. Her characters are realistic and lovable and you can tell that she is passionate about history and research. This one will tug at your heart and make you think. I learned so much from this novel and I would recommend it to everyone.

So the time period surrounding the crumbling of communism in Europe is a bit hazy for me. 1989 is the year the Berlin Wall came down, Tiananmen Square, and the Exxon Valdez. These are things I remember learning about. Not revolution in Romania against its horrifying tyrannical communist regime.

I MUST BETRAY you is a beautifully written, fast-paced nail-biter, with a building tension so consuming, I couldn’t put it down. The story follows Cristian, a boy who writes poetry and thoughts about his isolated life in his forbidden journal, thoughts he could never say aloud. When the secret police blackmail him (at school!) to become an informer, he has no choice. Like the title says, he must betray everyone he knows or risk losing them. Friends, the girl he loves, even family are possible spies and rivals. The story felt so personal despite the huge stakes; a reminder that you’re never too young to use your voice. I enjoyed this book so much!

I MUST BETRAY YOU releases Feb 1st from @penguinteen (thank you for the eARC!) and I just saw there’s a 25% code at B&N for preorders…..

A special thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me this ebook arc through Netgalley.

Going into this book, I knew that it would explore the Nicolae Ceausescu dictatorship over Romania during the 1980s; a time of fear and poverty for its citizens. I was definitely interested in this book for the following reasons:

1. This would be my first official Ruta Sepetys book (Besides the graphic novel, Between Shades of Gray).
2. I have heard that Sepetys’ specialty is exploring historical events which are not always as well-documented as other events.
3. Romania…in general and during this dictatorship

This book features a number of characters living under this era of terror which often involved its citizens spying on their neighbors in exchange for the promise of freedom. This book brings its readers into this world by providing them a raw and unyielding look at Romania during this brutal time. Most of the time I was terrified for certain characters and other times I was so angry at others. Overall, it was a realistic, and devastating book. The epilogue definitely delivered a major twist which was both surprising and sad at the same time…very reflective of the timeframe.

I will be sure to check out more books by Ruta Sepetys.

I Must Betray You comes out February 1st…Make sure to put this book on your 2022 must-reads list!🎉

"Will You Remember Me?
A boy with wings of hope
strapped to his back
That never had a chance to open,
denied forever knowing
What he could have become.
What we all could have become.

Once Again Ruta Sepetys does not disappoint.

I Must Betray You follows a young man as he fights in whatever small ways he can for freedom from his countries horrific communist regime. This was a quick read that genuinely pulled me in as a reader. 1980's Romania is depicted in such a raw and realistic manner that I felt the empty bellies and broken hearts of its people. I shed tears at the cruelty and inhumanity delivered to its people by its cruel government, broken but not without heart or hope.

This book consists of short chapters that were always concise and hard hitting. I always love how Sepetys never sugar coats her characters or the experiences they go through. And the best parts are the ones they she fills with hope, from the taste of Chocolate from the feelings of romantic love.

I Must Betrays You is a story of an entire countries pain hidden in plain view. Denied freedom, denied joy, denied possibility. It is about how small actions can change the tide of history and how big misconceptions can also ruin it.

Highly recommend. loved it.

4.5/5 This is a historical fiction novel set in Romania after WWII. This is actually the first time I have read a book set in Romania after the war, and honestly, did not realize what was going on for the country during this time. I Must Betray You gives you a heartbreaking view into what it was like to be governed in isolation and fear. If historical fiction is your thing, or you have been wanting to try the genre, I would pick this one up.
CW/TW: Death, confinement, emotional and physical abuse, stalking, blood, violence, grief, cancer

Set in Romania during 1989 and the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. The citizens of Romania live in fear and must watch every action they make. Cristian Florescu, a young Romanian teenager, wants to become a writer, but that is not allowed. Due to Cristian’s interest in things outside of what is accepted by the Romanian government, he is blackmailed and forced to become an informant. Unable to accept what the government is doing, Cristian risks everything to do what he can to expose the truth of his country. But will it be enough?

The story is told from Cristian’s perspective. He’s a sympathetic character and relays the current events and feelings well. You can sense his fear and uncertainty as the paranoia builds. You see the changes in not only him, but those around him and the relationships he has with his friends, family, and government.

This is a heavy topic but Sepetys does an amazing job putting these events on paper. I haven’t read any of her books before, but after reading this one, I will be picking up more of Sepetys’ work. I can tell that she put a lot of work into researching the topic and everything was laid out well within the plot.

Honestly, Ruta Septeys is a master at knowing her stuff for all historical settings. She does not shy away from the tough parts of crumbling Communist regimes and gives a character whose enjoyable to follow.

This book mainly gets 4 stars because I absolutely love the research Sepetys does with her novels. Of course I'm the type of person to read the author's note, so I also enjoyed the pictures and the real tidbits of information during this time period. Sepetys does an amazing job of highlighting real world/life events, and like what she did with [book:The Fountains of Silence|43220998], she introduced me to events in history I knew nothing of and learned nothing about when I was in school. So yeah... Cue a deep dive of me Googling the Romanian Revolution.

One of my main problems with this book is that I had a hard time connecting with the characters. While I do not have the ability to say I empathize, in terms of sharing their feelings, with the characters in this book and the world in which they live in, I do sympathize with them. I cannot imagine what it is like to watch the world around you crumbling, the countries around Romania breaking from communism, and you feel like no one sees you or Romania or the harsh realities the Romanian leader at the time is enforcing while living in lavish wealth and prosperity. How can you say you care for your country while you restrict almost all aspects of their lives? It boggles my mind. I know one thing, though, Cristian is brave, all those his age are brave, and there's that edge of desperation, too, because they are helpless and are bribed to become informers on their friends, families, and neighbors. The real bright light in this story was Bunu, Cristian's grandfather. His voice and his outright honesty against what was happening on Romania was inspiring, and I'm glad Cristian found a way to tuck that voice of his grandfather's into himself and use it as a small fire to light his way.

I thought it was interesting to bring to the U.S. ambassador's family, the Van Dorens, into the situation and into Cristian's life. The stark contrast between life as an American teenager and life as a Romanian teenager was brought to the forefront. As cheesy as it may sound, it does make you grateful for the things you have and the life in which you manage to grow up and have. So many others are not able to have such a carefree attitude like the Van Doren's son. I also liked the subtle cues that the Van Dorens (I think) really knew what was happening in Romania and were trying to do what they could to help (even though it may have been very little).

You definitely have to be in a good mental state to read this book. It isn't happy. I think even the ending could be ambiguously "happy."

Give me all the Ruta Sepetys books! They are heartbreakers but she sure does know the perfect way to tell a story. This book hit me like none of her other books have before because I was alive during the time the real events happened. It’s so hard to think of how difficult life was for Romanians while I was a happy 11 year old preteen living a carefree life. I have such an appreciation for all of the work, research and people it took to write this book. Thank you, Ruta, for opening my eyes to what life was like under Communist rule and exposing me to a part of history I knew nothing about. As with all of her books, I’m inspired to learn more about this time period. Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC.

There were things I loved and things that didn't work for me quite so well in this one. I LOVED the time period and the topic. It was definitely one I was not previous aware of in any way, shape, or form and I love learning new things about history. That being said, I felt like the pacing was a bit off in this. The first 2/3 of the book were very slow and slightly redundant, while the last 1/3 was action packed and almost too fast. I really wish the last part of the book would have been longer and more details shared and the first part could have used less time. I also felt like the base story line was a little forced. I appreciated the "thriller" aspect in the informant story, but felt like there was no motivation for me as the reader to really care about the information Cristian was obtaining. I will say the Author's Note (as always) explained some of her choices in the book and I can definitely respect them and understand them. Overall, this is not my favorite of Sepetys's novels, but I still think it's worth the read and I think readers will get a lot out of reading it.

Thank you to PenguinTeen and Netgalley for providing me with an electronic advanced readers copy for review.

Living in constant fear and paranoia is the norm in 1989 Romania, under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu and his secret police. 17 year old Cristian Florescu has been taught to trust no one, to whisper in his own apartment because it's bugged, and that someone is always watching. But he wasn't careful enough as he gets cornered by the secret police and forced to become an informer. Inspired by his outspoken (and dying) grandfather, Cristian starts a dangerous game of trying to undermine the regime while lying to everyone he loves by informing. Including Lilliana, the girl across the street that he has been in love with for years.

Learning through an illegal broadcast of Radio America that communist countries around the world are starting to fall Cristian wants to push for Romania to be next. But what can a 17 year old do? And at what cost?

Ruth Sepetys writes amazing YA historical fiction and often focuses on aspects of history that get overlooked within a larger, well-known context. I have also read Between Shades of Gray, which takes place during WWII but follows a Lithuanian girl forced from her home and sent to a Siberian work camp. I Must Betray You follows the same pattern: the larger context being the fall of the Soviet Union and the lesser known dictatorship in Romania. Beyond being a fantastic writer and storyteller, Sepetys sheds light on history that often doesn't make the textbooks.

The novel is suspenseful due to the very nature of living under the Ceausescu's regime and Sepetys emphasizes the very regular lives of these characters who nonetheless live in constant fear. Cristian gets pulled in by the secret police for simply possessing an American dollar bill. The paranoia that lies under every move, conversation, and interaction is what is so frightening; Cristian has to monitor everything he says to his family, best friend, and Lilliana. The toll that takes is heartbreaking.

What I believe sets Sepetys apart from many historical fiction writers is how she weaves historical detail into her story, allowing the reader to feel immersed in the setting without it reading like a history lecture. Standing in line for hours for expired food; risking attack by wild roaming dogs; hoarding Kent cigarettes to use as a main form of currency as money is worthless. These are details that make life in 1989 Romania feel real and give immediacy to Cristian's story.

Highly recommend that teen and adult fans of historical fiction read I Must Betray You.

Ruta Sepetys is a master at storytelling these lesser known moments in history. In I Must Betray You, we are introduced to yet again another teen living through atrocities we aren't taught in school - this time with 1980s Communist Romania. Having read all of Ruta Sepetys works to date now, this one fell a little flat of my expectations. Although Ceaușescu's tyrannical reign over Romania was horrific, I felt that this novel did a lot more telling than showing of this period of Romanian history. Instead of being walked through our protagonist's, Christian's, shoes, a good amount of the context (mainly surface leveled) was told through character conversations. At the end of the day, this is all subject to personal preference. The subject matter is intriguing but the execution of it was not quite there.