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.

This was an interesting read for me in more ways than one. I am normally not a fan of historical fiction and even though this book was very well done, that sentiment still remains. First of all, I had no idea that there even was a revolution in Romania against their Communist dictator and also the fact that this happened in the late 80’s?? I think that Sepetys did an amazing job at portraying the life of a young teen in this hellscape while still emphasizing the fact that teenagers are still going to be teenagers, no matter the circumstances. This book was a LOT of build up and so it was kind of hard for me to keep reading when it had been two hundred pages and almost nothing had happened, but by the end of the novel, I understood more about why it was written this way. I don’t know if I will read more historical fiction, but if I do, Sepetys is probably the author I would enjoy the most.

3.5 Stars

Another amazing novel from Sepetys. I read this books in just a few sittings and couldn’t bring myself to put it down. The writing was incredible and the characters really sucked me in. The story was so sad and raw and really made me incredibly grateful for my life! I would highly recommend this novel to readers of all genres.

Ruta Sepetys is one of my all-time favorite authors – I have read everything she has written and I absolutely jumped at the chance to read an e-galley of her newest novel, I Must Betray You.

Here’s what I loved:
Exploration of a period of history that isn’t well known
Sabotage + betrayal + resistance + romance
Compulsively readable
Will leave you breathless

Here’s the set-up: It’s 1989 in Bucharest, Romania and the country has been under Ceausecu’s authoritarian rule for over 20 years. 17-year-old Cristian Florescu lives in a tiny apartment with his parents, sister, and grandfather. Queuing in line for basic groceries is normal, radios are forbidden, and informants are everywhere. When a secret agent approaches Crisitan to gather information on an American diplomat in exchange for medicine for his sick grandfather, Cristian doesn’t have a choice.

I Must Betray You is another brilliant work Ruta Sepetys that will have broad appeal for both teens and adults. Highly recommended for ages 12 and up; purchase multiple copies for your library as this will fly off the shelves.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Damn Sepetys did it again. Her writing and books are phenomenal.

I Must Betray You takes us to post WWII Romania where Ceaușescu's reign is still going strong. But the people are overworked, being starved and harassed by Ceaușescu's secret police agents. The country is governed by isolation and fear. When Cristian Florescu is blackmailed to become an informant, he feels even more lost. His choices seem impossible, but when the opportunity to expose what is happening in Romania to the world, he jumps into the revolution.

All of Sepetys's books have taught me something. I love that most of her books have focused on Eastern Europe because US public schools hardly talk about these subjects. Even though I took AP European history in high school, I knew nothing about this. This book takes place in 1989 and focuses on the Romanian revolution of December 1989.

Cristian was an easy character to empathize with. We see the horrible things happening in Romania through his eyes and with his sense of compassion. He is such a cinnamon roll. I loved how much he loved his family, especially his Bunu (grandfather). Their relationship was one of my favorite things in this book. Among all the fear and paranoia, these two were bright stars. The love they had for each other was always palpable.

This is a heavy book, but wow I sped through it. Sepetys is a masterful writer, never shying away from the hard truths, but also doing so in such a way that the characters' humanity is always preserved. My heart hurts so much for 1989 Romania and the people who went through these real life events. Sepetys also weaves in reports throughout Cristian's narrative. So not only do we get his POV, but we see how the Securitate see him. And wow, it was menacing. The environment created in this was so tense and fearful.

There's not a ton of action in the beginning of this. Don't get me wrong, things happen and we get to know all the characters. But the first half of the story really sets in tension and depicting just how awful conditions were for the average Romanian citizen. The juxtaposition is made clear whenever Cristian interacts with Dan Van Dorn, the son of the American embassy delegate. The way the Van Dorns are treated and the access they have compared to Cristian is wild. It really slams home the point of how privileged the American delegates are treated.

I highly recommend reading the historical and author note at the end, it is amazing to see a glimpse of the research process and the real people whose lives have been touched.

Rep: All Romanian cast, male side character who loses an arm, chronically ill elderly male side character, Roma male side character.

CWs: Blood, confinement, death, death of parent, emotional and physical abuse (government to its people), genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, police brutality, stalking, violence. Moderate: torture, gun violence, chronic illness, war. Minor: cancer.

Ruta Sepetys, again, construct historical fiction with such care and nuance, that it’s hard to ever put the book down. This history of Romania in the late 20th century leads readers on a trip that is full of questions and characters that make you wonder where their true allegiance lies. You really don’t know who to suspect and who to trust. I appreciated the historical references to people, places, and items that I didn’t know a lot about and honestly I did not know much about the time period in the book. I highly recommend all of her books but this one is a quick read, yet complex in its discussion about post-Soviet Easter Europe and end of the Cold War.

Sepetys has, once again, crafted a compelling, fast-moving, emotionally complex, and utterly thrilling story that is both compulsively readable while also educational about a time in history/the world that YA readers might not be familiar with.

In truth, the public school system in the US has failed disastrously at educating the true horrors and pain suffered by those living under Communist rule in the 20th century. Sepetys seeks to illuminate readers while providing compelling characters, a tense plot line, and never leaving you enough time to feel like you can catch your breath.

While at times I felt a bit confused about the history of what was happening (which was easily explained away when I read Sepetys' extensive notes at the end), I never for one second doubted that things would be explained and there would be a satisfying conclusion.

As with all of Sepetys' books, she has developed seemingly disparate storylines that all weave together slowly, coming together in a gasp-worthy conclusion.

Cannot recommend this enough and cannot wait to read more.

Thanks to Penguin Teen for my e-arc of this book.

I really wish I could break the rule and nominate this for Library Reads because I find this book every bit as appealing to adults as teens and I will recommend it to both age groups. I have order multiple copies for our library because Ruta's books are so popular and this one does not disappoint!

Set in Romania in the late 1980's during the communist era this book read like a thriller but if you know this author she is a researcher first. I am not a history person and knew little. This book teaches , not just the history itself but the lessons we can, in fact, we must learn from it before we are doomed to repeat it.
5 stars. Read it. Recommend it. Discuss it.

**Review will be published January 25th on my Blog/Goodreads/Instagram/Storygraph**

A UNIQUE & INFORMATIVE SETTING.

One of my favorite things about Sepetys as a writer is her clear effort in researching the history of whatever book she’s writing. I also love that most of her books are from more niche areas of history that I don’t know a lot about. They continually inspire me to look up more information and learn even more about the subject.

A bit slow paced in the first half as we watched Cristian go through the day-to-day life of what it was like in communist Romania. The visceral depictions of fear and oppression was at times hard to read. The short chapters kept the book moving steadily as the tension increased on a country tired of being held back.

I liked Cristian as a main character and his heartfelt desire to do right by his family and also do right by himself. His touching inner monologue of wanting more and suffering because of it, but then finally being able to reach a path that would lead to hope. I would have loved a bit more character development for everyone to really feel attached to them.

The intensity of the second half unleashed the betrayals, the riots and moments of clarity. While I didn’t love how the book ended, once reading the author’s note and history in the back of the book (don’t forget to do that!!) it all made sense as the type of writing choice I Must Betray You needed. Another great and informative historical fiction for Sepetys!

Overall audience notes:
- YA Historical Fiction
- Language: a little
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: depictions of poverty, a loved one beaten to death (aftermath is witnessed), murder, riots, mass loss of life, gun violence, near death experiences

I always know going into a Ruta Sepetys novel that I'm going to learn about a part of history I previously knew nothing about. I Must Betray You was no exception! Learning about communist Romania in 1989 was truly eye-opening. Sepetys paints a detailed picture about what life was like living there with all the betrayals and poverty. Unfortunately, I feel like painting this picture got in the way of deep character development and the plot in the first half of the book. While it was interesting learning about Romanian life, it felt very much like going through the motions for too long. The second half picked up a lot though, and it lived up to my expectations of lots of action and revolution!

So while this wasn't my favorite Ruta Sepetys novel, it was still inspiring and taught me a lot about this little-known part of history. I really appreciated the author's note going deeper into the history as well as pictures from that time. An interesting historical fiction!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Penguin Teen, for the ARC!

Students at my school love Ruta Sepetys. They will like this one, too. It seems to be a quicker read than her other books. Plus, the characters are more their age than in other books. Historical fiction is not a very popular genre in my library, but Sepetys has this way of making you care about the characters, and as a result, you learn something about history that you might never have known about..

Oh, Ruta Sepetys! You are a historical fiction author magician! This book blew my mind because it takes place when I was 7 but in Romania, and comparing my life to the tyranny and oppression Cristian and his family faces on a daily basis. Ruta educated me. Schooled me. Whoa.

I'll read anything that Ruta Septetys writes! This book does not disappoint. Set in Romania, 1989, Sepetys tells the story of the Romanian dictatorship and it's hold on the Romanian people through her story. Although communist regimes are falling all around them, Romanian's are kept in the dark by the regime and severely punished if they defy the government. However, the people find the strength to fight back to set themselves free. Based off of actual events, the book is eye opening as to the conditions the Romanian people lived in for years.
#RutaSepetys #IMustBetrayYou #NetGalley

I am a big fan of Ruta Sepetys, and this book did not disappoint in telling the story of one of the last and most ruthless totalitarian/communist regimes in Eastern Europe. I don't stock all of her books in my grade 5/6 class, because I don't think they are really ready for some of the scenes in books like Salt to the Sea, or Between Shades of Gray, but I think I will be able to have this one for some of my readers. There are some scenes of violence in which young people are beaten by the police force of the government, but that usually does not disturb my readers as much as say, sexual content.

Nineteen eighty-nine was the year we welcomed a new president into the White House, the World Wide Web was invented, the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, and the game boy made its first appearance. People only knew what the tv and radio told them, no one knew of the true horrors that were happening in Romania. No one knew until the citizens stuck up for themselves and started a revolution. Even though I was young at the time, I remember hearing about these events.

Romania has been a place that I've always wanted to visit. It has such a rich history that I'm fascinated by it. This book brought forth so many things that people around the world didn't know were happening at the time. The events that were taking place in the late eighties were things we all read about in the history books that took place forty-plus years ago. It's devastating. Ruta takes us back to those times and shares a special story from the perspective of a teenage boy named Nicolae.

We are all ones to judge how Nicolae handled certain situations. He was smart, brave, and a teenager in a time of anguish. We make comments on how we would have handled things. It's one thing to say what you would do but you don't know how you would handle this until you're actually faced with these issues. Here, actions definitely speak louder than words, and Nicolae and his friends stepped up to the plate. Ruta makes you feel for the choices that they have to make in order to survive. She also lets you know that these are teenagers trying to survive and that they make mistakes.

This book is so well researched and she stayed true to the horrors that Romanians faced. She also adds a touching and breaking story about a teenager trying to live and break free from communist control. This book certainly hits you like a ton of bricks and I enjoyed this a lot. The story, the history, and the revolt were so amazing. I loved how the author added in actual photos from that time with a little history describing what was going on. It all played out perfectly.

I Must Betray You was an amazing and emotional read. Ruta gives you an experience that you have never witnessed before and I can't believe what I read. It was powerful and gives you lots of hope for the future. This is a masterpiece from a powerhouse author. I can't recommend this enough.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys is a novel of historical fiction. It takes place in the communist era of Romania. The main character is Cristian, a seventeen-year-old who dreams of being a writer. Cristian gets blackmailed into informing for the authorities. He decides to use his position to his advantage to undermine the dictator. He plans to help expose to the rest of the world what is happening in Romania and help give voice to his fellow Romanians. Cristian eagerly joins the revolution.

This is a powerful book that is so heartbreaking and scary. Ruta Sepetys has written a spectacular story that takes place in such a little-known part of world history. I am eager to go back and read more from Ruta Sepetys.

This author is well-known for capturing and highlighting the moments in history that aren’t commonly taught in educational curricula. She has such a talent for drawing you into a story and making you feel all the things these fictional characters are feeling while also including subtle reminders that the devastation and heartbreak included in her books unfortunately aren’t all fiction. I only started reading her books this year and she’s quickly become one of my favorite authors. I’m so excited to be able to talk about how much I thoroughly enjoyed another work of hers.
I Must Betray You takes place in communist Romania only a few decades ago when the country was under the dictatorial rule of Nicolae Ceausescu. The story follows Cristian, a boy who dreams of becoming a writer but must put these dreams on hold for the safety of himself and his family. When he is blackmailed by Romania’s secret police to become an informant and report on his fellow Romanians as well as the son of a U.S. diplomat, Cristian struggles with deciding between doing what is safe for those he loves and what is right for his country.
This book had such a dystopian feel to it, very similar to the sentiments expressed in 1984, but this is drawing from a piece of reality. I was so immersed through the writing and the internal conflict of the characters. I can’t imagine being forced to live in such a paranoid state all the time. Cristian, his family and friends all had to live by the motto of trust no one in order to avoid punishment from the Securitate, or the secret police.
As with all books by this author, I was left with a lasting impression and she has again accomplished her goal of not letting the suffering or the triumphs of these people go forgotten.

Another masterpiece by Ruta Sepetys! This novel is just contains just the right combination of suspense and historical fiction to hook YA readers.

Ruta Sepetys is an author that I will read over and over again. She knows how to take a true story that not many people have heard about and write it in such a way that you can feel the desperation and fear coming from the main characters. I Must Betray You takes place in 1980s Romania, which is under the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. The people live In constant fear, whispering in corners, not knowing who they can trust. They are all under surveillance by the government with neighbors, friends, and/or family members reporting on them which leads them to mistrust everyone. In the middle of all this, we have Cristian, a high school student who gets blackmailed into becoming an informer, but he still dreams of living in a free Romania. The fast pacing and short chapters keep the reader engaged while the setting and characters make you feel a part of the story. This is a powerful and well-researched story and I highly recommend it.

Due to be released in February 2022, I Must Betray You takes readers into the life of 17-year-old Cristian Florescu, who must become an informer to save a life of a family member. Guilt and paranoia consume him as he tries to find a balance between providing sufficient information to the agents, and protecting his friends and family. As the Communist regimes are overthrown in neighboring countries, Cristian hopes that he can hold on and that a revolution will soon begin in Romania.

Sepetys masterfully captures the tension and fear that Romanians felt. Their inability to trust anyone was conveyed through the number of characters that are discovered to be informers. It's also evident through the inclusion of excerpts from Cristian's files. These are notes that an agent wrote after their meeting. During their meetings, Cristian often feels confident and that he is gaining the upper hand on the agent. However, the files serve as dramatic irony to show how mistaken Cristian is.

The only criticism I have of the book is the perspective in which it is written. It is written as if Cristian is recounting his past, and there are many parts that start with "If only I knew..." or "I just didn't know it yet." All of this seemed unnecessary to me. The events and dialogue created enough suspense and dread on their own. I felt that by doing this, a reader's ability to make predictions was vastly underestimated, and they almost seemed to interrupt the story more than anything.

Despite this minor complaint, I Must Betray You will be an excellent addition to a secondary classroom library. I will recommend it to my students in 8th grade and up, especially those who are interested in historical fiction or dystopian fiction - since the oppression was so extreme and the need for freedom so severe, students interested in the latter genre might be interested in this book too.

Note: There are graphic scenes in the book that might trigger readers who have experienced physical or gun-related trauma.