Language: PG (1 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: R (war crimes, implied prostitution, hunger & starvation, death & disease); Violence: PG-13 (on-page punishment of prisoners)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
In the middle of the night, in June 1941, 15 year old Lithuanian Lina Vilkas and her mother and younger brother are forced from their home by the Russian secret police and sent to Siberia under horrific and relentless conditions. Lina tries to send messages to her father in another prison camp while keeping her family alive.
To be honest, I cried through most of reading this book. I knew it wasn't going to be a light read by any stretch of the imagination, but I was so moved by this little known part of WWII history about Lithuanians who were deported by the NKVD. A powerful story of the horrors of war and what people will go through to survive. This book would be a good addition to a high school library with the caveat that it deals frankly with prisoners of war and their treatment, so be prepared for the brutal nature of the story. There is also the fact that it is a graphic novel and the artist rendering of Sepetys original text is unflinching.
Reviewer: BookswithBeddes
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment