Review- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray on Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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. 

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REVIEW:

Wow. I don't know what to say. Humanity seems to be such a funny word after reading Between Shades of Gray. Who even invented it? Does it even exist? I am so speechless and so contemplative. All I can come up with is one of my most favourite quotes by Albert Camus that author Ruta Sepeteys herself has used a part of in the book and that fits Between Shades of Gray perfectly: 

Between Shades of Gray is an eye opener of the part of European history that remains untold and unheard of until one reads this book. The book was so real, so raw and so true. The characters are not the only people suffering. The reader suffers with them. Half the time, I just kept asking myself, what is happening? Why is this happening? This shouldn't happen! Not to innocent people. Not to anyone. Historical fiction really teaches us what history is all about. History is not just about the socio-political scenarios. It's about feelings and emotions. It's about how the surroundings of a person affect her or him. It is devastating, and it hurts just reading about it. Imagine being a part of it... 

I really have no idea what to say. I wouldn't say that Between Shades of Gray was out of the ordinary. But it moved me and it touched me. It taught me so much. I have really learned to value life because you never know what can happen and how one can go from hundred to zero in the blink of an eye. It taught me strength. I cannot even begin to imagine myself in the place of the characters. 

I know my review is of no help, but there are plenty of reviews out there that explain how incredible this book is. The only reason I decided to put down something is to let you, my dear reader, know that Between Shades of Gray is worth it. It will modify you in the most breathtaking way. And like my friend Tanja was there for me, I will be there to hug you once you're done reading this work of art. 

Buy the book: AMAZON / FLIPKART

Review- Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Goodreads Summary:

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. 

She devises a plan to get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

REVIEW:

Author Ruta Sepetys' Out of the Easy had been sitting on my shelf since a very long time. Then out of the blue, the book was constantly on my mind for some reason, so I decided to finally pick it up and read it. I had only seen the book around before and heard great stuff about it. Having no clue what it was actually about, I went in without any expectations whatsoever, other than the fact that I was hoping the book would blow my mind away. Thankfully, the book was intriguing, mysterious and unique enough to do just that. I can't really say that I was surprised by the same, because from the very beginning, I knew that I had confronted a really nice story. 

Out of the Easy is the story of literature admirer and bookstore caretaker, Josie, who also happens to be the daughter of a prostitute who works for a very chic, quirky, strong and powerful women by the name of Willie. Josie also works for Willie wherein she does cleanup at the brothel. For me, having these three women at the core of the story made the book very women-centric. What was most admirable was that each of them was so unique in their own way and had a personality that was quite contrasting to the others. Having said that, the men in the story were very unparalleled as well. So we go from Cokie, the driver, to many men who visit the brothel and get nicknamed based on the place they come from to Charlie, book owner and author to spooks who give chills... Everyone was very unique and well developed as characters. Josie had two guys in her life, Patrick and Jesse, both of whom were astoundingly attractive and commendably smart. 

Even though Out of the Easy is essentially historical, there wasn't much of the socio-political history of the late 1940s and early 1950s other than the mention of a few wars here and there. What was really historical and what made it very charming was the description of the old world from the houses, buildings and exteriors to the roads, cafes and restaurants. Another positive was the mystery added which kept the story very gripping and extremely fast-paced as well. I thoroughly loved every second of the story and I was curious to read and know more. To top it all off, Ruta Sepetys' writing was so lovely and had a very rapidly poetic feel to it, and made the book very mysterious and dazzling. 

While the ending of the story was rather simplistic in my eyes and I would have liked the mystery to take a stronger hold since it seemed like it was the most important aspect after a certain point, I still liked Out of the Easy more than enough. Josie was a lovely and smart girl who made for a very brave and admirable character whose company I loved since page one. Her love for literature was easy to relate to. She is the heroine of the book, and honestly, there wouldn't be any problem if there were no guys in the story, because Josie was the hero too. This was her book and her story. A dazzling tale of the dark side of a town, the dark side of power, the unsteadiness in relationships, ambition, strife and everyone looking for their own advantages, Out of the Easy is a very lovely and gripping story. 

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