My rating: 5 of 5 stars
First, who knew all this if we weren't directly involved? How cool is Ruta Sepetys that she brings out these amazingly intense historical things that really do show the intensity of the human spirit? I mean, between the Spanish War (Fountains of Silence), or in this book, which happened when I was a senior in high school (ha, now you have to read to book to figure out how old I am) I am embarrassed to say that i never saw the reality of what was happening. I want to know more about Romania. I want to know more so that I can recognize that the atrocities that happen even now. But even more impactful of Mrs. Sepetys's books is that she is able to accurate portray the mindset of a teenager. No superficial angst, but real conflicts that are believable, especially in the context of upheaval. I have yet to read a book by Ruta Sepetys that I don't like.