Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - Miss Robertson (English)

Having seen that this book was nominated for the Carnegie Award last year, I thought it was time to see what it was about!

*Not to be confused with another book of a similar title!

It turned out to be a fairly harrowing account of a fifteen year old girl who is forced to leave her home to go to a Siberian work camp in the 1940s. Despite the terrible conditions that are described, the writing is easy to read and the book is filled with poignant moments. It shows the strength that you can gain from having hope and from caring about others.

This book was upsetting but I did enjoy reading it as I could really empathise with the main character, Lina. It made me think about the freedoms which we take for granted and I learnt a lot as well about what life was like for people in Lithuania at this time, something which I did not know much about before.

I would recommend this for readers over 13 years old. I hope you enjoy it and I challenge you not to cry!