Student Pick

"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both."--The Washington Post

Summary

Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life--until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive?

My Review

Awesome novel that gives great insight into a topic that’s not well-known!

Between Shades of Gray is an awesome novel! I love gritty, well-written stories like these and I think it gives a great insight into the labor camps and the hardships so many people encountered.You find yourself rooting for characters in the end of the book whom you hated in the beginning(a good writing skill). The protagonist, Lina, is realistic and intelligent-you will love her! This book will make you grateful for what you have after reading about some of the horrible things that were inflicted on the prisoners.–Your Name

Quotable:

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's was worth a pocket watch." (Chapter 7, p. 27).This is one of the central questions of a book that examines the inhumanity of the Soviet regime. It also highlights the slow chipping away of life down to its barest form-- exchanging precious heirlooms for the hope of remaining alive and keeping families together.

ISBN:9780142420591
ISBN-10:014242059X

Publication Date:April 3rd, 2012
Pages:352

Directions for Writing the Review

  1. BOOK PRAISE -- Find an actual quote praising your book from a professional book review outlet (hint: look on the front and back covers of your book and inside the first few pages).

For example:

New York Times

Kirkus Reviews

NPR

London Review of Books

The Guardian

San Francisco Chronicle

Publishers Weekly

TheVillage Voice

  1. SUMMARY – Write a summary of your book. Make sure it includes the following:
  2. A description of the plot
  3. The setting
  4. The protagonist
  5. The main conflict
  6. Major themes
  7. DO NOT GIVE THE ENDING AWAY!
  1. REVIEW – This is where you assess the quality of the book and determine whether or not you would recommend it to another student. Essentially, your opinion boils down to whether or not this book is worth the read. Then communicate that through your review.

Things to consider:

  • Are the characters or topics well-developed?
  • Do the characters seem real and relatable?
  • Is the plot well-developed and do the events flow logically? Is there a twist that might catch the reader by surprise?
  • Are the themes interesting? Do they make you think, or are they dull and uninspiring?

Make sure the last sentence of your review is catchy! Consider speaking directly to the readers of your review to get their attention!

  1. QUOTABLE – Choose one quote that you feel really embodies one of the main themes or the essence of the story.
  2. Cite the chapter and page number in parentheses behind the quote.
  3. Briefly (2-3 sentences) explain the significance of the quote to the book.

Again, remember your goal is to convince your readers to pick up (or never pick up) this book!