22 Apr / I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys [in Booklist]
*STARRED REVIEW
Edoardo Ballerini is that rare talent who instantly, effortlessly transports listeners into a story. His agile adaptability further enhances Ruta Sepetys’ (The Fountains of Silence, 2019) latest historical fiction as he expertly performs characters’ specific details, empathically channels emotions, and deftly reveals a narrative rife with twists and turns.
In the winter of 1989, Romania remains under the brutal control of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu. Cristian is 17, living at home with parents, older sister, Cici, and beloved grandfather, Bunu. The Ceaușescu regime relies on desperate citizens to surveil and betray one another, blackmailing Cristian into its fold: in exchange for medicine for ailing Bunu, Cristian must report on the activities of the U.S. ambassador’s teenage son, whose family employs Cristian’s mother.
Now that he’s an unwilling spy for the secret police, Cristian realizes he can’t trust anyone – not his best friend, Luca; not even Liliana, the girl who’s always had his heart. With Ceaușescu’s iron grip weakening, freedom might be possible.
Ballerini imbues Cristian with a stupendous range – desperately frightened, stalwartly courageous, utterly betrayed, deeply in love. From the manipulative guard to the small children in prison, Ballerini manages to distinguish all the characters, major and mentioned, giving each their full due. Audiences are guaranteed a remarkable performance of an already tremendous book.
Review: “Media,” Booklist, April 15, 2022
Readers: Young Adult
Published: 2022