4.5 stars.

Short, quick, gut punch of a read. Set in Ceausescu's Romania during the 1980s, I Must Betray You is a stripped down YA historical fiction that gets right to the guts of Communism and the suffering that took place during this country's history. The writing is blunt and raw with excellent atmospheric description. This was an especially emotional read for me at this time as it coincided with Russia's invasion of Ukraine--the scenes from the book sometimes easily compared with scenes coming out of that Communist conflict.

Sepetys is just really good at historical fiction. Her narratives are always incredibly accessible, yet hard-hitting. The time periods and situations she picks are items not typically explored by other historical fiction authors and I really appreciate being able to be exposed to these tales from around the world. This read was no different. It cut to the quick right off and dove right in with gritty detail. My stomach sank and I was emotionally destroyed by this book at several turns. It is heartbreaking that humans can be so greedy and cruel, yet there have instances like Romania's experience under the Iron Curtain in multiple locations at multiple points in history and there continues to be human suffering in similar political regimes in the present.

Books like this are so important and I'm incredibly glad that Sepetys has chosen to be the author to write some of them. She has an incredible talent and her writing is just phenomenal. She tells a tale in a way that absolutely feels real and her stories are engrossing reads that I just can't put down.