BOOK REVIEW: I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Ruta Sepetys writes superb, gritty, YA historical fiction. My history/historical fiction book club chose I Must Betray You for our next meeting, and I flew through the book.

Cristian Florescu is a 17-year-old high school student in Bucharest, Romania, in 1989. Romania is under the thumb of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena. It was one of the most repressive regimes of the Eastern Bloc. The Ceauşescus lived in obscene luxury while Romanians starved. The currency was so worthless, Kent cigarettes were used for bartering. Obtaining food meant standing in long lines, with no guarantee of there being anything left. It was all the things you hear about failed Communist states, and worse.

The worst was the constant surveillance. Cristian lives in a one bedroom apartment with his parents, sister, and grandfather. His grandfather is outspoken about the loss of liberty and corruption of the regime, but everyone else speaks in whispers. Cristian is inspired by his grandfather’s bravery, and keeps a secret notebook about what life is like.

Cristian is coerced into becoming an informer when a security agent finds a minor crime to hang on him. The agent promises medicine for Cristian’s grandfather, who his dying of leukemia. As Cristian falls deeper into the deceptions he must undertake, he grows increasingly paranoid and distrustful of those around him. The fear and loneliness is palpable. And yet, he holds onto hope.

I Must Betray You is a fascinating look at Romania at the time of the collapse of the Soviet empire, highlighting the terrors of the police state and the bravery of the resisters. It’s hard to believe this was 1989. In some ways, it seems forever ago, and in others, just yesterday. Highly recommended!