City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

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the remainder of her family. Lina’s family shifts from camp to camp and are living in the worst of conditions. At one camp, Lina meets a boy who she thinks is an idiot but later befriends and he becomes her love interest. Lina is determined to find out about what happened to her father and risks being caught by the NKVD by sending out her drawings and hoping that her father will find one and know that she is thinking of him. One night after sending her drawing, she sees the mother of her love interest, Andrius laughing and drinking with the NKVD and believes that Andrius has just been using her all along and things change for the worse or for the better from there.

‘Between Shades of Gray’ is written in first person and the reader is given an insight on Lina’s thoughts thorough out her situation. I think the author decided to write it in Lina’s perspective because it would interest the reader and want them to know what a 15 year old could make of from her situation.

The story takes place in Siberia 1914. Lina is the main character of the story. Lina’s character is very hopeful and warm and it doesn’t take too long to get emotionally attached to her. Lina is very curious about everything and it is interesting to see what she wants to know about the camps or why she is being forced to work.

The story follows a linear structure however Lina often thinks about her future. The part that most interested me was when I first began getting used to Andrius but then Lina sees his mother being well fed by the NKVD.

I really enjoyed this book and it is defiantly one of my favourites. It was so sad and wonderful at the same time and I loved the way Lina expressed such simple things like snow in such a beautiful way. I recommend this book to people who enjoy war time stories or stories from the past.

The book next on my reading list is ‘The secret life of bees’ by Sue Monk. It is set in 1964 and is a story about loss and betrayal.