Historical

I Must Betray You

I Must Betray You

  • Downloads：4737
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-02-21 07:53:23
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Ruta Sepetys
  • ISBN：0593524152
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

A gut-wrenching， startling window into communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation， from the #1 New York Times bestselling， award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray。

Romania， 1989。 Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe。 Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer， but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force。

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear， Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer。 He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe。

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime， give voice to fellow Romanians， and expose to the world what is happening in his country。 He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives。 But what is the cost of freedom？

Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys is back with a historical thriller that examines the little-known history of a nation defined by silence， pain， and the unwavering conviction of the human spirit。

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Reviews

Mandy ，

Beautiful and as thought-provoking as always。 I'll read anything that Sepetys writes。 I am so glad she's here to shine light on pieces of history that don't get the attention they need。 Beautiful and as thought-provoking as always。 I'll read anything that Sepetys writes。 I am so glad she's here to shine light on pieces of history that don't get the attention they need。 。。。more

Kate Johnson ，

A must read。 The finest of historical fiction。 Riveting story。 Excellent writing。 Deeply researched。

Diana Nasulea ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 If you're looking for the kind of book you simply cannot put down this is it。 "I must betray you" by Ruta Sepetys is a historical fiction （but not really） that tells the story of Cristian， a 17 year old Romanian living in gloomy Bucharest under Ceausescu's regime， who is forced to become an informer for the Securitate in order to get medicine for his dying grandfather。 He ends up doing everything he despises but only to use it in his advantage and undermine a system governed through a network of If you're looking for the kind of book you simply cannot put down this is it。 "I must betray you" by Ruta Sepetys is a historical fiction （but not really） that tells the story of Cristian， a 17 year old Romanian living in gloomy Bucharest under Ceausescu's regime， who is forced to become an informer for the Securitate in order to get medicine for his dying grandfather。 He ends up doing everything he despises but only to use it in his advantage and undermine a system governed through a network of spies， fear and repression。He's risking everything while also living a love story。 They dream about coffee， Coke， chocolate and bananas - all things Romanians could not have。They join the revolution。 They fight for freedom。 At what cost remains to be debated。It's impressive to see a non-Romanian author understanding so well the subtilities （and the jokes！） of the reality of living in a dark country ruled by a dark dictator。 Loved it。 。。。more

Sassyo ，

this author never disappoints。

Kristen Killian ，

Holy moly - go read this one！！ I finished this one in a day （aside from 20ish pages I read before bed last night）， and it is really good。 I’ve heard of Ruta Septys， but I’ve never read any of her works but now I’m a fan - this one was marketed by BOTM as a young adult story， but I found the history and the writing to be very geared towards adults， the main character just happens to be a teenager。 I also was born in 1988， but I had NO IDEA of what was going on in Romania just a year later - it wa Holy moly - go read this one！！ I finished this one in a day （aside from 20ish pages I read before bed last night）， and it is really good。 I’ve heard of Ruta Septys， but I’ve never read any of her works but now I’m a fan - this one was marketed by BOTM as a young adult story， but I found the history and the writing to be very geared towards adults， the main character just happens to be a teenager。 I also was born in 1988， but I had NO IDEA of what was going on in Romania just a year later - it was really insightful and exciting to read about a time period outside of the traditional WWII fiction， and it’s clear the author does her research。 One of my favorites！ 。。。more

Jenna ，

Ruta is incredible。 I don’t have the words to explain what her stories can and will do to a person， but this book has so much heart。

Christine Johnson ，

Audiobook。。。。 excellent history lesson。

Sophie "Beware Of The Reader" ，

This book didn’t move me the same way Ruta’s previous books did and I needed a longer time to fall into it。But what this book did was open my eyes on events I had no awareness about！ And that’s what I adore about Ruta Sepetys’s books: she revisits history and sheds light on events that were relatively unknown or forgotten in the grand scheme of life。That story is bleak and horrific。And I don’t use these words to say that the book is a bad book。 Not at all！ On the contrary as I think Ruta Sepetys This book didn’t move me the same way Ruta’s previous books did and I needed a longer time to fall into it。But what this book did was open my eyes on events I had no awareness about！ And that’s what I adore about Ruta Sepetys’s books: she revisits history and sheds light on events that were relatively unknown or forgotten in the grand scheme of life。That story is bleak and horrific。And I don’t use these words to say that the book is a bad book。 Not at all！ On the contrary as I think Ruta Sepetys succeeded in immersing me under that suffocating regime or terror， where you mistrust everyone， where you are not free to speak， even in your own bathroom as the regime had cameras and listening devices everywhere！This was mind boggling， thinking that even in your own house you would be spied upon。In her author’s note， Ruta Sepetys explained that it was believed that one Romanian on ten was an informant。 Most of the time coerced into it， either by blackmail， either in a desperate measure to survive or protect one’s family。Christian dreams of becoming a writer and studying philosophy at university when his dreams will get threatened。One day he’ll be forced to become an informer and spy on the US ambassador for the Securitate。He will try to manipulate his agent and give non interesting information。But we’ll later discover that his agent was not so naïve。All along， we’ll realize that his grand-father knew more than was expected from an old man， that someone betrayed Christian but who？Christian will believe some awful things about some members of his family and close friends， proof that Ceaușescu knew how to divide to reign easily。 The story will lead to a crescendo with the revolution and some unexpected truths。What hurt and shocked in that book was to know that even after the revolution， decades after， families were still without answers about some beloved fate or discovered totally unexpected truths。 That must leave gaping wounds in families ‘s souls。I was horrified to see all the lies that were spun for a whole nation， isolating people in a pocket of oppression without people knowing that in other countries， it was better。The “letter” or “journal excerpt” read by the end of the book had me in tears。Should you read this？Certainly if you love history and even if you don’t love history， to give a voice to the forgotten and to educate you to the tools used by tyrants to rule upon nations。 。。。more

Lisa ，

Another great historical fiction novel from this author。 I had not been out of high school long when the events of this book took place， and although I remember other world events from that time period， I don't remember hearing much about Romania。 The dictator's name， Nicolae Ceausescu， was familiar， but I don't remember hearing details about the conditions in which the people were living。 The author has once again done extensive research to give voice to a people and experience which can not be Another great historical fiction novel from this author。 I had not been out of high school long when the events of this book took place， and although I remember other world events from that time period， I don't remember hearing much about Romania。 The dictator's name， Nicolae Ceausescu， was familiar， but I don't remember hearing details about the conditions in which the people were living。 The author has once again done extensive research to give voice to a people and experience which can not be forgotten lest it be repeated。 。。。more

Finley ，

A heartbreaking and uncomfortable read。 Ruta Sepetys does a superb job bringing light to an area of history that isn't well known and emulates an atmosphere of paranoia， where you don't know who to trust。 If I had my way I wouldn't have put this book down， and I will be looking for more books about Romanian history。 A heartbreaking and uncomfortable read。 Ruta Sepetys does a superb job bringing light to an area of history that isn't well known and emulates an atmosphere of paranoia， where you don't know who to trust。 If I had my way I wouldn't have put this book down， and I will be looking for more books about Romanian history。 。。。more

Crystal Rogers ，

I haven’t picked up a historical fiction in awhile。 They are typically a little slower paced for me…。but this one！ Within the first 20 pages I was invested。 Sepetys writes beautifully and you can tell it was researched well。 It was interesting to read about this time in history-Romania under communist control。 Such a sad time but a great story if you want to pick up a historical fiction I highly recommend！

Frank O'connor ，

This is a book about feel of Romania under Communism and the subsequent revolution。 It might be classified by some as YA literature， though it can be happily read by anyone。 A book like this could easily be inaccurate or over-simplistic， but this one is neither of those things。 It is clear， direct and compelling and it captures the sense of mistrust generated by the Romanian system prior to the revolution。 It feels accurate too， even if， in pushing for the concept that Romania was 'the worst' un This is a book about feel of Romania under Communism and the subsequent revolution。 It might be classified by some as YA literature， though it can be happily read by anyone。 A book like this could easily be inaccurate or over-simplistic， but this one is neither of those things。 It is clear， direct and compelling and it captures the sense of mistrust generated by the Romanian system prior to the revolution。 It feels accurate too， even if， in pushing for the concept that Romania was 'the worst' under Communism， it may be doing a disservice to some other countries。 。。。more

Lori ，

A response: My own knowledge of the Romanian horrors was， as most American's， somewhat scant。 I had worked and chatted and ate meals with Romanian refugees that came to the college campus where I worked in 1982-1985。 They would not speak much of their country and its hardships。 Little bits would come out in conversation and then quickly cease。 I never knew why a man with a high level engineering degree and experience brought his family to America and worked as a pot-scrubber in the college cafet A response: My own knowledge of the Romanian horrors was， as most American's， somewhat scant。 I had worked and chatted and ate meals with Romanian refugees that came to the college campus where I worked in 1982-1985。 They would not speak much of their country and its hardships。 Little bits would come out in conversation and then quickly cease。 I never knew why a man with a high level engineering degree and experience brought his family to America and worked as a pot-scrubber in the college cafeteria for $3 an hour。 He was humble and always spoke with appreciation of being in America。 Another coworker， a young lady of college age， told me of her escape as a teenager。 She rode under a jeep， holding onto the axles to get her across a border to a refugee camp and， eventually， to America。 I heard of their loss of farms and land， but always in brief tidbits that left the speakers clamped shut， as if sharing too much information was harmful。 In my young age and lack of experience and knowledge， I didn't understand the impact of their trauma and history。As I read this book， I could see their faces again， these 40 years later， and I am in awe of the struggles and triumphs of those who live under oppression。I always look forward to reading the next book to come out by Ruta Sepetys。 Her well-researched historical novels and uncanny ability to give voices to history provide a springboard of compassionate inquiry。 Each time I finish one of her books， I am driven to delve into the historical period behind her enthralling storytelling。 。。。more

Luz ，

171/365 Sepetys books are always disarming， revealing little known facts of major historical events。 The story of Romania and the truth of the suffering was shocking to me…the detail was horrific。

Stella Wenny ，

4。5 stars。 A deeply researched YA historical fiction about the struggles of Romanians under opression and how they achieve freedom。 Unexpected ending and endearing protagonist。 Ruta Sepetys never fails to write wonderful heart-breaking novels about history that we should have known。 Highly recommend ✨

Priscilla Herchold ，

Picked it up and didn’t put it down till I was finished。 It’s gripping and highly informative。 The emotions bleed through from the page。 Definitely need to find out more about Romania。

Carolyn ，

I have read two other Ruta Sepetys books and eagerly anticipated this one。 Worth my reading time。

Melynda ，

🎧

Ashley Curran ，

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys Romania 1989: 17 year old Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer。 He can either betray everyone he loves or try undermine the communist dictatorship。 He chooses to join the revolution， but at what cost？This is the third book of Sepetys I have read and I have loved them all！ Her books are considered young adult， but they don’t read like YA novels。 They read like compelling historical fiction， full of fascinating facts and fast paced ev I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys Romania 1989: 17 year old Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer。 He can either betray everyone he loves or try undermine the communist dictatorship。 He chooses to join the revolution， but at what cost？This is the third book of Sepetys I have read and I have loved them all！ Her books are considered young adult， but they don’t read like YA novels。 They read like compelling historical fiction， full of fascinating facts and fast paced events。 I learned so much about Romania in the late 80s。 This was such a great story that was full of heart and bravery。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more

alli ，

super well written！ the pacing was a bit fast at times but i love historical fiction and this was a great book

Rachel ，

4。5 great stars！ Wow！ I was a very young child in 1989 so what I really only knew of the Iron Curtain was from school and documentaries。 And even then I'd really only been taught about two communist countries- East Germany （and the fall of the Berlin Wall） from school and Czechoslovakia from my Slovak heritage。 So it was fascinating （and heartbreaking） to learn more about Romania under Ceaușescu。If you have an interest in history or just enjoy a well written novel， check out I Must Betray You。 I 4。5 great stars！ Wow！ I was a very young child in 1989 so what I really only knew of the Iron Curtain was from school and documentaries。 And even then I'd really only been taught about two communist countries- East Germany （and the fall of the Berlin Wall） from school and Czechoslovakia from my Slovak heritage。 So it was fascinating （and heartbreaking） to learn more about Romania under Ceaușescu。If you have an interest in history or just enjoy a well written novel， check out I Must Betray You。 I don't think you'll be disappointed。 。。。more

Ayessa ，

Finished this in two days！ I couldn't put this down。 So many feelings， so many thoughts。 But I'm just so grateful to have read this book。 Eye-opening and inspiring。 Finished this in two days！ I couldn't put this down。 So many feelings， so many thoughts。 But I'm just so grateful to have read this book。 Eye-opening and inspiring。 。。。more

Sherry ，

Popsugar 2022 Reading Challenge - #13: A book set in the 1980s

Donna ，

Good historical fiction about the life of a Romanian teen in 1989。

Jacie Atteng ，

Ruta Sepetys？ Automatically yes。 Anything she touches will be gold。 This one is， again， phenomenal。 My only complaint is that it’s shorter than her others。 I was frustrated by the lack of solid conclusion but then when I read the author’s note at the end about how there is still a lot of unknown and mystery surrounding that time which is why she chose to end is somewhat vague， it made so much sense。 Then I felt foolish for doubting her。 I have nothing more to really say， just for read it asap。

lorraina ，

ruta sepetys always does an amazing job at writing such intricate historical fiction pieces， putting in the research and efforts needed to share such critical history that goes untold。 i could not tell you to read this novel enough

Carleene Hibbs Reeder ，

I love this author and her books always surprise me with unknown historical facts that I had no idea about。 This book was no different。 I was not disappointed in this book but it wasn't quite what I was expecting。 I love this author and her books always surprise me with unknown historical facts that I had no idea about。 This book was no different。 I was not disappointed in this book but it wasn't quite what I was expecting。 。。。more

Karen Van Gundy ，

I never knew life in Romania was that awful， and so recently in the past。 Sepetys writing is captivating and an utter joy to read even when the topic is very disturbing and heart-wrenching。 5 stars！

Anita ，

I've been so excited for this book ever since I found out it was being published。 Having grown up in the US for the majority of my life， people tend to get taken aback when I casually mention that I was born in a communist country。 But I was born in August 1989 in Romania。 The events of this book take place from October 1989 to December 1989。 I was four months old when the revolution happened。 My parents， my grandparents， my aunts and uncles， even my cousins， lived during this horrible time。 I s I've been so excited for this book ever since I found out it was being published。 Having grown up in the US for the majority of my life， people tend to get taken aback when I casually mention that I was born in a communist country。 But I was born in August 1989 in Romania。 The events of this book take place from October 1989 to December 1989。 I was four months old when the revolution happened。 My parents， my grandparents， my aunts and uncles， even my cousins， lived during this horrible time。 I spent 90% of this book crying and the last 30 or 25% just uncontrollably sobbing。 The events described in this book are just so viseral and horrible and I want to vomit knowing that it's all true。 Ruta Sepetys does such a fantastic job at not just telling a story about a period in history， but bringing it to life and making it authentic。 This is the first book by her I've read so I can't comment on the writing style as it compares to her other books （though I can compare it to the afterword she wrote） but it almost feels like it was written by a young Romanian and then translated into English。 Some of the turns of phrases， the way of looking at things， felt so Romanian in a way I can't explain， but I hope other Romanians understand。 I hope everyone reads this book。 。。。more

Claire Talbot ，

Author Ruta Sepetys does her research， and her novels reflect that。 A great story， and a fast read。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=I Must Betray You

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=I Must Betray You&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,I Must Betray You&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0