I Must Betray You

This year, I have read many different books on a wide variety of topics. Yet, like most Americans, I had not learned about the Romanian revolt against their own communist leader. Therefore, I went into this book somewhat cold on the topic, and I am glad to say that I want to learn more after reading this book.

I like how this book helps to show the reader the struggles under a Communist regime. Many teenagers would know that Communism is bad, but they may not understand the elements of suspicion, fear, and poverty that were hallmarks of both Russian and Romanian societies for decades. This book attempts to show this in a personal light that we may not otherwise see in other books. The tension in this novel is also palpable, as we see Christian attempt to get medicine in return for spying on an American family.

I also liked how the tension is increased for Christian through reports from the Romanian government on how he is doing as a spy. This shows the reader that during this time, no one was ever safe. It really helps the reader to understand just how prevalent the situation was for people to keep quiet and keep their heads down.

On the other hand, while I remember the situation well, I do not remember the characters themselves. I think this is because the main focus of the novel is the spying itself, and not the characters around it. The main characters have just enough hopes and dreams to convey to the reader that they will most likely never get them under the Communistic regime that they are currently living in. Other than this, they are somewhat forgettable.

Overall, though, I would say that this is a good book and one that I would greatly recommend. I give it a four out of five.