Concluding response: Between Shades of Gray

Wow!!! This sounds so cliche but that genuinely it was the most touching book I've every read! Everything about it was .... I can't even find a word... OK, maybe a phrase would be better... an emotional rollercoaster. 

Before reading, this I knew nothing about the deportation of the Lithuanians - it was kept a secret by the soviets for years and years! It matches the scale of the inhumanity the Germans inflicted on the Jews - most people know what happened to them - but why is it that we don't know anything about this!!! Their suffering is unfathomable. You could not imagine it to its full extent unless you were there. However, the descriptive language played a key role in presenting the information -  It was absolutely captivating and beautiful.  In a way, I now feel like it is my duty to tell everybody this harrowing story, which is why I would recommend it to EVERYONE.

I loved the messages portrayed - of love over hate, community is everything, hope is the strongest motivator not fear .etc. The characters had fascinating backgrounds and personalities. Everything about it was touching and compelling.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be enlightened about what really matters in life - it will make you look at the world differently. I hope all this waffling helped to persuade you to give it a go!

Happy reading, Kate x