By: Ben  Xu

“I Must Betray You” is a historical fiction book written by Ruta Sepetys set in the time period of Romanian Communism. The protagonist, Christian Florescu, age 17, lived in the horror of the Romanian regime. One school day, he was blackmailed by a Secu-agent, the Romanian’s Secret Police, and suddenly became an informer for the regime. Trust faded into the distance as Christian fought for truth and liberty. Secrets revealed. Pandemonium rose. Christian betrayed the regime.

Ruta Sepetys wrote this book with vivid descriptions, extreme suspense, and elegant flow. The story strongly conveys the courage that Romanian citizens preserved through a journey of desperation and persistence. “What I want to get across is the strength and fortitude of the Romanian people, particularly the young people,” Sepetys said.

Sepetys used Christian’s perspective to emphasize the hardships and terror that Romanians had to endure. She utilized the power of emotion to intensify the story and drive the reader through the plotline. The first sentence of the story reads, “Fear arrived at five o’clock.” By including the protagonist’s fear against the regime, Sepetys increases the suspense and creates an open door for the intense instant.

The story contains a bundle of smooth imagery that describes the scene and sets the mood. On page 141, Sepetys writes, “The night air was crisp with cold. A full moon spilled light onto the street.” This sentence displays a vivid description as well as continuing the grim mood of the story. The author also has great word choice. The repetition of the word ‘conscience’ emphasizes the importance of morals and ethics.

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/books/review/podcast-ruta-sepetys-i-must-betray-you-jami-attenberg-i-came-all-this-way-to-meet-you.html?searchResultPosition=3