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Sign up todayI Must Betray You
Length
7 hours 9 minutes
Language
English
Narrators
Edoardo Ballerini & Ruta Sepetys
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“Sepetys is brilliant at bringing lesser known history alive! This story is set in Romania towards the end of the Ceausescu regime, and is a stark and relevant reminder that historical atrocities are often very recent (1989 is yesterday to me). A well researched, heartbreaking, eye-opening, and humbling story of 17 year old Cristian who is blackmailed into becoming an informer. This is marketed as a YA title but please, please don't let that stop you from reading an amazing book.”
— Polly • The Hickory Stick Bookshop
Bookseller recommendation
“Historical thriller set in 1989 Romania during the dictatorship of Ceausescu. From award-winning Ruta Sepetys. For adults and older teens.”
— Melanie • Bookstore1Sarasota
Bookseller recommendation
“Cristian has a crush on a girl from class, a fascinating grandfather who supports his desire to write, and a loving family - and a US dollar bill, a crime that could ruin or even end his life. How? It's 1989, the dictator of his country is believed to be open-minded and generous, and the crumbling Soviet Union supposedly left Romania mostly free. But someone betrayed Cristian to the secret police, and the only way to stay free is to spy on someone else. Perfect pacing keeps the mystery tense and gives the reader moments to laugh aloud even against the heartbreaking background of life in Soviet-style apartment blocks. Every John Green fan will recognize Cristian's curiosity, frustration, and courage, and everyone who has ever stayed up late to keep reading out of fear for a beloved character... had better charge up the earbuds before Chapter 12! Even if you already know what happened in Romania when the 'Iron Curtain' fell, you won't rest until you know what Cristian is willing to do to protect those he loves.”
— Nialle • The Haunted Bookshop
Bookseller recommendation
“This YA audio is compelling and timely. Set in the late 1980’s it teaches us of the difficulties faced by Romanians during communist years. Heartbreaking, scary and full of hope.”
— Mary Jane • Island Bookstore
Bookseller recommendation
“I loved the audiobook from Libro.fm. The phenomenal narrator captures the spirit of every character, and I was immediately drawn into the story. I also experienced every emotion. Joy for the budding relationship between Cristian and his girlfriend, love for Cristian's outspoken grandfather, anger at the thought of them standing in line for a small potato or cooking oil, disgust at the death and treatment of children, and surprise at the ending. And a little laughter at references to Twinkies and Bruce Springsteen ... oh, the good ol' days. I love all of Ruta's books, and this did not disappoint.”
— Sara • Roundabout Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Fans of historical fiction will love this book! The author brings us a haunting depiction of the lesser known but horrific dictatorship of Nicolea Ceaucescu in communist Romania. Through the eyes of ordinary teenagers we see how fear and suspicion affected every aspect of Romanian life. The best historical fiction makes us feel that we’ve truly visited history, which this book does. The fact that it takes place in the not-so-distant past makes even more powerful. This is a young adult book that both teens and adults will enjoy.”
— Beth • A Great Good Place for Books
#1 New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal!
A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about 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.
Praise for I Must Betray You:
“As educational as it is thrilling...[T]he power of I Must Betray You [is] it doesn’t just describe the destabilizing effects of being spied on; it will make you experience them too.” –New York Times Book Review
“A historical heart-pounder…Ms. Sepetys, across her body of work, has become a tribune of the unsung historical moment and a humane voice of moral clarity.” –The Wall Street Journal
* "Sepetys brilliantly blends a staggering amount of research with heart, craft, and insight in a way very few writers can. Compulsively readable and brilliant." –Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Sepetys once again masterfully portrays a dark, forgotten corner of history." –Booklist, starred review
* "Sepetys’s latest book maintains the caliber readers have come to expect from an author whose focus on hidden histories has made her a YA powerhouse of historical fiction…Sepetys is a formidable writer, and her stories declare the need to write about global issues of social injustice. For that reason and her attention to detail, this is a must-read." –School Library Journal, starred review
* "Cristian’s tense first-person narrative foregrounds stark historical realities, unflinchingly confronting deprivations and cruelty while balancing them with perseverance and hope as Romania hurtles toward political change." –Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Sepetys keeps readers riveted to this vivid, heartbreaking and compelling novel, locked into every meticulously researched detail. I Must Betray You demands a full investment from its audience--through poetic writing, sympathetic characters, revolutionary plot and pacing, it grips the heart and soul and leaves one breathless.” –Shelf Awareness, starred review
"A master class in pacing and atmosphere." –BookPage
Ruta Sepetys (www.rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Sepetys is considered a "crossover" novelist, as her books are read by both teens and adults worldwide. Her novels Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, and Salt to the Sea have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Between Shades of Gray was adapted into the film Ashes in the Snow, and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Ruta was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @RutaSepetys.
Edoardo Ballerini has been nominated for several Audie awards and is the recipient of multiple Earphones awards from AudioFile magazine. His screen credits include the feature films Dinner Rush and Romeo Must Die, as well as the television series The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and 24. To learn more, visit edoardoballerini.com.
Ruta Sepetys (www.rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Sepetys is considered a "crossover" novelist, as her books are read by both teens and adults worldwide. Her novels Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, and Salt to the Sea have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Between Shades of Gray was adapted into the film Ashes in the Snow, and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Ruta was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @RutaSepetys.
Edoardo Ballerini has been nominated for several Audie awards and is the recipient of multiple Earphones awards from AudioFile magazine. His screen credits include the feature films Dinner Rush and Romeo Must Die, as well as the television series The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and 24. To learn more, visit edoardoballerini.com.
Ruta Sepetys (www.rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Sepetys is considered a "crossover" novelist, as her books are read by both teens and adults worldwide. Her novels Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, and Salt to the Sea have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Between Shades of Gray was adapted into the film Ashes in the Snow, and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Ruta was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @RutaSepetys.
Edoardo Ballerini has been nominated for several Audie awards and is the recipient of multiple Earphones awards from AudioFile magazine. His screen credits include the feature films Dinner Rush and Romeo Must Die, as well as the television series The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and 24. To learn more, visit edoardoballerini.com.
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Reviews
Praise for I Must Betray You:Winner of the Josette Frank Award for Fiction ♦ An NPR Best Book of the Year ♦ An Amazon Best Book of the Year ♦ A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year ♦ A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year ♦ A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year ♦ A Christian Science Monitor Best Book of the Year ♦ A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year ♦ A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year ♦ A YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick ♦ A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee
“As educational as it is thrilling...[T]he power of I Must Betray You [is] it doesn’t just describe the destabilizing effects of being spied on; it will make you experience them too.” –New York Times Book Review
★ "Sepetys brilliantly blends a staggering amount of research with heart, craft, and insight in a way very few writers can. Compulsively readable and brilliant." –Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Sepetys once again masterfully portrays a dark, forgotten corner of history." –Booklist, starred review
★ "Sepetys’s latest book maintains the caliber readers have come to expect from an author whose focus on hidden histories has made her a YA powerhouse of historical fiction…Sepetys is a formidable writer, and her stories declare the need to write about global issues of social injustice. For that reason and her attention to detail, this is a must-read." –School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Cristian’s tense first-person narrative foregrounds stark historical realities, unflinchingly confronting deprivations and cruelty while balancing them with perseverance and hope as Romania hurtles toward political change." –Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A master class in pacing and atmosphere." –BookPage Expand reviews
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