Aarggh. I have enjoyed Anne Fines books in the past - but this one I read the first few chapters, flicked through the rest and read the last chapter. I can see it might inspire some people but maybe I'm finally growing out of my adolescence. ( )

Aarggh. I have enjoyed Anne Fines books in the past - but this one I read the first few chapters, flicked through the rest and read the last chapter. I can see it might inspire some people but maybe I'm finally growing out of my adolescence. ( )

Dark, depressing novel of a boy's experiences during a revolution set in a Russia-like country. It chronicles the death of hope and innocence. Yuri finally becomes as hardened as the men he once tried to fight. I wanted to find out if he could manage to keep his feeling of humanity. However, it was somewhat like slogging through the mud with Yuri with all the brutality and senseless violence that was part and parcel of the story. ( )

After this an Octavian Nothing, I have to rethink my newfound passion for historical fiction. I found this story confusing, hard-going, and unbelievable. The back cover quote says that it is truly a novel for our times, but I don't see it's relevance at all. I never found any reason to care about the main character and so his journey was never compelling. ( )