I MUST BETRAY YOU

Narrator Edoardo Ballerini masterfully conveys the unrelenting stress on 17-year-old Cristian Florescu, who lives in Bucharest, Romania, in the winter of 1989. Ballerini makes the totalitarian regime of Nicolae Ceausescu palpable, as well as Cristian's adoration of his Bunu, his loving grandfather. To save the ailing man, Cristian agrees to take on an informer role in exchange for medicine. But instead of relief, Cristian experiences a tightening noose of hunger, isolation, and fear. Ballerini portrays a complex character whose passion for poetry and philosophy, first crush, and love of family contrast with the betrayal he's willing to commit. Ballerini's pacing enhances the suspense and twists in this first-person narrative. Ruta Sepetys's straightforward back matter provides historical context to a gripping story. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2022]