First Chapter Friday Read-Aloud: I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
What would you risk for the truth? In this First Chapter Friday, we’re diving into I Must Betray You — the #1 New York Times bestseller by Ruta Sepetys, author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.
Setting: Romania, 1989. Communist governments are collapsing across Europe, but one of the most brutal dictatorships still grips the nation in silence and fear.
The Problem: Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, yet under Ceaușescu’s regime, even thoughts are dangerous. When Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informant, he faces an impossible choice: betray everyone he loves—or find a way to fight back.
Tense, emotional, and unforgettable, I Must Betray You is a historical thriller that explores the power of truth, courage, and the human spirit in the face of oppression.
TRIGGER WARNING: This book is for a YOUNG ADULT audience. I know that many of the books I feature on my channel are middle grade, but this one, because of it's content is for an older age. Personally I'd recommend 8th grade and up. Near the end there are some tough torture scenes that are too mature for younger readers.
Teachers:
Use this First Chapter Friday to connect history and literature. Perfect for exploring themes of freedom, censorship, integrity, and the Cold War era. Pair it with nonfiction texts about life behind the Iron Curtain or discussions on moral courage.
Grab the companion student engagement worksheets for FREE here: https://wordnerd.myflodesk.com/dek46ayr2c
#FirstChapterFriday #IMustBetrayYou #RutaSepetys #HistoricalFiction #YAReads #MiddleSchoolELA #HighSchoolELA #ReadAloud #BookTalk #WorldHistory #ColdWar #Censorship #StudentEngagement #TeachingReading #LearningWithTheWordNerd #WordNerdCollaborative #ReadersGonnaRead
What would you risk for the truth? In this First Chapter Friday, we’re diving into I Must Betray You — the #1 New York Times bestseller by Ruta Sepetys, author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.
Setting: Romania, 1989. Communist governments are collapsing across Europe, but one of the most brutal dictatorships still grips the nation in silence and fear.
The Problem: Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, yet under Ceaușescu’s regime, even thoughts are dangerous. When Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informant, he faces an impossible choice: betray everyone he loves—or find a way to fight back.
Tense, emotional, and unforgettable, I Must Betray You is a historical thriller that explores the power of truth, courage, and the human spirit in the face of oppression.
TRIGGER WARNING: This book is for a YOUNG ADULT audience. I know that many of the books I feature on my channel are middle grade, but this one, because of it's content is for an older age. Personally I'd recommend 8th grade and up. Near the end there are some tough torture scenes that are too mature for younger readers.
Teachers:
Use this First Chapter Friday to connect history and literature. Perfect for exploring themes of freedom, censorship, integrity, and the Cold War era. Pair it with nonfiction texts about life behind the Iron Curtain or discussions on moral courage.
Grab the companion student engagement worksheets for FREE here: https://wordnerd.myflodesk.com/dek46ayr2c
#FirstChapterFriday #IMustBetrayYou #RutaSepetys #HistoricalFiction #YAReads #MiddleSchoolELA #HighSchoolELA #ReadAloud #BookTalk #WorldHistory #ColdWar #Censorship #StudentEngagement #TeachingReading #LearningWithTheWordNerd #WordNerdCollaborative #ReadersGonnaRead