"Evil will rule until good men or women choose to act." 
 When I was younger, my grandfather used to tell me stories on how he survived the war. He told me that he and his brothers would hide in a make shift basement in the farm in order to hide from the Japanese soldiers. He told me that women, forsook their personal hygiene and chewed nganga in order to make their breaths stink because in that way, Japanese soldiers will avoid them and Filipina women will then avoid getting raped. 
 My fourteen year old self never really cared about World War II to be honest. Why would I? I have technology, social media and games, why would I give a shit about the past? 
 Every time my grandpa tells me that story I was either busy looking at my phone or typing something on my laptop and I really never gave him my full attention. Only three years later did I realize that I should've cherished those moments with him. I promise to never do the same mistake again. 
 I never realize how badass my grandfather was until now. My grandfather survived a freaking dystopian world and lived to tell the tale! how cool was that?! 
 Between Shades of Gray, is a mind opening book, I know basic facts about the World War but I never knew the atrocious extent of it. I have no idea about anything that was written in this book until now. Lithuanians are resilient, they learned how to bounce back from the horrors that they've suffered. I have no words for the terror that Lina and her family have been through. They were treated worse than animals, human remains were nothing but a soil fertilizer and animal food. They were literally starved and labored to death. I am here complaining about the slow internet but these people had it a thousand times worse. 
 I am amazed on how humans can be horrible and heroic at the same time. In times of despair, hope and love is the only anchor an individual possess in order to maintain his/her sanity. We stop being humans the moment we let those animals take our humanity from us and war refugees and survivors have my utter and ultimate respect. 
 MY GRANDFATHER IS A BADASS!!! IT RUNS IN OUR BLOOD!! 
 Ruta Sepetys know how to touch hearts, I am elated to have an author as daring as her. She's not afraid to let people know of the things that they're not aware of. She is fearless and brave and I salute her.