Alyssa Daniele
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
I am a huge fan of Between Shade of Grey, I always suggest them to my friends who have the same love for reading as me. I was wondering why you did the ending the way you did? I felt as though the stories just kind of stopped, I wish I could have seen Lina be released. I did however love the idea of having her leave behind a letter. What inspired you to write such an ending?
Ruta Sepetys
Hi Alyssa -
Thanks so much for reading "Between Shades of Gray!'
In terms of the ending, I tried several different endings and wanted an ending that would:
a.) Inspire discussion and thought about the characters, the history, and what could have happened next. I wanted readers to explore on their own.
b.) Leave an open thread in case I want to write a follow up in the future. :)
Like you, many readers tell me that they would like to see what happens to Lina after her release. That means a lot to me. That says you felt invested in her character and fate. I'm so grateful!
Thanks so much for reading "Between Shades of Gray!'
In terms of the ending, I tried several different endings and wanted an ending that would:
a.) Inspire discussion and thought about the characters, the history, and what could have happened next. I wanted readers to explore on their own.
b.) Leave an open thread in case I want to write a follow up in the future. :)
Like you, many readers tell me that they would like to see what happens to Lina after her release. That means a lot to me. That says you felt invested in her character and fate. I'm so grateful!
More Answered Questions
Ali
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
Hello, Ms. Sepetys. I think your Salt to The Sea was THE first historical fiction novel I've ever read. And trust me, I cried at the end. Anyways, I was wondering, will you ever set a book in Iran? I'm from there and I actually never seen a YA novel or even any book (fictional) than is set in Iran. Is it possible for you to do that? And CAN YOU COME TO DUBAI PLEASE???? I live there and literally NO authors come. Thx!
Audrey
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
Between Shades of Gray is one of my all-time favorite novels. I love the book so much, but each time I read it, Lina's story wipes me out emotionally. I can't imagine having to get into her head and write about the horrors of her captivation. Was it hard to write about such a serious subject matter? Also, a bit less relevant to the book, but is a movie adaption actually going to happen? Thank you!
A Goodreads user
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
Would you ever want to write a fantasy novel, or something other than historical fiction?
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more