The Red Shadow

by Paul Dowswell

Russia, 1940. Fifteen-year-old Misha’s life is about to transform when his father is offered a job in Stalin’s inner circle. They move into a luxurious apartment in the Kremlin, but doubts about the glorious new Russia quickly surface. Misha realises that the secret police can do whatever they like. His own mother is arrested and sent to prison, but Misha and his father daren’t complain. Then as German troops advance on Moscow, the atmosphere in the Kremlin ignites. Misha and a friend find themselves at the heart of a battle against the mighty state in this powerful evocation of one of the most turbulent places and periods of the 20th century, told by a master storyteller.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Russia, Fiction, Novels, World War II, War

Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Paul Dowswell is a British writer of nonfiction and young adult novels who has written over 70 books for British publishers. He was a senior editor at Usborne Publishing, then went freelance in 1999.

Reviews

[Lies]

oké oké oké. Vorige week was de ochtendspits Francine Oomen, deze week was het een kinderboek over de Sovjet Unie met de mega inspirerende titel 'Kameraad'.

Ter vergelijking:

- prettig dat er geen wel heel erg zelfhulp psychologische inner voice dialogue shit in zit
- prettig dat een compleet incompetent beschreven puber ontbreekt
- jammer dat het hele plot al op de kaft verklapt is
- jammer dat er geen twintiger met trauma en een net uitgegane relatie die een eigen foodtruck in Portugal heeft en die binnenkort samen met vier anderen co-ouder wordt in is geschreven (wat is er gebeurd met Rooz?!)(was stiekem wel echt vermakelijk)

- overeenkomstig: kinderboeken zijn heerlijk in de spits, mega spannend, vaak echt goed en niemand ziet je per ongeluk voor Performative Male Flowerboy aan #hebnetgeleerdwatdatis #bendanwelgeenmanmaarja #haddatgevoelwelbijNorwegianWood #Murakamiiseenviespeuk #datwarenmijndrieboekrecensiesineen

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and frightening story of a teen living in Moscow in 1941 when the Nazis invade Russia. The thing about this story is that the people had plenty to worry about even BEFORE the war. Saying the wrong thing to the wrong person, acting too "bourgeois", or any number of other "crimes" could get you arrested...and never seen again. It's so extreme it seems unreal...except that it wasn't. Such a different time and place...I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to live in such a constant state of fear.

I liked the main character, Misha. He's kind and generous--which often got him into trouble, but also is what ultimately helped him in the end. I think Misha's dad was a great character; very sympathetic and complex. His conflicting loyalties and duties forced him to live in a constant state of wariness, of always assuming someone could be listening. He even turned the radio on loudly when he and Misha would talk in their own home. After everything that happens by the end of the book, I just wanted to give the guy a hug!

I'm really glad that I listened to the audiobook (as opposed to reading it in print) because I would have been tripping over all the Russian names! The narrator does a really good job with those. He gave the characters a bit of an accent in the dialogue, which worked for me. He used just the right amount of drama and emotion in his reading.

I feel like people could write World War II books for the next hundred years and we still wouldn't get all the unique points of view of the people and events. This book is a great example of a non-American, -British, -European WWII story.

[Annika Langa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, I give it 3,5 stars (I couldn´t do the half star thing in the rating). It´s a page turner and it gave me a new insight into Stalin´s Soviet empire. I´m missing something though; more life (not just in relation to the political regime) and emotions, I think. But over-all, a really good historical novel.

[Ian Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living in the Kremlin was a dream for most Soviet kids, but little they know the terror that awaited them inside. Red Shadow by Paul Dowswell presents those horrors first hand. The book is a story about a teenager, by the name of Misha, growing up in the strictly censored Kremlin, during World War 2. Life was great. His father earned good money and lived in the beautiful Kremlin, and was a proud communist. However little did Misha know, that soon his world will be turned upside down, as his dad, a close worker with Stalin, will have to take on the attacking German army. Misha, being the proud soviet he was, started enrolling in many programs to help defend against the eventual German attack on Moscow. His mother being proclaimed an enemy of the country, Misha knows at times with high tension he must be careful, especially since his dad works so close with Stalin himself.
Being a historical fiction novel, Red Shadow goes being one’s expectation in a novel about communism. It helps depict that even the most trustworthy, eager, communists such as Misha were afraid of the NKVD, as Misha said “He heard noises outside the door and his heart began to beat hard in his chest. Don’t be stupid, Misha [...] that’s just Papa. [...] There was no sense in a lot of what the NKVD did.”(57) A deeply historic novel, Red Shadow brings an insight into some of the most secretive parts of Russia during WW2, and how radically it functioned. A perfect book for the historian, or the action fanatic, Red Shadow is an interesting and suspenseful novel.

[Below · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of this novel. It was okay but I found it a bit boring at times. I also felt like there wasn't that much of a clear narrative going through it even though I think it was meant to be largely about his mother. There were also some gratuitous scenes that are put in just for the sake of showing how bad the Soviet Union was, there's one in particular that stuck out with the perspective of a German soldier. Being as 95% of the book is focussed on Misha I don't feel that this scene was necessary. I get that Stalin did bad things it's not really necessary to overemphasise the point. I liked the use of the actual made up Soviet names though. I disliked the refusal by the author to use the male/female naming conventions though he acknowledges what he doesn't use them for simplicity in the back. I would rather have accuracy myself, which means it should be Petrova, etc. I guess the author doesn't expect too many Russian learners to read it but if you are a Russian learner like me it's annoying. The author included the right nicknames and stuff though. I didn't hate this I just don't know what to say about it in many respects. I guess it's fair to say I found it forgettable.

[Edwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een fascinerende verhaal over een tiener in het Moskou van Stalin.

Een leven in het Kremlin was de droom van vele kinderen. Zij beseften echter niet hoeveel angst en terreur achter de muren plaats vond. Een verkeerd woord, te 'bourgeois' of een van de vele andere 'misdaden' kan er al voor zorgen dat je gearresteerd werd en nooit meer terug gezien.

Misha is een van de jongens wiens droom uitkwam als zijn vader een baan krijgt als secretaris van Stalin. Zij verhuizen van hun kleine flatje naar een prachtig appartement in het Kremlin. Al snel zou Misha's wereld ineen storten als zijn vader ten strijde trekt tegen het Duitse leger. Als een goede communist schrijft Misha zich in voor diverse programma's om de stad te helpen verdedigen. Zijn moeder was al eerder als 'vijand van de staat' verklaart en dus wist Misha dat hij goed op moest passen.

In dit boek wordt duidelijk dat ook de meest betrouwbare, gewillige, communist bang was voor de NKVD {{voorloper van de KGB}}

Een echte 'page-turner' die een inkijk geeft in het Stalin's tijd.

[Tatum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book and its characters interesting however, for me the ending was a huge let down.

[SPOILER ALERT]
I almost feel like it would have been more satisfying for Misha and Valya to die when they were captured to better reflect the situation. Another reason I think it would have been better ended with this was that we never really got any ending, the book felt unfinished to me. Adding a prolog could have greatly aided this book in my opinion because I've just been left wondering what happened to all the characters. Perhaps that was the point...

In spite of all this, I am interested in reading more work by this author.

[Catalin Dumitrescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Dowswell, I Tell You that general Rokossovski didn t leave ar Kremlin in the spring of 1941.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but for a younger audience than me and no match for his Auslander book!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

***1/2

[Stefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leest makkelijk, wat ik erg jammer vind, is het open einde. Zonder open einde had het boek echt meer sterren gehad.

[Conor Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t realise that this was a YA novel 😂 easy read that I enjoyed!

[Jasper Cremers · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I like about this book is to read the history of the world war two from another perspective i.e. a Soviet perspective. For me it was an eye-opener to read about the life of a Russian teenager in those days. Normally we read about our own western experience. I’m happy I didn’t live there in that period. I couldn’t imagine how it was to live during a war. Sometimes the book was a bit boring for me. There was not enough happening and the descriptions were too lengthy. Then it was difficult to continue reading. So if you like history, then it is a very interesting book. For me it was one of the first books I read in English.

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really struggled with this. I found it very dry and difficult to get into, with too many characters. I couldn't even really find that much of a plot. I found this very similar to One Night in Winter by Simon Montefiore, which I found quite offputting.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvellously heart-breaking... another engrossing account of the uncertainty and paranoia life of Stalinist Russia

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scary account of life in Moscow during the German attack of 1941

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 3.5 stars book - the best of the three I have read. An interesting take on the invasion of Russia by Germany in 1941. Paul does a good job blending fact and fiction...