"Child 44" ~ Tom Rob Smith

Picture:Goodreads

Another book that I've been avoiding for quite a long time... And again it was a huge mistake. After I read it I was sorry for not doing it earlier...
Tom Rob Smith has the amazing ability to present to you every character, no matter how minor to the story, in such a way, that it makes you part of his/her life, even for the one paragraph that he is in.
The representation of post-war Russia makes you feel weird. It is as if you are reading a horror story mixed with a tea spoon of "1984" by Orwell.
This book mixes every day life in Stalin-Russia with a dark and extraordinary police investigation. It makes you wonder: is it possible in such hard times for people to preserve the human in themselves, to keep caring for the others and continue investigating a horrible chain of events with the sole purpose of doing the right thing?
At first this book will make you doubt history, humanity and even maybe reality (especially if you never knew what exactly was life during Stalin's regime), but then it'll take you to another level and make you feel hopeful again.
I have to admit that the ending is somehow predictable, but even so, the idea that love could turn someone into a monster (with the rang of Jack the Ripper) is frightening. The idea that only 60 years ago reality and daily round were so harsh, that they would lead people to their animal instincts is horrifying.
This is no light book and this is no ordinary story and if you find it in yourself possible to "digest" it, you'll appreciate everything you ever took for granted and will be grateful for the family and friends you have.

P. S. I'm not slipping almost anything about the plot, because I don't want to ruin anything for you while reading. Once you finish the book, my last sentence will make a lot more sense... I promise.