School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up--An Anastasia Romanov reimagining: Russia, 1918. Tsar Nicholas is dead, and there is a civil war between the royalist White Army and the Bolshevik Communists. Anna, a bourgeois girl, escapes a massacre that killed her entire family. Desperate, she offers a diamond to communist peasant girl, Evgenia, in exchange for help. Despite knowing that Anna is bourgeois, Evgenia is desperate for money to help her ill brother. As the Bolsheviks hunt Anna, Evgenia realizes that despite being a Communist, she is also now seen as the enemy. The two young women must work together to stay alive, and there is danger from all sides. O'Neil provides an unflinching look at the brutal realities of the Russian civil war through the complexity of the two main characters. By changing perspectives, the author creates two strong narrative voices in Anna and Evgenia that allows readers to see the strongly rooted beliefs in both sides of the Russian civil war, and how these beliefs were shaken by atrocities committed during it. Even with the changing perspectives, the plot is fast-paced and compelling, although there are a few scenes of graphic violence near the end. An excellent option for fans of historical fiction. VERDICT Perfect for readers who enjoy Monica Hesse and Elizabeth Wein.--Kaetlyn Phillips
Horn Book Review
This historical-fiction thriller creatively imagines how events might have played out had Anastasia Romanov actually survived the massacre of her royal family. After stumbling out of the woods into a village, Anna offers a jewel sewn into her corset to Evgenia, a poor peasant girl, if Evgenia will help her get to safety. It's a deal that reluctant Evgenia cannot afford to turn down, but it will take lots of luck and skill to maneuver between the communist Red Army, the tsarist White Army, and the stranded Czechoslovak Legion. Anna and Evgenia eventually develop a strong bond of friendship, one that helps them arrive at a sense of healthy disillusionment as they grow to see the flaws of both the monarchy and the Bolsheviks. Their friendship is tested when Anna's true identity comes to light just as the plot climaxes with a suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse against the sadistic officer of the Red Army's secret police, a man hell-bent on tracking Anastasia down and completing the execution he had started. In her debut novel, O'Neil proves herself to be a capable storyteller with excellent command of her complex tale and its setting. An author's note provides historical background; a bibliography and pronunciation guide are also appended. Jonathan Hunt January/February 2022 p.117(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In 1918 Russia, czarist Anna and communist Evgenia form a tentative alliance to escape a ruthless Bolshevik commander. Seventeen-year-old Anna is the sole survivor after her family is assassinated in Ekaterinburg. Her only hope of safety is finding her cousin who is stationed with the White Army. She offers 16-year-old peddler Evgenia a diamond in exchange for a ride on her old horse wagon. Evgenia, who's a communist, agrees to help the bedraggled yet seemingly bourgeois Anna (whose true identity readers familiar with Russian history may divine before it is revealed in the narrative) because she's desperate to afford a doctor to treat her injured soldier brother. Their journey is dangerous from the start but turns deadly when Evgenia's branded a traitor and a Bolshevik secret police commander becomes set on killing both girls. Well-researched and accessible, this alternate history immerses readers in the Russian Revolution and the competing, equally bloodthirsty factions hoping to control the country's destiny. A kind officer from the Czechoslovak Legion introduces a different perspective and the barest hint of romance. But Anna and Evgenia's hard-earned friendship forms the heart of the tale and reinforces the importance of crossing class, political, and religious lines to find the humanity in all. A riveting reimagining of a historical legend as a pulse-pounding thriller. (historical note, pronunciation guide, author's note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This alternate history retelling of the Russian Revolution will grip readers with its what-if questions and high-stakes adventure. What if Anastasia, daughter of the tsar of Russia, had survived? What if she was able to escape? Anna does manage to escape and finds an unexpected goodwill in Evengia, who agrees to help Anna even though Evengia is a supporter of the Bolsheviks hunting Anna. When the two girls find themselves entwined in each other's lives with no way out, their loyalty to their ideals, politics, and friendship is put on the line. This is a harrowing, gritty tale that holds nothing back. O'Neil does not gloss over the violence of the revolution as both Evengia and Anna start to question their inherited political beliefs and those in power and start to make choices of their own. It all makes for an apt comparison to today's teens in a tense political climate. And though nothing works out perfectly and questions are left unanswered, this journey to friendship and trust is worthwhile.
