No longer the creative little boy under his grandmother’s table, Yevgeny is now a young adult, pursuing his artistic dreams under the constant threat of the KGB’s stranglehold on Russia’s creative scene. When a chance encounter with an American woman opens him up to a world of romance and possibility, Yevgeny believes he has found his path to the future—and freedom overseas. But the threat of being drafted into the military and sent to fight in Afghanistan changes everything in a terrible instant, and he takes drastic measures to decide his fate, leading to unthinkable consequences in a mental hospital. With bold art bringing a vivid reality to life, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin’s sequel to the acclaimed memoir The Genius Under the Table returns to Yevgeny’s saga, balancing the terror and oppression of Soviet Russia with the author’s signature charm and dark wit. I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This shines a stark spotlight on history while offering a poignant, nuanced, and powerfully resonant look at growing up in—and ultimately leaving—Cold War Russia in the early 1980s.
- Books
- Young Adult Nonfiction
- I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This: A Graphic Memoir
I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This: A Graphic Memoir
Featured
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
14+
Release Date
September 16, 2025
ISBN
978-1536215533
Buy This Book
In a stunning sequel to The Genius Under the Table, Eugene Yelchin’s graphic memoir depicts his harrowing journey from Leningrad’s underground art scene to a state-run Siberian asylum—and to eventual safety in the US.
Editor review
1 review
Powerful and Informative Graphic Memoir
(Updated: June 08, 2026)
Overall rating
4.0
Writing Style
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
3.0
Learning Value
5.0
This book takes place as Yevgeny transitions into adolescence and pursues his artistic dreams under the threat of the KGB. Yevgeny encounters an American woman and believes that he has found his way to the US. Unfortunately, things don’t go as he planned, as there is the threat of being drafted into the military and sent to fight in Afghanistan, so he takes his fate into his own hands. Yevgeny goes through many challenges that end with him in a mental hospital, wondering if he will ever return to his family and his fiancée.
What I Liked: While this is the sequel to the first book, this one can be read as a stand-alone as well. This book doesn’t provide any references to the previous book and takes place during a different portion of Yelchin’s life, which makes it great to be on its own. The illustrations in this book assist in setting the mood of the story and transporting you back in time, as each time period is separated with an image relevant to that section of the book.
This book provides you with an overview of historical events through a personal narrative as you follow Yelchin as he transitions from one location to the next. Another important aspect in this book is Yelchin’s family and friends, and the relationships that he has with each one of them. Through this book, you get to see the impact that death has on Yelchin as he has lost his father and through the course of this boo,k loses his best friend.
The romance between Yelchin and Libby is a highlight in this book, and Libby’s perspective gives you a glimpse of what Americans look like when they are in other countries and do not understand the struggles there. There are also moments in which this relationship brings Yelchin hope as he waits for his chance to go to America.
Final Verdict: I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This is a powerful graphic memoir detailing what life was like for Jewish people in Russia years ago. This book highlights the impact of the KGB as well as the impact that the war with Afghanistan had on individuals in Russia. If you are a history fan or a fan of memoirs, this is a must-read to gain insight into how different and complicated life was in the past through one personal account.
What I Liked: While this is the sequel to the first book, this one can be read as a stand-alone as well. This book doesn’t provide any references to the previous book and takes place during a different portion of Yelchin’s life, which makes it great to be on its own. The illustrations in this book assist in setting the mood of the story and transporting you back in time, as each time period is separated with an image relevant to that section of the book.
This book provides you with an overview of historical events through a personal narrative as you follow Yelchin as he transitions from one location to the next. Another important aspect in this book is Yelchin’s family and friends, and the relationships that he has with each one of them. Through this book, you get to see the impact that death has on Yelchin as he has lost his father and through the course of this boo,k loses his best friend.
The romance between Yelchin and Libby is a highlight in this book, and Libby’s perspective gives you a glimpse of what Americans look like when they are in other countries and do not understand the struggles there. There are also moments in which this relationship brings Yelchin hope as he waits for his chance to go to America.
Final Verdict: I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This is a powerful graphic memoir detailing what life was like for Jewish people in Russia years ago. This book highlights the impact of the KGB as well as the impact that the war with Afghanistan had on individuals in Russia. If you are a history fan or a fan of memoirs, this is a must-read to gain insight into how different and complicated life was in the past through one personal account.
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