Review Detail

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.