This book I found a little hard to get into. I found myself reading it then wondering what I had read. It didn't seem to go anywhere. The gist of it is about a girl Lena who grows up. It follows her going to a pioneer summer camp. Then how she gets into medical school. Against the backdrop of the war. Then it changes to a girl called Edi and a girl called Tatjana. I didn't really see a point to this book. It seems it was about whether they should stay or emigrate. Which I had to look up. I thought about reading it again but couldnt bring myself to do it. The one star I have awarded because it was interesting reading about Lena getting into medical school. I found it very dull. I'm sorry but I always have to be honest when doing a review.

wanted to read Glorious People because of its relevance to the current political situation, and it is an incredibly well-written book. So well-written, in fact, that I can’t finish it.

I’m from a post-Soviet country that (just like Ukraine), been oppressed and occupied by Russia for what feels like forever, and while I can deeply relate to the themes in this book, it just hits a little too close to home. Reading, for me, has always been an escape, and this story is a reminder of the harsh reality that’s already waiting right outside my door.

I wish I had the emotional capacity to finish it, because it deserves to be read, but I just can't.