Get ready for your next historical fiction indulgence: Gone by Nightfall is vivid and totally intriguing.



A young woman is torn between her home and her dreams during the Russian Revolution.

It’s 1917, and Charlotte Mason is determined to make a life for herself in czarist Russia. When her mother dies, Charlotte is forced to put her plans to go to medical school aside to care for her unruly siblings. Then a handsome new tutor arrives. Charlotte has high hopes that he’ll stay, freeing her up to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor. But there’s more to Dmitri that meets the eye.

Just when she thinks she can get her life back, Russia descends into revolution and chaos. Now, not only does Charlotte need to leave Russia, she needs to get her siblings out too--and fast.

Can Charlotte flee Russia, keep her siblings safe, and uncover Dmitri’s many secrets before she runs out of time? 

 
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

Vivid and imaginative. Historical fiction at its brightest. We all know that historical based fiction can be hit or miss due to inaccuracies, lack of passion in the world as it was, nonsensical elements or general slowness but Gone by Nightfall isn't one of those novels. In fact, there isn't even a moment of slowness to be found in the way Dee Garretson writes.

Sometimes, you feel breathless in the prose. Breathless by how quickly Gone by Nightfall is able to move forward. Such is life, such is fiction--sometimes, we blink, and things are suddenly happening. I think this quality is what I loved most about the novel. It made for an addictive pace.

Nearly every page is compelling. Pure historical indulgence. Garretson's writing is simple, lyrical, thus making it easy for readers to glide into. This is one of the only YA novels I've read set during this era, as of late, which says a lot for what sets it apart.

Although there are flaws in some moments of development--ex: the main relationship, some other blink and you'll miss it moments--it never truly suffers for this. Garretson deftly moves the plot forward and keeps the pages turning freely. By the end, readers will wish for a little more. When I closed its final page, I found myself sighing, wishing for just one more moment in it.

From heart-pounding moments of danger, delectable prose, and just the right amount of romance, I can't really say too much negatives about this one. I felt as though Charlotte was entwined in my head just as we are in her world. I genuinely enjoyed her ambition and the amount of tension she held with Dimitri.

Ultimately Gone by Nightfall utilizes its historical setting beautifully and intrigues further by creating characters that are secretive, dramatic and filled with intensity. This is a story of love, coming of age, family and revolution. If you love stories that blend together romance and richly drawn history, you're going to devour this one.