The Boy on the Bridge

The Boy on the Bridge

by Natalie Standiford

It's 1982 and Laura is living her dream.  She's staying in Leningrad, learning all about Russia, while living there for a semester abroad.

She's also learning that much of what has been said about the Communist nation is true.

The KGB does listen in and watch people.  The black market is thriving with illicit and illegal American items.  There are purists and others who will turn you in to the KGB in a heartbeat, if only to avoid getting arrested themselves.

However, there's also beautiful poetry, amazing music, and romance.

When Laura meets a handsome man outside of her dorm, she finds the love she's always dreamed of.

But is her love true, or does he have an ulterior motive?

Final thoughts:  Very bland and kind of boring.  Too much time was spent by Standiford talking about Russia, including the language, the culture, and the food.  It felt as if she was showing off all of her research instead of focusing on the characters and the story.  Laura was annoying and Alyosha just didn't spark anything.  I kept putting this book down and only picked it up again reluctantly.

Rating: 2/5