Yuri lives in an imaginary state which is a stereotype of Russia. The police are so harsh they will arrest people for petty crimes and even the slip of a tongue. Yuri finds himself and his best friend, the two cleverest boys in the school, put on a building site in which death lurks just round the corner.

Yuri somehow survives this ordeal but he puts himself down on the wanted list by saying a few out-of-place words. He finds himself locked away where the sun never sets in the summer but in the winter it is so cold your breath freezes and falls around you.

This is a well-written book however it takes a long time to get going. Eventually after it has you in its grip you can not put it down: it is a real page-turner.