Throuaught the book the Sergei Kourdakov wrote, their are many turning points and desicons that keep the reader wondering what will happen next. Not only this, but the writing shows insight into that time, and that place. Some of these desicons many people could have never thought of, as they are complex and life changing. Some of the biggest ones in the book are, Army vs. Navy, Lenin prayer vs. the slave labor city, joining a crime syndicate vs. staying clean, telling the truth about suicide vs. telling a lie.