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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
The Titanic and the Lusitania are not the most devastating and loss of life thinking of ships in history. The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff during World War II in the Baltic Sea losing around 9000 lives fleeing from the advancing Russian forces has been hidden from history. Mostly survey lives, thinking they were being saved. That only now at age 51 I am learning of this shipwreck is realization of how long evil forces can penetrate into time. Although this is work historical efficient, it tells the story of the endurance, burdens, hope and suffering these people lived. It is not lost upon me, the hate and clasp of power seen in the world wars and now in the 2020s we are seeing it again in the US. Thank you to the author for shining light into the darkness of this time and event in history. Readers, be sure to read beyond the end about the history and the experience of divers and survivors.
Another heartbreaker, but so incredibly well-written. Again, learned about a historical event I knew nothing of before, which is always a win for me. I also loved the tie in to another one of her books, Ashes in the Snow. The end of this book is very tragic, but it was very hard to put this book down. Definitely recommend this one.
Historical Fiction remains my favourite genre and this one just became one of my favourites. It's so beautifully written and the story is amazing. I was in love with the characters while reading. I cheered and cried for them.
Many people died during World War II. I am glad authors keep on trying to give those people a voice so that we are informed about the big disasters that some people keep forgetting.
Many people died during World War II. I am glad authors keep on trying to give those people a voice so that we are informed about the big disasters that some people keep forgetting.
Just as heartwrenching as I remembered a wonderfully accessible for people of all ages and interest in history.
I'm very glad I chose to read this book, and if anyone was to ask me if I would recommend it I would probably shout "yes" over and over again. I've had this book on my radar for years, and I even had a copy of this book sitting in my closet the whole time, but for some reason I never got around to it. But once I did I couldn't stop, and I ended up finishing this book way before the people I was buddy-reading this with did.
The characters were all very well written, and they each had very thought trough and interesting backstories that drew me in. Although I loved reading about all of them, I feel like Alfred's section was written in the most interesting way. His parts were rather far and few between, and honestly, at first I didn't like reading about him because his path was so isolated from the other three's, but his point of view stood as a place for Sepetys to write commentary on themes of power, propaganda, and prejudice that the other sections did not have nearly as much about. Sepetys did a great job showing how brainwashed Alfred and other soldiers like him were, and how they never were able to form their own opinions on the issues they were fighting for, but rather one ideal was shoved down their throat and they didn't question it. But at the same time, it didn't completely shift all the fault off of Alfred and make him a victim for being a Nazi. Yes, as a soldier, and considering his mental state, he had little time and energy to question what was taught to him, but at the end of the day, he was still a Nazi, and he still chose to follow someone who was so hateful of others.
I also really enjoyed the historical context behind the story. I was one of those kids who was unnecessarily knowledgeable on the Titanic, so getting to learn about the Wilhelm Gustloff made my inner 9-year-old self happy. It's such a majestically horrifying event, and it's a shame that the whole world doesn't know about it. The writing treated the subject very well and it didn't cut out the gruesome details, while also being respectful to those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The writing was simply beautiful, even if the subject at hand was not.
I don't have that many complains about the book, and what I didn't like boils down to personal preference. I wasn't the biggest fan of the main romance, and even though it was understanding and expected, I sort of wished it hadn't flourished so much in the book. I would have preferred for it to have been a relationship where it's hinted in the story, but it doesn't really form until after the book was over. I felt like that would have been more realistic for the characters and the situation. I also wish Alfred's plot line, as much as I loved it, had gotten more interesting from the start. There was a period of time where he wasn't much fun to read, and I wished that spark I felt while reading his parts later in the book had showed up earlier.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, especially in the WWII era. It gave some different viewpoints on the war, and it talked about historical events that often get brushed under the rug. The writing, the characters, and the story are all beautiful, and if you have the heart to get through it it will be a rewarding experience. I have to read "Between Shades of Grey" now! Hopefully it's as good as this book was.
The characters were all very well written, and they each had very thought trough and interesting backstories that drew me in. Although I loved reading about all of them, I feel like Alfred's section was written in the most interesting way. His parts were rather far and few between, and honestly, at first I didn't like reading about him because his path was so isolated from the other three's, but his point of view stood as a place for Sepetys to write commentary on themes of power, propaganda, and prejudice that the other sections did not have nearly as much about. Sepetys did a great job showing how brainwashed Alfred and other soldiers like him were, and how they never were able to form their own opinions on the issues they were fighting for, but rather one ideal was shoved down their throat and they didn't question it. But at the same time, it didn't completely shift all the fault off of Alfred and make him a victim for being a Nazi. Yes, as a soldier, and considering his mental state, he had little time and energy to question what was taught to him, but at the end of the day, he was still a Nazi, and he still chose to follow someone who was so hateful of others.
I also really enjoyed the historical context behind the story. I was one of those kids who was unnecessarily knowledgeable on the Titanic, so getting to learn about the Wilhelm Gustloff made my inner 9-year-old self happy. It's such a majestically horrifying event, and it's a shame that the whole world doesn't know about it. The writing treated the subject very well and it didn't cut out the gruesome details, while also being respectful to those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The writing was simply beautiful, even if the subject at hand was not.
I don't have that many complains about the book, and what I didn't like boils down to personal preference. I wasn't the biggest fan of the main romance, and even though it was understanding and expected, I sort of wished it hadn't flourished so much in the book. I would have preferred for it to have been a relationship where it's hinted in the story, but it doesn't really form until after the book was over. I felt like that would have been more realistic for the characters and the situation. I also wish Alfred's plot line, as much as I loved it, had gotten more interesting from the start. There was a period of time where he wasn't much fun to read, and I wished that spark I felt while reading his parts later in the book had showed up earlier.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, especially in the WWII era. It gave some different viewpoints on the war, and it talked about historical events that often get brushed under the rug. The writing, the characters, and the story are all beautiful, and if you have the heart to get through it it will be a rewarding experience. I have to read "Between Shades of Grey" now! Hopefully it's as good as this book was.
Back in 2012, when I first heard about this new app called Goodreads, I added this as a TBR. Then I forgot about my account for 10 years, and when I returned figured it was time to read it. It was amazing. Beautifully told, and I can still see in my mind very specific rooms and feelings. And then you find out it's based on a true story of the worst maritime disaster, and it's even more powerful (4x more people died on this than the Titanic, but the Germans didn't want people to know about it.) Incredible story and really well told.
I’m glad that I got to learn about this history through this book! Cried a lot reading this. Loved reading about how she researched the book, and I admire how she uses so many first hand accounts. Becoming a big Ruta Sepetys fan!
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What an incredible story and I'm astonished that I've never heard of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff before! I'd love to read more about it. So well done.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes