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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
An emotionally wrenching story of 5 teens set in the last days of WWII. Highest recommendation.
This was an amazing story!! So very well researched and written one of the characters annoyed me to no end which is why I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 but this is definitely a must read!!
I'm not crying. That was so emotional and beautiful.
I had no idea that the Titantic was not the largest maritime disaster! One of the many cool things you'll learn reading this book. Ruta Sepetys does a fantastic job using the characters to emotionally invest you while also providing unique historical details. I can't wait to read more of Ruta's books!
I read Between Shades of Gray several years ago and had a coworker that would constantly suggest I read this novel by the same author. As a lover of historical fiction and a teacher constantly looking for compelling novels for my classroom, Salt to the Sea finally made it to my travel reading list. The book is about 400 pages on the Kindle and I was able to finish it over the course of 3.5 hours of flying.
I enjoy split-perspective first-person stories like this, however, there were a few times early on that the sequence of events was muddled in my mind. I did like the parallelism that was included several times to tie several of the individual narratives together in a particular minute. This narrative style was also perfect for the deception used by many of the characters.
Sepetys created a compelling, heartbreaking story of fictional characters facing a historical event: the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff and tragic deaths of thousands of civilian war refugees. Through the narrative voices, the reader is able to connect with a German-loyalist soldier who searches for honor, a Prussian soldier fleeing the German army he once served, a Lithuanian nurse with a heart for people, and a Polish refugee hiding a tragic secret.
Similar: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Ashes of Roses
Content warning: WWII, Holocaust, vague discussions of rape in appropriate context, childbirth
I enjoy split-perspective first-person stories like this, however, there were a few times early on that the sequence of events was muddled in my mind. I did like the parallelism that was included several times to tie several of the individual narratives together in a particular minute. This narrative style was also perfect for the deception used by many of the characters.
Sepetys created a compelling, heartbreaking story of fictional characters facing a historical event: the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff and tragic deaths of thousands of civilian war refugees. Through the narrative voices, the reader is able to connect with a German-loyalist soldier who searches for honor, a Prussian soldier fleeing the German army he once served, a Lithuanian nurse with a heart for people, and a Polish refugee hiding a tragic secret.
Similar: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Ashes of Roses
Content warning: WWII, Holocaust, vague discussions of rape in appropriate context, childbirth
A really depressing reminder of the atrocities that occurred surrounding WWII. Sepetys puts us in the perspective of four different characters, each with their own story, to allow YA readers to walk in their shoes. A well-written YA historical fiction covering a huge event that no one really knows about.
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Just finished this novel yesterday. It’s been on my list for awhile, but took a long time to get to it. I know, I know. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction. What is it that makes that era so fascinating? This story is drawn from a little different slice of the whole. It follows 4 people on their journey toward the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise ship turned wartime vessel that has been tagged for use in evacuating German troops and refugees from the Baltic coast in advance of the encroaching Russian Army. The war is nearly over in Germany, defeat is inevitable and people are desperate. You can follow the fear, the hope and the hidden secrets of the main characters through the frozen terrain of Northern Germany on their way to find safety and escape. Along the way, you get a glimpse of the trials of those whose homelands fell to the Russians and the internal struggle of those caught in the middle of political and ideological forces. The real surprising part of the story for me was that of the Wilhelm Gustloff herself. The largest maritime disaster in history (in terms of loss of life) and yet I had never heard of it.
Be prepared for the sadness of this book if you read it. And be ready to grab for your favorite search engine to find out more (German evacuation, Nazi art theft, Lithuania, the Amber Roon…). Of all the books in this genre I have read to date, this one was good, but did not rank among my favorites. However, I did appreciate the new glimpses into history it gave and the memorable characters. Definitely appreciate the author’s work to bring it to us.
Be prepared for the sadness of this book if you read it. And be ready to grab for your favorite search engine to find out more (German evacuation, Nazi art theft, Lithuania, the Amber Roon…). Of all the books in this genre I have read to date, this one was good, but did not rank among my favorites. However, I did appreciate the new glimpses into history it gave and the memorable characters. Definitely appreciate the author’s work to bring it to us.