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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
Sepetys does not disappoint when it comes to WWII historical fiction. She weaves four unique characters into one storyline that is so memorable. Jumping from one character to another was quite easy once you knew them. I would highly recommend that you also read the author's note at the end because her words are genuine and an important reminder.
This was an amazing novel that left me speechless. The Wilhelm Gustloff sinking was the deadliest maritime disaster that very few people know about even though the deaths surpassed the sinkings of both the Titanic and the Lusitania. During WW II, the Soviets launched 4 torpedoes, sinking the Wilhelm Gustloff, killing over 9,000 people (over half were children).
I loved the characters of Joana (a character you may remember from [b:Between Shades of Gray|7824322|Between Shades of Gray|Ruta Sepetys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327873479s/7824322.jpg|10870318]), Florian, and Emilia. The language of the novel was also so beautiful...touching...breathtaking...
When Alfred, a young, delusional follower of Hitler would narrate, his voice chilled me to the bone. His ignorance and his self-centeredness as he slowly displayed his true self both disgusted and fascinated me. Although I much preferred to hear Joana, Florian, and Emilia tell their stories, I was horrified to hear Alfred's story and as I continued to read, I was drawn in to learn more about Alfred's delusional thinking. Salt to the Sea not only touched me deeply, but also taught me about a piece of history of which I was not aware. Highly recommend!
I loved the characters of Joana (a character you may remember from [b:Between Shades of Gray|7824322|Between Shades of Gray|Ruta Sepetys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327873479s/7824322.jpg|10870318]), Florian, and Emilia. The language of the novel was also so beautiful...touching...breathtaking...
When Alfred, a young, delusional follower of Hitler would narrate, his voice chilled me to the bone. His ignorance and his self-centeredness as he slowly displayed his true self both disgusted and fascinated me. Although I much preferred to hear Joana, Florian, and Emilia tell their stories, I was horrified to hear Alfred's story and as I continued to read, I was drawn in to learn more about Alfred's delusional thinking. Salt to the Sea not only touched me deeply, but also taught me about a piece of history of which I was not aware. Highly recommend!
Be still, my heart. Salt to the Sea has easily jumped to the top of my "must reads" for 2019. A raw, heartbreaking yet hopeful fictionalization of refugees in Germany towards the end of WWII from the perspective of 4 young people. Beautiful writing, wonderful storytelling - this is a book that will take up space in your heart long after you’ve finished.
Audio - I couldn't get into this book at first so I figuratively set it down to return to later. Any book that makes me cry or I would re-read gets 5 stars, and this fits both criteria.
What a heartbreaking novel. Initially, I was confused by the short, choppy chapters and multiple POVs, but once I got everything sorted, I found this book to be both beautiful and haunting. There are so many stories to be told of WWII and the Willhelm Gustloff is just one many I hadn't heard of. It's so important to keep these histories alive.
Haunting. Initially tricky to follow since the narrator changes each chapter, but once I got the rhythm of the story I couldn't put it down. Beautiful and terrible in all the right ways.
I enjoyed this book, but I kept picking it up and putting it down as I found it hard to follow. I'm still not sure I remember each character and their beginning/end. This type of writing style that goes from person-to-person gets confusing to me if I don't read it all at once. I did really enjoy the authors information at the end about this tragedy that honestly I had never heard of before reading this book. So many things we're not taught in history. My heart aches for all those lost souls.