Reviews

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

glimpseofkris's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

morgob's review against another edition

5.0

What a great historical fiction perspective. Like probably many others, I had no knowledge of the Wilhelm Gustloff prior to reading this. I just thought there were so many wonderful things the author did with this book. It was very simple, writing-wise. I think this book is meant for younger readers, which is great. I actually recommended it to my students because we're in the middle of reading The Book Thief right now and I thought this links well with that. They don't realize just how many different perspectives there are of WWII and the events surrounding it. I enjoyed hearing from all of the characters because their perspectives were so different. The only thing I wish is that the book were longer and a bit more drawn-out. Each of the characters have a past that ties to where they are now, and I think it would have benefited the book to have more of a full story for each of them. It did seem like, for quite a few of the characters, their full stories came out right at the end. I think if it mattered that much, it shouldn't be a last-minute reveal. Besides that, I really enjoyed it. There are so many people who went through the events of WWII and events caused by it that were neither Jewish nor Nazis, and I think we need to tell more of those stories as well. People don't often know much about WWII besides those two perspectives, and their stories are important as well. I liked this book a lot and I enjoy the fact that it is an untold story of sorts, for most people. It shows that war hurts everyone involved in countless ways, but it also shows that even when humans show their worst capabilities, some humans will show the best of themselves to others as well.

ilsyae's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring tense 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

4.0

felinecie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

this book left me speechless, and to think that it is based on a true tragedy with tons of resets for years by the writer :(

the fears, the hopes :(

madiganinwonderland's review against another edition

5.0

This book was haunting. Absolutely stunningly haunting. I have a steel stomach but at one point I even had to stop so I could process the beautiful, terrible imagery Sepetys makes. This will stay with me forever and just like the author said I truly can't believe this story isn't more well known. I learned about it very briefly in my own research for a school project in middle school but never again. Yet the titanic is infamous and a household story, and it can't even compare to the neglect and complete disregard for human safety of refugees, children... It's not a competition, but the fact the Wilhelm was literally gunned down during a war.. It needs to be discussed just as much as the titanic if not more especially in an academic setting. Children, and even adults can't always conceptualize the individual amount of people that were slaughtered in all of the American wars. When you hear "thousands" it's too large. But tell the kids to count to the 9000 of people who were lost just in this SINGLE tragedy and they see it completely differently. An easier way is to just read this book. It's amazing and beautiful and if it wasn't so painful I would have immediately reread it. I will in the future but I'm just so glad I finally got to this book. I loved it.

jonisbookquest's review against another edition

3.0

Uitgebreide review te vinden op mijn blog
Het verhaal was niet slecht en het is belangrijk dat er over deze gebeurtenissen geschreven wordt. Het boek is echter heel character-driven en ik vond de personages ofwel te vlak, ofwel compleet onuitstaanbaar (looking at you, Florian). Ik vind het jammer, want denk dat dit echt een favoriet van me had kunnen zijn als de personages beter waren geweest.

protoman21's review against another edition

4.0

Unfortunately, I felt very disconnected from the characters & history.

3.5 stars

votesforwomen's review against another edition

5.0

Who gave this book permission to break my heart?

I knew people would die. I knew this would be tragic. But the way it was handled...it broke my heart, but then put it back together.

This is not a book for the faint of heart, but it is a classic. It is beautiful, impeccable, tragic, heartbreaking, bewildering...it is everything I've been looking for in a book lately. It is the historical novel about WWII that I've always wanted.

I have no complaints.

pam2375's review against another edition

5.0

This was, yet another, fantastic book by Ruta Sepetys. I had never heard of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff until reading this book and like so many other WWII events, it was devastating. So much suffering and loss.

mandy_smithburrows's review against another edition

5.0

I absolutely loved it.