Reviews tagging 'Death'

O mare de lacrimi by Ruta Sepetys

109 reviews

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, War, Xenophobia, Death, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Medical content

arlingtonchamberofgay's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Death, Child death, Vomit, and War

Moderate: Trafficking and Medical content

Minor: Rape

littlebells's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Death

dorset_daisy's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland from the west.

On September 17, 1939, Russia invaded Poland from the east.

I remembered these dates.

Two warring nations gripped Poland like girls fighting over a doll. One held the leg, the other the arm. They pulled so hard that one day, the head popped off.

The Nazis sent our people to ghettos and concentration camps.

The Soviets sent our people to gulags and Siberia. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Child death

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

pucksandpaperbacks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Grief, Gore, Blood, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Ableism, War, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Rape, Medical content, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Antisemitism

Death during child birth

mz5family's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

An incredibly sad and haunting story about a little-known but significant historical event! Sepetys did a wonderful job bringing forth the characters’ voices. The book left me wanting more of the story!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Death

jlfaith21's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

This book was so beautiful. It made me  sad, mad, happy at times. I’ve also never learned about this side of WWII with with the East Prussians, a people who don’t like the Germans or Russians, and just want to be free and safe. While it is historical fiction, the story itself is based on true events, and I appreciated learning more about it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and War

kat_rowlen's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Haunting and heartbreaking 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Animal death, Grief, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and War

Moderate: Rape, Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, Deportation, and Medical trauma

gladys_enmarte's review against another edition

informative sad fast-paced

4.0

Al igual que "Tonos de gris", el primer libro de la autora, este también está basado en un hecho real del que poco se habla y ocurrido a fines de la Segunda Guerra Mundial: el hundimiento del gran barco Wilhelm Gustloff que transportaba refugiados y militares alemanes. En alta mar fue emboscado por submarinos rusos, que lanzaron torpedos al estómago del barco, y se hundió con más de 10.000 pasajeros. Solo unos pocos sobrevivieron a las bajas temperaturas e hipotermia y fueron los que ayudaron a la autora a recrear lo sucedido para que lo pudiera plasmar en este libro y no quedara en el olvido. 

La historia se narra en primera persona por los cuatro personajes principales: Joana, enfermera lituana; Florian, soldado prusiano; Emilia, una joven polaca de quince años y Alfred, un marino alemán. El libro comienza con varios de ellos huyendo juntos por el nevado bosque. Tratan de sobrevivir compartiendo la poca comida que tienen. Cada uno tiene sus motivos para huir y embarcarse en el Gustloff. Vamos conociendo sus historias y secretos poco a poco a medida que se van alternando los breves capítulos. Llegado un punto de la historia los caminos de todos estos personajes se cruzan. No logré conectar con todos ellos pero sí con varios, como Joana, Emilia, Florian y Heinz. Tanto los personajes principales como los secundarios están muy bien construidos. 
Me gustó mucho la historia lograda por la autora, el libro está bien escrito, no obstante, sentí el final muy apresurado, en muy pocas páginas se resuelve uno de los misterios que habían quedado inconclusos y te deja además con otros interrogantes. Me gustó también cómo la autora logró intercalar muy bien ficción con hechos verídicos, como la Operación Aníbal y la Cámara de Ámbar, uno de los tesoros perdidos de la SGM y que se vio por última vez en el año 1944. 

Resumiendo, este es un libro ideal para las personas que recién comienzan a leer ficción histórica. Tiene capítulos cortos y hasta incluye al inicio la lista de los cuatro personajes principales y sus características, lo que facilita la lectura. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Gun violence

amberinbookland's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Racism, Violence, Grief, Deportation, Death of parent, Death, Ableism, Medical content, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, War, Physical abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Murder, Child abuse, Body horror, Antisemitism, Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail