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sapphicstanza's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
deborah_tus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-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? No
5.0
berlylovestoread's review against another edition
5.0
Be prepared for some graphic depictions of what happened near the end of WWII to the people caught between Stalin and Hitler. Amazing fictionalized history of this time!
librarydoc's review against another edition
5.0
Book Talk:
Refugees fleeing the advancing Russians meet and become fast friends. They travel together to a port city to escape on one of the boats, part of Operation Hannibal. The friends board the ill-fated Wilhelm Gustloff, hoping to find safety and new lives at the end of their journey.
My Thoughts:
I read Between Shades of Grey first, and I'm so glad I did. I love that the characters are connected, but also completely separate. This book is not as haunting (at least until the last few chapters) as the other, but I still liked it a lot. I was intrigued by the story of the Wilhelm Gustloff, something I never even heard of before this book.
My Recommendation:
Grades 8+ (intensity, veiled reference to rape, multiple accounts of deaths); 4.5 stars
Refugees fleeing the advancing Russians meet and become fast friends. They travel together to a port city to escape on one of the boats, part of Operation Hannibal. The friends board the ill-fated Wilhelm Gustloff, hoping to find safety and new lives at the end of their journey.
My Thoughts:
I read Between Shades of Grey first, and I'm so glad I did. I love that the characters are connected, but also completely separate. This book is not as haunting (at least until the last few chapters) as the other, but I still liked it a lot. I was intrigued by the story of the Wilhelm Gustloff, something I never even heard of before this book.
My Recommendation:
Grades 8+ (intensity, veiled reference to rape, multiple accounts of deaths); 4.5 stars
ruonilie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
callienicole's review against another edition
4.0
All I knew going into this book was that it was about the largest maritime disaster in history, at the tail end of World War 2. It took me a while to get invested in the characters, and then I was really invested, only to have a good number of them die (I don't think that's a spoiler - the book is about a ship sinking). I'm not usually a fan of books where a bunch of the people die, and I was reminded of why I don't usually read World War 2 fiction. I think it's important to remember that war, but I don't like to reflect on it for my leisure reading, because any book set during this time period can't help but be bleak and disturbing. I think I'm a little sensitive here.
Still, I can definitely see why this book is so praised left and right, and I actually enjoyed it very well, even though it's not my normal type of book. I really liked the characters by the end, and thought they were really well drawn.
The ending of this book haunted me, because dying by drowning in a cold sea at night is pretty much my worst nightmare. Still, I really liked the ending, and thought the author made it as good as it could really be.
I read it too long ago to give a proper content notes (I've forgotten specifics), so I'll just mention that there was some mild cussing, and a teenage pregnancy that resulted from rape. I loved though that the teen's baby was so well loved. She cares for her baby throughout the book, and when the baby is born, one character helps her through that emotional conflict by reminding her that this baby is part of HER and her heritage. It was a beautiful moment.
I listened to the audio of this book and it was excellent! Highly recommend reading in that format.
Still, I can definitely see why this book is so praised left and right, and I actually enjoyed it very well, even though it's not my normal type of book. I really liked the characters by the end, and thought they were really well drawn.
The ending of this book haunted me, because dying by drowning in a cold sea at night is pretty much my worst nightmare. Still, I really liked the ending, and thought the author made it as good as it could really be.
I read it too long ago to give a proper content notes (I've forgotten specifics), so I'll just mention that there was some mild cussing, and a teenage pregnancy that resulted from rape. I loved though that the teen's baby was so well loved. She cares for her baby throughout the book, and when the baby is born, one character helps her through that emotional conflict by reminding her that this baby is part of HER and her heritage. It was a beautiful moment.
I listened to the audio of this book and it was excellent! Highly recommend reading in that format.
emeszee's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I came into this book not knowing what I was getting into...
I knew nothing about this book. The synopsis on the front flap was pretty vague.
And then...
sudden heartbreak
That's why I rated this five stars. The total tragedy that occurred was described so well that my heart will probably hurt for quite a while. I can't describe how horrible this event was...oh my god.
I knew nothing about this book. The synopsis on the front flap was pretty vague.
And then...
sudden heartbreak
That's why I rated this five stars. The total tragedy that occurred was described so well that my heart will probably hurt for quite a while. I can't describe how horrible this event was...oh my god.
atan1101's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jol69's review against another edition
5.0
A World War II novel told from a completely different perspective to the norm. Loved it!