Reviews with content warning for Blood - Salt to the Sea

Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

34 reviews

lsmith725's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

I highly recommend this book, but read the physical book. The audiobook just confused me. The combo of short chapters that switch perspectives and the foreign names/terms just left me lost when listening, but wasn't a problem at all when I was reading the physical book.

I was captivated. This book is beautiful. The people in it and the beautiful language are just so well done. Ruta Sepetys has done her research for sure. You will cry, smily, and learn a lot with this one.

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izwit's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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oceanbritch's review against another edition

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challenging emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is the first book I have been able to finish this year, which is a testament to its greatness. It was an easy read but still engaging and thought provoking.

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maria1085's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

5.0

“We the survivors are not the true witnesses. The true witnesses, those in possession of the unspeakable truth, are the drowned, the dead, the disappeared.”

It always amazes me when I read historical fiction I learn something new. Salt to the Sea is based on the real sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff in the Baltic Sea on January 30, 1945. This was the single greatest maritime disaster in history yet not many people know about it. As a history buff I like to think that I’ve learned a lot of history, but it just isn’t the case. The ship was overcrowded carrying 10,500 refugees and military personnel. Included were 5,000 children. When it was struck by three torpedoes from a Russian submarine it began to sink. It was a tragedy that took so many lives.

This hauntingly beautiful story follows four characters who become connected as they make their way to the port to escape the advancing Red Army. This novel was well researched and so well written. It’s YA, but it didn’t feel that way when I was reading it. This is my first book by Rutya Septys and it won’t be my last. She is such a prolific writer, each story was so heartbreaking but the way she connected the characters at a human level gives the reader hope.

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