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maria1085's review against another edition
- 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.
Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Vomit, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical trauma, and Rape
juliamb's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Murder, Vomit, and War
erinlikesstories's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, War, Sexual violence, Grief, Antisemitism, Child death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pregnancy
cammiem8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gore, Rape, Religious bigotry, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Death, Child death, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Grief, and Antisemitism
Minor: Homophobia, Torture, and Vomit
Depicts WW2 and Nazism realistically, so expect all the violence and bigotry that goes along with that.julia1579e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Torture and Vomit
kalin_grace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, War, Violence, and Vomit
sarahquang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gore, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Medical content, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape and Sexual harassment
lenaricharz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, and Vomit
hungeberg's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
However i did really enjoy this book even though it was darker than anything i had read in a while. I especially enjoyed the character of Frigg since he reminded me of people i've met in real life - even though he is absloutly horrible. He was laugable throughout the book to a point where i laughed out loud because of his self interest and stupid observations.
Anyway i don't get why this belongs in young adult it is pretty horrific to read and I wouldn't let anyone under 18 read it because of some of the graphic describtions. That said the book is very necessary especially because this is properly pretty close to the horrific acts of violence commited throughout the war.
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Xenophobia, War, Vomit, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Genocide, Death, and Child death