Reviews with content warning for Murder - Salt to the Sea

Never has "Challenging" rung more true to me - but in a diffrent sense than usual. There is a big chunk towards the end where i frequently had to take breaks because the describtions of what the characters exeprience is so horrific.
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.

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sarasbooks's review against another edition

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hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Salt to the sea follows the story of four individuals during World War II, in the winter of 1945. Each chapter is told from a different point of view, so that the reader can get to know each character individually, their thoughts, their pasts, their secrets, their hopes. They all come from different places, lead different lives but they suddenly cross paths and everything changes.

WOW. I don't have words to describe this book. It did so much more to me than I anticipated. I have read a lot of books about World War II but this one was different. I don't want to give out any spoilers in case you don't know much about the premise (which is quite spoilery I think) but I definitely learned about a big historical event that I was completely unaware of.

The chapters were very short but that didn't in any way disturb the flowing of the story. It was a very fast-paced, quick but deep read. It made me smile and cry and I didn't want to stop reading. It captivated me from the very beginning. I kept telling myself "one more chapter", which is very unusual for me.

The writing was so beautiful, lyrical, touching. It nurtured my soul and felt comforting and hopeful, despite the triggering topics. I can't wait to read more of Sepetys novels! The only small complaint I have would be the abrupt ending. It did not however change my rating. I still love it with my whole heart.

Joana, Florian, Emilia, Klaus, the Poet and Ingrid, I love you all.

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masha_and_the_cat's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad 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

4.25

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swaggynikki's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad

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

It's about WWII so it's definitely dark, but it's very good. I really liked the beginning section where they were on the run, and it sorta had found family vibes with the different narrators getting to know each other throughout the story, which I really liked.

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