Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

92 reviews

hollycluff's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Top three (see also: The Penderwicks and Man's Search for Meaning). This is the one and only book I have loved enough to read through once, then immediately read again in one sitting. For me, it was the perfect blend of suspense, tragedy, hope, and romance. It explored a historic tragedy I can't believe I'd never heard of, from four different perspectives. It's one of the rare books where I found myself equally invested in each POV---almost. I didn't enjoy Alfred's chapters as much as the others the first time I read it through, but learning the truth about his past and character made him SUCH an interesting character to read about the second time. I loved the relationships that developed between Johanna, Florian, and Emilia. They gave me happy butterflies more than once.

The prose was beautiful and vivid without distracting from the story, which was a huge win for me. It did become quite graphic in some scenes, which totally made sense given the content matter, but reader beware. 

It was fascinating to me that this was based on a massive real-life tragedy that I had never heard of, and the story explored WWII from perspectives I hadn't seen before. 

I appreciate a good, emotional ending that still provides closure, and this story absolutely delivered. Props to the author for ending this story with the perfect balance of sadness, hope and justice, and a very cleverly written epilogue. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, and Gore

jdrosario_'s review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

this is such a sad book :(( at first i didnt love the short chapters but it helped with the pace and sped it up a lot, but damn dude

it’s so sad so many people died :(( AND EMELIA, I WANTED HER TO SURVIVE SHE WAS SO SWEET sigh, i love florian and joana though but damn..

, sigh anyways, it was really good, i loved it 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death

jkmeineke's review against another edition

sad fast-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

2.0

Probably the saddest book I've ever read with the most unlikable character I've ever read. An important piece of literature and a book that will stick with me forever, but it's haunting (which I think the author was going for...)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and War

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

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

Moderate: Medical content and Trafficking

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: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

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

Death during child birth

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

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

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