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A review by sashapasha
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
3.0
3.5 stars.
This is an important book for shedding light on the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, which has the highest death toll of any sinking in history with an estimate of 9,400 people. To put it into perspective, approximately 1,500 people died on the Titanic. And yet the Gustloff has faded from memory and it seems like few people know about it. I certainly didn't, until I read this book.
The importance of the subject material aside, I was pretty frustrated by the way this book is written, particularly in the first half. It's structured to include as many dramatic pauses as feasibly possible. The chapters are short and swap POVs between four protagonists, and every single switch is designed to leave the reader hanging in an attempt to build suspense. Things that the protagonists know or witness are purposefully omitted so that the reader is left wondering. Sometimes this style of writing works, usually when the protagonist has a good reason to leave something out from their internal narration (e.g. a deep, dark, repressed secret), but it was egregiously overused in this book in a way that felt cheap.
Overlooking the writing style, the characters were alright, some more enjoyable to read about than others.
One of the protagonists, Alfred, acted as the primary antagonist, representing the inhuman callousness of the Nazi party and the indoctrination and egotism of the "brave soldier" mindset, which he used as a shield to hide from his own insecurities and cowardice.
The other protagonists, Joana, Florian, and Emilia, were more pleasant, though I was occasionally annoyed by inconsistencies in their characters, particularly Emilia's. I did like the old shoemaker and all his shoe-related wisdom.
Overall I'm not certain how much I recommend this book. In comparison to the other WWII story I've read this month [b:All the Light We Cannot See|18143977|All the Light We Cannot See|Anthony Doerr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451445646l/18143977._SY75_.jpg|25491300], it is designed to be more accessible and is very clearly aimed at a younger audience. It has a much more defined story arc and plot. In contrast, All the Light meanders about and leaves you feeling the pointlessness of war via the pointlessness of the plot. As an adult novel, All the Light has much more realistic and nuanced characters.
I did find Salt to the Sea moving towards the end, especially the author's note. But considering the subject material I must've been curiously detached, because it was not nearly as heart-wrenching as it could've been. In comparison, [b:Code Name Verity|11925514|Code Name Verity|Elizabeth Wein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388161911l/11925514._SY75_.jpg|16885788] had me bawling my eyes out. Still, I'd say learning about the Gustloff makes Salt to the Sea worthwhile and the story is engaging enough.
This is an important book for shedding light on the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, which has the highest death toll of any sinking in history with an estimate of 9,400 people. To put it into perspective, approximately 1,500 people died on the Titanic. And yet the Gustloff has faded from memory and it seems like few people know about it. I certainly didn't, until I read this book.
The importance of the subject material aside, I was pretty frustrated by the way this book is written, particularly in the first half. It's structured to include as many dramatic pauses as feasibly possible. The chapters are short and swap POVs between four protagonists, and every single switch is designed to leave the reader hanging in an attempt to build suspense. Things that the protagonists know or witness are purposefully omitted so that the reader is left wondering. Sometimes this style of writing works, usually when the protagonist has a good reason to leave something out from their internal narration (e.g. a deep, dark, repressed secret), but it was egregiously overused in this book in a way that felt cheap.
Overlooking the writing style, the characters were alright, some more enjoyable to read about than others.
One of the protagonists, Alfred, acted as the primary antagonist, representing the inhuman callousness of the Nazi party and the indoctrination and egotism of the "brave soldier" mindset, which he used as a shield to hide from his own insecurities and cowardice.
The other protagonists, Joana, Florian, and Emilia, were more pleasant, though I was occasionally annoyed by inconsistencies in their characters, particularly Emilia's. I did like the old shoemaker and all his shoe-related wisdom.
Overall I'm not certain how much I recommend this book. In comparison to the other WWII story I've read this month [b:All the Light We Cannot See|18143977|All the Light We Cannot See|Anthony Doerr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451445646l/18143977._SY75_.jpg|25491300], it is designed to be more accessible and is very clearly aimed at a younger audience. It has a much more defined story arc and plot. In contrast, All the Light meanders about and leaves you feeling the pointlessness of war via the pointlessness of the plot. As an adult novel, All the Light has much more realistic and nuanced characters.
I did find Salt to the Sea moving towards the end, especially the author's note. But considering the subject material I must've been curiously detached, because it was not nearly as heart-wrenching as it could've been. In comparison, [b:Code Name Verity|11925514|Code Name Verity|Elizabeth Wein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388161911l/11925514._SY75_.jpg|16885788] had me bawling my eyes out. Still, I'd say learning about the Gustloff makes Salt to the Sea worthwhile and the story is engaging enough.