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A review by smart_girls_love_trashy_books
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
5.0
-CONTAINS SPOILERS-
Wow. Just, wow. I haven't been so blown away by a historical novel since The Lost Crown, ironically also about an event in Eastern European history, albeit much more famous(the decline of the Romanov influence as seen through the eyes of the four sisters), which means a book this good is unfortunately an exception to the rule.
All of the main characters were divine. I was actually surprised I could relate to the most with the Polish girl, Emilia, as in WW2 novels I usually don't relate to the Polish characters that much, but everything she said was just so....sad. She was dreaming of a Poland before the war, when everything was happy and beautiful. I actually CRIED at the end when she died, making this the fourth book I've ever read to make me cry. Like, tears streaming down my face and everything.
Of course, the other characters are good too. My second favorite was Joana, and not just because she's Lithuanian! I was very happy her cousin was Lina, since I've read Between Shades of Grey and we all know Lina makes it out alive! So does Joana, and I was also glad she was twenty-one, as we need more adult characters in YA lit.
My third favorite was probably Alfred, the Nazi German. Watching him slowly succumb to the ideas of the Nazi Party and his breakdown with Emilia at the end in the raft was very well-written, I think. It made him deliciously despicable.
My fourth favorite was probably Florian. For some reason I just couldn't relate to him all that much, but he was also very well-written. I liked his backstory on being a deserter, and he also makes it out at the end and marries Joana, and takes care of hers and Emilia's child together.
Now onto the actual disaster itself. I'll admit, despite being very well-versed in Eastern European WW2 history(I even got the reference to the Forest Brothers!), yet I had never heard of this disaster. However, after reading this book, I'll do my best to research it further and tell other people. The sinking at the end reminded me eerily of the Titanic sinking-not enough lifeboats, the water filling up the bottom of the ship, lifeboats being dropped only half-full, the freezing water....and they event reference that. Was it bad that the theme Hymn to the Sea was playing in my head? Nevertheless, it's a maritime disaster we definitely need to talk more about and remember.
All in all, one of the best historical fiction novels I've ever read. It was not only well-written, but it made me cry-a feat that I'll give any book five stars to if they can manage to do it, and it was also about an important, yet never discussed, piece of history. Please, read this if you haven't already, and if you have, well, read it again. I know I sure as heck will in the future.
Wow. Just, wow. I haven't been so blown away by a historical novel since The Lost Crown, ironically also about an event in Eastern European history, albeit much more famous(the decline of the Romanov influence as seen through the eyes of the four sisters), which means a book this good is unfortunately an exception to the rule.
All of the main characters were divine. I was actually surprised I could relate to the most with the Polish girl, Emilia, as in WW2 novels I usually don't relate to the Polish characters that much, but everything she said was just so....sad. She was dreaming of a Poland before the war, when everything was happy and beautiful. I actually CRIED at the end when she died, making this the fourth book I've ever read to make me cry. Like, tears streaming down my face and everything.
Of course, the other characters are good too. My second favorite was Joana, and not just because she's Lithuanian! I was very happy her cousin was Lina, since I've read Between Shades of Grey and we all know Lina makes it out alive! So does Joana, and I was also glad she was twenty-one, as we need more adult characters in YA lit.
My third favorite was probably Alfred, the Nazi German. Watching him slowly succumb to the ideas of the Nazi Party and his breakdown with Emilia at the end in the raft was very well-written, I think. It made him deliciously despicable.
My fourth favorite was probably Florian. For some reason I just couldn't relate to him all that much, but he was also very well-written. I liked his backstory on being a deserter, and he also makes it out at the end and marries Joana, and takes care of hers and Emilia's child together.
Now onto the actual disaster itself. I'll admit, despite being very well-versed in Eastern European WW2 history(I even got the reference to the Forest Brothers!), yet I had never heard of this disaster. However, after reading this book, I'll do my best to research it further and tell other people. The sinking at the end reminded me eerily of the Titanic sinking-not enough lifeboats, the water filling up the bottom of the ship, lifeboats being dropped only half-full, the freezing water....and they event reference that. Was it bad that the theme Hymn to the Sea was playing in my head? Nevertheless, it's a maritime disaster we definitely need to talk more about and remember.
All in all, one of the best historical fiction novels I've ever read. It was not only well-written, but it made me cry-a feat that I'll give any book five stars to if they can manage to do it, and it was also about an important, yet never discussed, piece of history. Please, read this if you haven't already, and if you have, well, read it again. I know I sure as heck will in the future.