salt to the sea book review

“Yet amidst all that, life has spit in the eye of death”
Ruta Sepetys, Salt to the Sea

Four strangers. Four secrets. One goal - escape the Russian advance on Germany. Ruta Sepetys’ Salt to the Sea is told from the prospective of four young adults caught up in the tide of war. Joana, studious and strong willed, is running from her guilt. Emilia, lost and afraid, is running from her shame. Florian, the handsome solider trying to right his wrongs, is running from his fate. Alfred, the seaman with a lot to prove, is running from his fear.

Four intricately woven tales converge on the path to freedom by way of the ill-fated German pleasure cruiser turned refugee boat, MV Wilhem Gustloff.

In war, we all are hunted. But who are we hunted by?

Ruta Sepetys masterfully depicts the tragedy of war as a backdrop for the intertwined stories of four young adults thrust into the path of the Russian forces during the final days of World War II.

Each with a distinctive voices, our four narrators paint a picture with depth rarely seen in this genre.

To say that I devoured this book would be an understatement. I read it cover to cover in under 36 hours. As a lover of historical fiction, and World War II fiction in particular, I knew I had to read this book when I found it on sale in a local bookstore last year.

It sat unread on my shelf for months until I mentioned in this post. One of the commentors mentioned that it was a must read. And I agree.

Although it is written from the prospective of young adults, I would by no means classify it as young adult fiction. This story carries some serious weight.

If you love historical fiction, I highly recommend Salt to the Sea. It will capture you from the start and leave you feeling filled with hope for humanity by the end.

What have you been reading lately? Tell me all about it in the comments below!