Review on Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Excerpt: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people—adults and children alike—aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

My Review: Set in the period of World War II “Salt to the Sea” is a very heart touching story of some individuals whose lives have changed because of various tragic events of the war. This story is told from the perspective of Joana, Florian, Emilia and Alfred and they each have very different personality and somehow they hold different point of views about life. This book beautifully describes how the fates of these people connect to each other during the war time, how they eventually meet up and what destiny has planned for each of them.

The writing is absolutely mind blowing. I liked the way the story progresses and it gracefully unfolds each of the event that leaves you surprised. Though it’s a fiction but I loved the fact that it includes lots of informative things about ww2 which was unknown to me previously. The description of this world was so brilliant that I could actually visualize how that atmosphere would have looked like. The story also gives you a feel of “Titanic”.

I loved every character equally, which happens very rarely. The fact that they hold so many secrets in their heart makes you fell in love with the characters even more. Florian has that personality of angry young man who rarely smiles, Joana is very loving and caring, Emilia is a young girl whose eyes are filled with dreams and Alfred is the proud young soldier. The side characters like “The Shoe Poet”, Eva, Cassian are also very involved in the story.

I would suggest the readers not to research too much about the story and just start reading so that you can enjoy it fully.

My Rating: I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

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About the Author:

Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. As an author of historical fiction, Ruta is drawn to stories of strength through struggle. Her award-winning debut novel, "Between Shades of Gray" was inspired by her family's history in Lithuania and is published in 45 countries. Her second novel, "Out of the Easy" is set in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1950, and her third novel "Salt to the Sea" exposes one of the greatest hidden disasters of World War II. Ruta lives in a treehouse in the hills of Tennessee. To read about Ruta's latest escapades, visit her website www.rutasepetys.com