Reviews with content warning for Rape - Salt to the Sea

the sinking of the Willem Gustoff. I also loved the relationship between Florian and Joana. However, overall, I found that the book was sad. Characters I didn't expect to pass away, passed away, those such as Ingrid, the shoe poet, Alfred, and Emilia. Emilia's death was the saddest of them all because I really thought she'd make it but I guess that just points to the fact that many people died in that catastrophe. I'm glad that Joana, Florian and Klaus got a happy ending though. I would have liked to hear more about where Eva ended up or if Florian and Joana ever found their respective families.

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themichellegray's review against another edition

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challenging sad medium-paced

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

3.0

A beautifully written yet heartbreaking historical fiction that captured a part of WW2 I'd never learned about before. While I appreciate this book, I simultaneously struggled with the pacing and sadly never became fully invested in any of the MC's due to the storytelling format. Despite my personal reading struggles, this story is so important and the author's note perfectly sums up why:

History divided us, but through reading we can be united in story, study, and remembrance. Books join us together as a global reading community, but more important, a global human community striving to learn from the past.

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madeline_schmidt20's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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nasab's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I bought this book because of a sale. I didn’t know much about it, but I liked the theme and the book cover, so I bought it.
I didn’t think I would love it this much! It reminded me of why I love historical fiction! The characters aren’t real, but the experience is! This is a story I’ll be thinking about for a long time. I’m just surprised that I’ve never heard of the Wilhelm Gustloff, despite it being the deadliest disaster in maritime history. I’m glad Ruta Sepetys is contributing to its recognition.
War is ugly. Some use it as an excuse for their horrible actions, but most people just want to live peacefully with their families and loved ones and don’t care about politics. It saddens me that innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire. Unfortunately, war isn’t something in the past; it’s still affecting many innocent people in Gaza right this moment. الله يرفع عنهم وينصرهم.
I can’t bring myself to talk about the plot and characters because I’m still processing it, and it’s making me so sad.
Joana the nurse. Florian the artist. Emilia the selfless. Heinz the shoe poet. Ingrid the blind. Klaus the wandering boy. Halinka the baby. Eva the sorry giant. And last and definitely least, Alfred the idiot.

It's silly, but I hoped the shoe poet would emerge from somewhere and be alive. Emilia as well was just too young, but I realize that many died who were much younger than her, and my heart breaks even more. Joana and Florian's romance was sweet, I'm glad they survived and raised the kids. Alfred is a lunatic and a bit exaggerated but represents those who obey such ruthless rulers and believe in them.

I'm feeling so many emotions right now that I can't put into words. It's a sign of a 5-star read.

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