Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

50 reviews

alenert's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative sad

4.0

Switched from digital to audio around ~30%. Audio was great and had a full cast for all of the POVs. I honestly didn’t know much about this going in, so I didn’t know it was about a ship sinking (clearly I didn’t read the synopsis), let alone that it was based on a real and relatively unknown (by the general public) historical event. Goal of informing people of lost history through fiction: achieved. Loved the characters and, though it goes without saying that this not a happy story, I’m glad I read this and learned some new history. Also the shoe poet has my heart <3
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allisonbraun's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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izzyhallow's review against another edition

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dark informative

3.0

Another distressing read from Sepetys. Meticulously researched. Didn't have quite the same emotional connection for me as Between Shades but still a very engaging listen that had me spiralling on the tube. One of those books you have to make sure you're in the right headspace for as it gets pretty graphic about the horrors of war.
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taracloudclark's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An excellent story told from four perspectives of one of the most horrific events in history. 
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rebekaho24's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

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mdavis26's review against another edition

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4.25

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katrinaburch's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow.... I don't know what to make of this book. The last quarter sped by (that's not to say that the first part of the book was slow, it wasn't, Sepetys is very good at that) but I have to say, I HATED the format. I did finally get used to it but it was really hard keeping track of who's who and what everyone's back story was. And to be honest, I wish Sepetys had fleshed those out more because they were what kept me going, what was everyone running from, I needed more! 

It's sad, I've read a lot and studied a lot of World War 2 history and I've never heard of this disaster! So I'm glad Sepetys used it. 

I'm also glad Alfred died... Holy moly, I've never had someone creep me out in a book so much before. Also, again, I wish that Emilia had survived and lived to help her baby grow up. I know the daughter had a happy ending and I'm happy the little boy survived (though I wish it would have told what happened to his family) but still. She suffered though so much (like so many).
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gymjam_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

A stunning, emotional piece of fiction that follows four young characters during the war whose lives all intertwine onboard the Wilhelm Gustloff - the very real ship that has unfortunately been lost from history books. Extremely well written. If you enjoy war fiction, this should be a must read. 
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oceanwriter's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.75

Ruta Sepetys has become one of my favorite historical fiction authors. Her books stand out from others in the genre thanks to the lesser-known/talked about events she chooses to build her plots around. 
 
Joana, Florian, and Emelia narrate their journeys learning up to their departure on the fated Wilhelm Gustloff. In contrast to them is Alfred, a Nazi assigned to the ship. While Alfred’s section of the book is largely focuses on his career and his ‘promised’ future, Joana, Emelia, and Florian’s stories focus on their pasts and hopes of escape. 
 
Despite the extremely short chapters, I found the story was slow to build. Toward the last third, it picked up immensely. The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff is the worst disaster in maritime history with a death toll nearing 10,000. Ruta Sepetys does a wonderful job of capturing the tragedy. Although the book is about fictional characters, the reader still gets a sense of the individuals who suffered through it. 
 
Compared to The Fountains of Silence and I Must Betray You, it took a significantly longer time for me to get wholly into the plot given how quickly the four POVs jumped around. The lead-in and backstories took up most of the pages. The wait was well worth it even though it's a heartbreaking read. 
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bethusery's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

5.0

This was a great book. It was tough to read, though. 
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