Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Salt to the Sea

Never has "Challenging" rung more true to me - but in a diffrent sense than usual. There is a big chunk towards the end where i frequently had to take breaks because the describtions of what the characters exeprience is so horrific.
However i did really enjoy this book even though it was darker than anything i had read in a while. I especially enjoyed the character of Frigg since he reminded me of people i've met in real life - even though he is absloutly horrible. He was laugable throughout the book to a point where i laughed out loud because of his self interest and stupid observations.

Anyway i don't get why this belongs in young adult it is pretty horrific to read and I wouldn't let anyone under 18 read it because of some of the graphic describtions. That said the book is very necessary especially because this is properly pretty close to the horrific acts of violence commited throughout the war.

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shelbyhatley's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative 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? Yes

4.25

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masha_and_the_cat's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad 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? Yes

4.25

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swaggynikki's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad

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? No

It's about WWII so it's definitely dark, but it's very good. I really liked the beginning section where they were on the run, and it sorta had found family vibes with the different narrators getting to know each other throughout the story, which I really liked.

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thatsssorachael's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Such a beautiful, heart breaking, and informative book all rolled into one. The characters were realistic and well rounded, the history was important and interesting, and the romance felt real.

I really loved this book, and I don't have a great track record with YA historical fiction. I usually find it watered down and bland. This was not watered down at all, it was horrific at parts, and made me want to put it down to regain composure. I think it's an important read, but if you're a sensitive reader this isn't the book for you.

Recommend for anyone wanting a hard hitting young adult historical fiction, anyone wanting to learn more about WW2 ship wrecks/disasters, or anyone wanting to learn more ww2 history from a different scope.

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