Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I was a big fan of Between Shades of Gray, so when I saw that Ruta Sepetys had written another WWII historical fiction novel for young adults, I picked it up right away. Of course, I didn't get around to reading it until now (a year later). Typical me. I chose to pick it up this month because I needed a book about an immigrant or refugee for one of my Popsugar bonus categories, and this book fit the prompt. I started reading expecting another emotional and riveting story packed with historical details, and guess what? I wasn't disappointed. Salt to the Sea is one of my favorite reads of the year so far, and has even made it onto my favorite books of all time list.

The story is set during the closing days of WWII and is told from the perspectives of four different teenagers. Three of them, Joana, Emilia, and Florian, are attempting to cross East Prussia on foot and escape the advancing Russian troops. They hope to find salvation on the Wilhelm Gustloff, a luxury German cruise ship that has been refitted to help thousands of German soldiers and refugees travel out of the war's path. Each character has their own secrets and reasons for needing to get out of Prussia, which are slowly revealed as the narration skips around throughout the course of the novel. The remaining character, Alfred, is a German soldier stationed aboard the Gustloff. His chapters provide insight into how the Nazis handle the mass of approaching refugees. The characters' struggles to reach the Gustloff and what happens when the ship finally sets sail make up the bulk of the novel, with some flashbacks to their lives before the war making up the rest.

Sometimes, when a novel switches perspectives regularly between different characters, problems can occur. For example, the story might become difficult to follow or one of the characters might be less interesting than the others, causing their chapters to drag. None of those issues arose in Salt to the Sea. I liked all the characters and had no trouble following the plot. I was able to form connections to the story and become invested in what was going on. Surprisingly, I found Alfred's chapters to be the most intriguing. His thoughts were equal parts disturbing and deluded, making him quite the unreliable narrator. I enjoyed sifting through his words for clues as to what was really going on with him.

While the plot remains relatively simple throughout the story, the novel is engaging and gripping from page one. The short chapters, interesting characters, and persistent tension combine to create a narrative that you don't want to put down. Sepetys is extremely skilled at combining historical fact with fictional characters, and her writing brings emotion and depth to real events from little-known parts of history. I learned a lot about Lithuania in Between Shades of Gray, and now I know about the Wilhelm Gustloff from this novel. I love how history and literature can work together to create moving stories, and Salt to the Sea excels at this idea.

To put it simply, Salt to the Sea is beautiful. It captures the emotional experience of refugees, conveys the terror and heartache of WWII, and sheds light on a terrible and little-known part of history. Sepetys gives voices to those who had to live through extraordinarily difficult times in a way that feels genuine. This was a gripping story told well, and it's one of those books that I won't hesitate to recommend to everyone.

Challenge Tally 

Popsugar Bonus Challenge (a book about an immigrant or refugee): 4/12

TBR Challenge: (previously owned) 43/60

Total Books Read in 2017: 55