Salt to the Sea (Sepetys)

Book Reviews
The pacing is swift as a thriller…the book's drama comes not simply from the battlefield action—the bombings, the armies on the move—but from the constant wounding fire of lies and revelations, self-deceptions and desperate ententes…It would be near blasphemous to use suffering on this scale as the backdrop to provide the beats of suspense and near escape if it weren't for Sepetys's clear commitment to preserving the memory of the forgotten, the drowned…once again, Ruta Sepetys acts as champion of the interstitial people so often ignored—whole populations lost in the cracks of history.
M.T. Anderson - New York Times Book Review


(Starred review.) [A] knockout historical novel...that offers insight into the ugly realities of WWII and culminates with a forgotten event, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff.... Sepetys excels in shining light on lost chapters of history, and this visceral novel proves a memorable testament to strength and resilience in the face of war and cruelty (Ages 12 & up)
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) Told alternately from the perspective of each of the main characters, the novel also highlights the struggle and sacrifices that ordinary people—children—were forced to make. At once beautiful and heart-wrenching —Elisabeth Clark, West Florida P.L.
Library Journal


(Starred review.) —[L]yrical prose, eye for detail, and...skillfully paced revelations.... Observations of war and loss, human cruelty, and hatred are unflinching.... [T]his little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping (Gr. 8 & up). —Kiera Parrott
School Library Journal


(Starred review.) This haunting gem of a novel begs to be remembered, and in turn, it tries to remember the thousands of real people its fictional characters represent. What it asks of us is that their memories, and their stories, not be abandoned to the sea.
Booklist


This book includes all the reasons why teens read: for knowledge, for romance, for amazing and irritating characters. This novel will break readers’ hearts and then put them back together a little more whole (Ages 12 to Adult). —Elizabeth Mills
VOYA


Sepetys combines research...with well-crafted fiction to bring to life another little-known story: the sinking (from Soviet torpedoes) of the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff.... The inevitability of the ending...doesn't change its poignancy.... Heartbreaking, historical, and a little bit hopeful (Ages 12-16).
Kirkus Reviews