If you don’t know by now, Ruta Sepetys is one of my favourite historical fiction authors. Scratch that – she is my favourite historical fiction author. Not only are her books so well researched and written, but she is able to create such vivid retellings of rather harrowing events while remaining respectful to the facts, respectful to the people and reverent of those who were victims. Her writing is so palatable, with her demographic outreach spanning young teens to mature adults, and her books have always taught me something. Even though this is my third review for one of her books, Salt to the Sea is the first book of hers that I read. With that in mind, let me get into the review.

Salt to the Sea is a WWII story centred around the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner with the task of ferry refugees and wartime personnel across the Baltic Sea to safety from the advancing Red Army. It’s worth noting that this event is the largest maritime disaster in history. Our protagonists are Joana, a Lithuanian with nursing experience; Florian, a Prussian soldier fleeing the Nazis with stolen treasure; and Emilia, a Polish girl close to the end of her pregnancy, and Albert, a Nazi peon with delusions of grandeur, assigned to the Gustloff decks. Each perspective, while fiction, carries a strong sense of realism with their historical accuracy and emotive responses to the tragic, real-life events which unfolded.

The story is told with multiple first-person perspectives, giving the reader insight into the minds of each protagonist while also shedding light on the lies and secrecy between them. The tone throughout the novel is sombre, desperate at times, and echoes the sentiments and tensions without the larger group as they move closer and closer to their supposed salvation. While you may know through reading this, and any promotion blurb for Salt to the Sea, that there isn’t a definite happy ending, it doesn’t take away from the pacing and tension-building of the novel. If anything, it compliments them because you have this keen sense of knowing (or partial knowing) in your gut.

As mentioned, Ruta is able to write for a wide range of readers, including teenagers. The harrowing detail in this book is not violent, but it does showcase the horrors of war as a civilian and it does not shy away from truths. There may be some scenes where things are a little difficult to process or stomach, but it is all in a larger effort to illustrate the atrocities of war. If you’re interested in the book and maybe have teens that have a similar interest, you might want to read it first and decide for yourself. If you are a younger reader, I suggest taking a quick inventory of the kinds of books you have read and your tolerance for heavier themes, including death. Salt to the Sea isn’t as hard hitting as explicit war content, but it isn’t without its darker scenes.

I highly encourage you to give Salt to the Sea a go if you can handle it. Again, it’s not the heaviest or most violent story you’ll come across, but it’s worth noting that it’s not an easy read for all. If you’ve read Salt to the Sea, let me know what you thought of it. I would love to discuss some of the characters and aspects of the book with others.