The book, Salt to the Sea, is about a group of refugees trying escape the horrors of World War ll. The four main characters must leave their beloved homes to escape the USSR. These characters meet in a sequence of events throughout their deadly and treacherous journeys. Their primary goal is to reach the port of Gotenhafen in Poland and sail to Kiel in Northern Germany, to escape the constantly advancing Soviet Union. In this unpredictable journey, the main characters will be faced with one of the toughest challenges the world has seen; survival in the chaos of a world war.
I think the book was intriguing and partially educational. The book realistically portrayed the life of people during World War ll. The writing style of Ruta Sepetys is somewhat unique but this book is very serious and sorrowful at times. Some of the situations and events in the book were very shocking and gruesome. One of the main characters, I absolutely detested. This book is not very humorous but it is very descriptive and factual, about World War ll. Overall I think the book was interesting but I wouldn’t tell anyone who gets emotional easily to read it.
One memorable thing from this book was how it showed me how I would have fit into the story and World War ll. The main characters were of similar age to myself and seeing them have to leave their families for safety was disheartening. I couldn’t imagine a world I could live in without my family. This also showed my how fortunate I am to have the life that I have and I am so grateful that I did not have to live through the terror of World War ll.
Reviewed by Suraj, Grade 9, Twin Hickory Area Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 