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alyssamg8 's review for:
Salt to the Sea
by Ruta Sepetys
I sat down and read this book cover to cover. Ruta Sepetys writes prose that makes this story beautifully compelling. I devoured it like deliciously ripe fruit.
Set in East Prussia towards the end of WWII, [b:Salt to the Sea|25614492|Salt to the Sea|Ruta Sepetys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437084512s/25614492.jpg|27126244] is a fictional retelling of true historical events. It follows the journey of the (fictional) protagonists to the warship The Wilhelm Gustloff. Sepetys did her research on this particular event (the end of the novel recognizes the survivors, relatives, historians, and sources Sepetys worked with to compose the factual background of this novel). Salt to the Sea alternated between four perspectives of young people from different backgrounds fluidly, each character developed a distinct voice. (And I felt that they all WORKED with this particular narrative). Sepetys's decision to tell the story of WWII and the Gustloff through young voices added a dimension of truth and relatability to the novel that may intrigue young readers to further explore historical events (which is what it did to me - I'll come back to this point later).
Sepetys writes:
If historical novels stir your interest, pursue the facts, history, memoirs, and personal testimonies available. These are the shoulders that historical fiction sits upon. When the survivors are gone we must not let the truth disappear with them. Please give them a voice.
In a school curriculum, I think this would be a novel could be incorporated into a World History, European History, or WWII History unit - you could either take a look at excerpts from this book (but keep in mind, it is historical fiction) or include it as an independent reading companion text to aspects of wartime curriculum. A novel like this can enrich student experience while promoting multiple, and likely new, perspectives especially that it is told through young voices. The text of this novel isn't as dense as a true historical account might be but, could aid in student's understanding of life during this time. This novel is not a front line, action-packed WWII story. The core of this story is through the relationships the characters develop with each other and their environment based on their background, race, religion, gender, and class-status during the divisive climate of WWII. However, there are still suspenseful moments and wartime atrocities present. Sepetys evokes empathy in the reader through this novel through plot and characterization. You could look at this novel through a Marxist, feminist, or reader-response criticism.
All four protagonists are young adults, and the themes of young adult fiction (love, loss, family complications) are escalated and complicated because of the time period this novel takes place. For the teenage/YA readers, the novel's appeal lies in the unique voices and perspectives of the four protagonists. While the characters' circumstances and lives may be drastically different from that of the reader, the teen/YA relatability component is still present. I would still consider this to be a YA novel, but I can easily see this book appealing to an adult audience, too.
As an added bonus - There is a map included in the front of the hardcover edition which is extremely beneficial to understanding the setting and plot of the story (but not entirely necessary if omitted).
As I mentioned earlier, I am so thankful that Sepetys chose to tell the story of the Gustloff through young characters, and I want to further research this particular tragedy because this is a side of WWII I was not familiar with prior to reading this novel. I can not properly articulate how much I enjoyed this novel. It is poignant and tragic and heart-wrenching and gripping in all of the best possible ways.
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I tried to be very articulate with this but I'm really over here like: UGH WHAT HOW BEAUTIFUL I LOVE WORDS AND HOW DID SEPETYS SWITCH NARRATION SO FLUIDLY AND WHY ARE BOOKS SO MAGICAL!?!!?!!???
Set in East Prussia towards the end of WWII, [b:Salt to the Sea|25614492|Salt to the Sea|Ruta Sepetys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437084512s/25614492.jpg|27126244] is a fictional retelling of true historical events. It follows the journey of the (fictional) protagonists to the warship The Wilhelm Gustloff. Sepetys did her research on this particular event (the end of the novel recognizes the survivors, relatives, historians, and sources Sepetys worked with to compose the factual background of this novel). Salt to the Sea alternated between four perspectives of young people from different backgrounds fluidly, each character developed a distinct voice. (And I felt that they all WORKED with this particular narrative). Sepetys's decision to tell the story of WWII and the Gustloff through young voices added a dimension of truth and relatability to the novel that may intrigue young readers to further explore historical events (which is what it did to me - I'll come back to this point later).
Sepetys writes:
If historical novels stir your interest, pursue the facts, history, memoirs, and personal testimonies available. These are the shoulders that historical fiction sits upon. When the survivors are gone we must not let the truth disappear with them. Please give them a voice.
In a school curriculum, I think this would be a novel could be incorporated into a World History, European History, or WWII History unit - you could either take a look at excerpts from this book (but keep in mind, it is historical fiction) or include it as an independent reading companion text to aspects of wartime curriculum. A novel like this can enrich student experience while promoting multiple, and likely new, perspectives especially that it is told through young voices. The text of this novel isn't as dense as a true historical account might be but, could aid in student's understanding of life during this time. This novel is not a front line, action-packed WWII story. The core of this story is through the relationships the characters develop with each other and their environment based on their background, race, religion, gender, and class-status during the divisive climate of WWII. However, there are still suspenseful moments and wartime atrocities present. Sepetys evokes empathy in the reader through this novel through plot and characterization. You could look at this novel through a Marxist, feminist, or reader-response criticism.
All four protagonists are young adults, and the themes of young adult fiction (love, loss, family complications) are escalated and complicated because of the time period this novel takes place. For the teenage/YA readers, the novel's appeal lies in the unique voices and perspectives of the four protagonists. While the characters' circumstances and lives may be drastically different from that of the reader, the teen/YA relatability component is still present. I would still consider this to be a YA novel, but I can easily see this book appealing to an adult audience, too.
As an added bonus - There is a map included in the front of the hardcover edition which is extremely beneficial to understanding the setting and plot of the story (but not entirely necessary if omitted).
As I mentioned earlier, I am so thankful that Sepetys chose to tell the story of the Gustloff through young characters, and I want to further research this particular tragedy because this is a side of WWII I was not familiar with prior to reading this novel. I can not properly articulate how much I enjoyed this novel. It is poignant and tragic and heart-wrenching and gripping in all of the best possible ways.
-----------
I tried to be very articulate with this but I'm really over here like: UGH WHAT HOW BEAUTIFUL I LOVE WORDS AND HOW DID SEPETYS SWITCH NARRATION SO FLUIDLY AND WHY ARE BOOKS SO MAGICAL!?!!?!!???