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Salt to the Sea

By Ruta Sepetys

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to live in a time of war? The novel, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, takes place in the 1940s during World War II in Europe. The four characters all come from different places, with different stories to tell, and cross-paths with one another. At first, they don’t want anything to do with each other, but to their dismay being together is inevitable for their survival.

As an unexpected bond forms through the characters, the reader also starts to form a bond with them. Each character is unique with a rough back story, causing the readers to sympathize for them. Joana is a nurse, who feels guilty for everything that had happened. Florian, a conservationist, who is keeping a secret to prevent his death. Emilia, a young Polish girl who is keeping an unwanted secret inside of her and Alfred. A German sailor who just wants to be the hero.

Throughout the novel, Ruta Sepetys kept the pages turning, with unexpected plot twists and cliffhangers. As each chapter was filled with a different character's thoughts, the reader was left to ponder about what was happening to the character in the previous chapter, even though you were deep into the new character’s thoughts. My favorite character in this book is Emilia because, she is the most unpredictable character ever. Sepetys did a good job at developing her, because she would make you believe that something was going to happen, when in reality, something completely different happened, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Another thing I liked about this character was her innocence. She was so young and was like the little sister, the other characters always took care of her, even though she didn’t speak the same language as them. When Emilia goes through some tough times (and trust me, there are plenty), I couldn’t help but to empathize for her.

Sepetys wants her readers to see the struggles of some people during this time, so we can learn from mistakes and make sure that it won’t happen again. I would definitely recommend this book with 4 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy, historical fiction, drama, and a little bit of romance, this could be your next favorite read! You can learn more about Ruta Sepetys and her novels on her website: http://rutasepetys.com/.

Review by: Mia B.