Thursday 11 February 2016

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - non-spoiler review

Hey there!

Today I finished Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys and I had to write a review right away because I was blown away. This novel is a young-adult historical fiction, set during World War II. It follows four different perspectives, all of young adults on the run and fighting to survive the war. At first I was concerned that the four perspectives would be too much and difficult to follow, but they were so distinct in their character voices that I had no problem whatsoever.

It was the predominantly the characters that really amazed me in this novel. Ruta fleshed out every one of them, even minor characters. They were all entirely three-dimensional, with their own flaws and goals driving them towards safety.

Ruta also utilises symbolism frequently throughout the novel which was absolutely incredible! Many I didn't pick up immediately but when they became clear everything tied together perfectly. Through this she weaved such an intricate web of a story, based on horrific true events that really should be addressed more in young-adult literature. This is definitely a must-read, it will have your heart-breaking for those affected by the horrifying event that was World War II, as Ruta depicts it so clearly through her poetic words.

Rating: 5/5

Love always,
Ari

Source: I was lucky enough to be given access to this novel through Netgalley by Penguin Random House Children's Publishers. Thank you so much, as you can tell I absolutely adored it!


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