Author: Ruta Sepetys
Series: Companion to Between Shades of Gray
Publisher: Philomel Books
Publication Date: Feb 2nd, 2016
Source: Borrowed from Library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.
Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.
As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.
Yet not all promises can be kept.
Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.
WHAT I LIKED:
- The fact that it's based off of real history. Sometimes I get the urge to read these kinds of books, and it reminds me of how much I loved history class back when I was in school.
- I loved the different points of view. I was worried I would get bored reading this because of all the historical stuff, but the constant passing from one point of view to another kept me on my toes. And I love how seemless it was. It passed over at the exact right times. It's like she really thought it out before moving to the next character.
- There is a sinking boat. Not really a spoiler alert there.. History kinda lets you in on that before you pick up the book. I've had a slight obsession with sinking boat stories since the Titanic movie came out back in the day.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- One of the Characters point of view. I won't say which one, but anyone who has read it will know. The guy is a total idiot. While I didn't enjoy his point of view, I understand why it was in there. That's really not a complaint though, more like a character preference.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
- I loved this book. I wish that I had read Between Shades of Gray first, but it didn't spoil the story for me at all. If anything, I'm itching to read that one now. My library has the Audio so I'll definitely give it a listen before the movie comes out.
About the author:
Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. As an author of historical fiction, Ruta is drawn to stories of strength through struggle. Her award-winning debut novel, "Between Shades of Gray" was inspired by her family's history in Lithuania and is published in 45 countries. Her second novel, "Out of the Easy" is set in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1950, and her third novel "Salt to the Sea" exposes one of the greatest hidden disasters of World War II. Ruta lives in a treehouse in the hills of Tennessee. Learn more on Michelle's blog....
Find Ruta:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
My goodness, I really need to pick up this book! I don't really like reading war novels, but I read a sampler for this before and it was so freaking interesting! Thanks for reminding me that I have to buy this book! :)
ReplyDeleteKim @ Divergent Gryffindor: BLOG || VLOG
I really loved this book and I know EXACTLY the character you are talking about! I still need to read Between Shades of Gray as well - there's a movie coming out?!?!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see you enjoyed this one! I love her books and am eager to get to this. The way she brings historical times to life is amazing!
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