Salt to the Sea is a historical fiction book that I read over the summer.  The story followed the journey of 4 people during World War II to the MV Wilhem Gustoff.  Each of the characters told the story in the first person point of view from their own perspective, giving the reader knowledge of the different types of people they were and their struggles.  The characters only reveal what they want people to know about them, creating a tone of intrigue and mystery.  Each of the characters come from different backgrounds, causing them to have their own perspective on the war.  Septeys, does a great job of tying completely different people together, for example a nazi and a young girl in exile.  Each of the characters took their own journey and you will wonder the entire time how and where they will end up clashing.  As this happens you get to  see the plot thickens, while being in utter curiosity.

I really enjoyed the book, Salt to the Sea.  I love the historical fiction genre in general, and this book brings the genre great pride.  Even if you don’t like historical fiction, the book doesn’t go too deep on the need to know about the era (all you really need to know is that it is set during World War II).  Additionally, I love the switching of perspectives in the book.  The reader gets to learn certain personal things, without them revealing too much to the other characters and it controls how much they reveal of themselves until the very end.  It also allows you to see them from another character’s point of view so you learn what they look like and the first impressions. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the fiction genre and is in the mood for a bit of heartache and adventure.

Review by Gabi