Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Loosely connected to Between Shades of Gray, Salt to the Sea was another standout historical fiction novel. Set during the end of World War 2, it switches in perspective between three young adults fleeing East Prussia as a result of Germany and Russia fighting over the land as though it were a child’s toy. Joana (cousin of Lina in Between Shades of Gray) is a young nurse whose family fled the Russians in Lithuania and repatriated due to her mother’s German heritage. Florian is an anti-Nazi trying to disguise his way to safety with a pretty large secret. Emilia is a young girl who is in danger of Hitler’s army and their disapproval of her Polish heritage. The fourth point of view is Alfred, a Hitler-worshipping sailor assigned to one of several ships promising to transport Germanic refugees to safety only to be struck by tragedy. Sepetys’ storytelling is raw and gripping, yet lyrical in quality. The short chapters are perfect for readers who can only sneak in a few minutes at a time, and it felt good to be more informed about the biggest maritime disaster in history. I’d highly recommend this book to anybody. It’s seriously worth the read.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Hoping to download a book in literally under five minutes, I logged onto bn.com and saw John Green had released a new novel. While I’ve liked some more than others, I have never been disappointed by his writing. The title threw me, having not even read the blurb, so I had no idea what type of story I was getting myself into. Turtles is told in the point of view of Aza, a teenage girl caught up in the mysterious disappearance of an old friend’s billionaire father. Solving the puzzle takes a back seat throughout the book to Aza’s battle with obsessive compulsive disorder and her ability to form and maintain relationships, both platonic and not. As somebody who struggles with mental illness (albeit a different disease than Aza’s), I loved the honesty of her voice and the risk John Green took in creating a narrator that’s not entirely reliable. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone. If not for the story, then definitely for the insight it provides.
