Salt To The Sea

Salt To The Sea by Ruta Sepetys, 391 pages

“World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety. Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival. Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning  All the Light We Cannot See , Erik Larson's  Dead Wake , and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book  Code Name Verity , this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the   Wilhelm Gustloff -- the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in  Between Shades of Gray , Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity can prevail, even in the darkest of hours.” Sepetys is an excellent writer.  I had a hard time putting this book down.  I would highly recommend it to teens who like historical fiction.

I Lived On Butterfly Hill

I Lived On Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín, 454 pages

This is the story of Celeste who lives on Butterfly Hill in Chile.  When a dictator kills the elected president and life becomes more and more regulated, Celeste’s parents know that they need to go into hiding.  They have spoken out for ideas that the new regime does not agree with and people who think such things have “disappeared”.  Celeste misses her parents but everything becomes even more difficult until her grandmother decides that she needs to leave until the situation in Chile has calmed down.  Celeste goes to stay with her aunt in Maine.  Life there is hard.  Celeste doesn’t speak much English at first so making friends and following lessons in school is almost impossible at first.  However, as Celeste begins to learn English she also begins to learn even more about friendship.  This was a really good coming of age story.  I suspect that this was loosely based on real events in Chile, but based on the true history, I suspect that it has also been highly fictionalized.  There is nothing in it that dates this for kids in the United States so this is mostly for kids who like realistic fiction.

The Red Pencil

The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney, 308 pages

This novel, told in verse, is the story of Amira, a little girl growing up in Southern Darfur.  She dreams of being able to go to school but her mother is against it.  Her father believes that she is capable but won’t go against her mother’s wishes.  Except for this one wish, Amira is actually pretty happy, until the day the Janjaweed come and destroy their village.  Amira and her family are forced to go to a displaced persons camp in Sudan where Amira loses her voice.  This story is a very powerful one about a very real issue that is happening today.  Because the Amira in the story is also an artist the book is filled with drawings that are supposed to be hers.  This is a well done, compelling story that a lot of kids would enjoy reading.

A Constellation Of Vital Phenomena

A Constellation Of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra                 384 pages

This is the story of Havaa and her self-proclaimed protector, Akhmed.  Havaa has just watched her father dragged away by Russian soldiers, accused of helping the Chechen rebels.  Akhmed finds her hiding in the woods behind her home and takes her to the hospital to beg the help of Dr. Sonja, whose name he once heard from a refugee staying at Havaa’s house.  Sonja agrees to help, reluctantly, and Havaa stays with her.  In exchange, Akhmed works every day at the hospital.  The fear is that the soldiers will also find Havaa, because when one family member is accused of something, the whole family is usually taken.  Meanwhile, Sonja has her own troubles, because her sister, Natasha, has been missing and harboring Havaa could jeopardize Natasha’s return.  This was a really well written book.  It was a sad story but people that like true to life stories about other cultures will enjoy this book.

Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Maara
384 Pages


A National Book Awards Longlist Selection A New York Times and Washington Post bestseller


Set in Chechnya between 1994 and 2004 this book shows the effects of war on people and how everyone ends up connected in a time of disconnectedness.  When her father is taken by soldiers, Havaa's neighbor Akhmed hides her at the hospital with Sonja, the area's sole remaining doctor. 

Normally the more awards a book gets the higher chance there is that I won't like it.  As a general rule, it seems that  critics tend to pick books that are so highbrow, they fail to tell the story because of the author's obsession with description and language.   This is not the case here.  Even though this is Maara's first book, he manages to combine story and style in an effortless manner to tell an engaging and provoking tale.  If there is one book I recommend that you read this year, this would be it.