Such a beautiful yet tragic story. Ruta Sepetys has such a way with words. I was afraid that it wouldn't live up to it's reputation before reading this book. The book is told in very short chapters from 4 different characters: Florian, a Prussian man fleeing his post, Emilia, a pregnant 15 year old Polish girl, Joana, a Lithuanian medical assistant, and Alfred, a young Nazi. Most of the book (about 75% of it) is about the journey that each of these characters undergoes to get to the ship. I wish that it was focused more on the experience on the ship. Especially as that was how it was advertised. When 75% of the book was just getting to the ship it was a bit of a letdown.

To compare it with the first book would be unfair, really. But still, Ruta Sepetys didn't just tell you the story. She dragged you into it until you found no way to breath and you had to heave yourself out of the misery. She made you feel it, the whole story. And by saying feel I mean you lived in the book until the very last page. When everything ends, it'll leave you utterly breathless.