The story: Three young refugees and a sailor converge on the city of Gothafen at the end of World War 2. All have secrets; all of them want to evade the oncoming Russian troops, rumored to be raping and robbing as they go. They're ragged, starving, and they've seen terrible things. Yet as the teens scramble aboard the German luxury liner Wilhelm Gustloff to be transported to safety, they have no idea that the worst is yet to come.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG-13; Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (war crimes and atrocities; rape; other criminal activities) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.
Liz's comments: This was a fascinating account of the highest-casualty ship sinking of World War 2 (and probably in all of history): five times more people died in the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff than died on the Titanic. But no one's ever heard of it, because the Russians kept it quiet due to the massive civilian loss of life. A patient reader will find a lot to like here, but it's pretty dense going and probably better for high school readers.
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