I've never been a huge Ruta Sepetys fan, but this is the third book I've read by her and it felt rather formulaic. I honestly felt like Ruta Sepetys cared more about researching the history behind this book than anything else. This was a quick read that I'll quickly forget. I barely cared about the characters or plot. If you were crazy about Salt to the Sea or Out of the Easy, this might be the book for you. I think I'm pretty much done reading Ruta Sepetys, though. She is more interested in showing the world forgotten corners and perspectives in history than telling a good story. There were some solid plot twists at the end that I did not see coming but I wasn't overwhelmingly shocked either. I'd be interested in seeing this as a movie or show, because this book felt like it was missing a soundtrack, or something to set the tone. The characters often felt tense, but I never did. Honestly, my favorite part of this book was its cover.