Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Are you familiar with Setepys’s other young adult historical fiction novels, which include Between Shades of Gray (2011) and I Must Betray You (2022)? If so, how does Salt to the Sea compare to the author’s other works in terms of tone and themes? What other similarities and differences do you notice?

2. What did you think of the novel’s ending? Did you find it a satisfying conclusion to the main characters’ arcs? Why or why not?

3. Have you read any other coming-of-age novels set during World War II, such as John Knowles’s A Separate Peace? If so, compare and contrast how the authors treat the global conflict and its impact on individual lives.

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Each of the novel’s main characters has their own skills, struggles, and secrets. Which of them did you find yourself most drawn to? Why did their story resonate with you?

2. At the end of the novel, Joana and

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