Reviews

Manuel de survie à l'usage des jeunes filles: roman by Mick Kitson

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fiendfull's review against another edition

4.0

Sal is a touching and distinctive novel about two sisters trying to survive in rural Scotland. Sal prepared for a long time for her escape into the wilderness with her little sister Peppa: watching YouTube videos, reading the SAS survival handbook, and getting supplies and tools from Amazon using stolen cards. Robert, her mum’s abusive boyfriend, didn’t notice the missing cards. Now Sal must use her knowledge of building shelter and skinning rabbits to look after Peppa, now that she’s freed her sister from the dangers of Robert. Just as long as nobody works out where they are and wants to split them up.

The novel is written from Sal’s point of view and creates a vivid sense of her voice and thoughts. She is a character who shows the force of sibling love and protectiveness, but at the same time, Sal and Peppa aren’t cloying or annoying, but real siblings who tease each other and have different interests and strengths. The narrative is made up of the minutiae of their wilderness life as well as larger things that threaten to change it, and it provides a tense atmosphere at times, as it is clear it will be hard for them to go on as they are.

Sal has some similarities to Emma Donoghue’s Room though the premise is fairly opposite, as it uses a distinctive character voice to show a fraught situation become normal. Its writing style makes it easy to get invested in the sisters and it is certainly an enjoyable and gripping read, though a little slower at parts. It is deeply set in its Scottish location, both the wilderness and the scheme where Sal and Peppa escaped from, and is an exciting new novel with heart.

alisonfio's review against another edition

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5.0

Humble and heartfelt. Wonderful.

snorkmidden's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved this.
Told from the perspective of a 13 year old who has had a difficult life, the mix of brutal honesty and innocence is charming. It's not a fairytale, but certainly heartwarming at times.

The audiobook is read by Sharon Rooney - perfect choice!

k_a_ewan's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

gabspina's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

4.0

readfineprint's review against another edition

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4.0

Sal is a new book and the author’s debut novel. The two most memorable things about this book are the first person narrative voice of the main character, a thirteen year old girl named Sal, and the new camping/survival terms I learned. After reading this book, I definitely have a better chance of surviving if I’m ever lost in the woods!
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Sal and her ten-year old sister Peppa run away from their home to live in the Scottish wilderness. Sal has a vast knowledge of survival skills, wildlife, and even medical issues. I was pretty impressed with Sal!
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Gradually we hear about why Sal and Peppa had to run. Their story is bleak but it is ultimately one of hope and love. All the characters were beautifully written and Peppa was my favorite.
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Sal has a lot of adult content, but the curse words, some violence, and sex scenes, are all relayed through a very innocent thirteen year old. This book reminded me a little of Ginny Moon, so if you liked that one you may need to try Sal.