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loinereads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
At first, Katrina Leno’s novel seemed to be a joyful read, and while reading the first pages of it, sentences such as « On the island of By-the-Sea, you could only smell two things: salt and magic. » Made me expect for a warm, comforting and sunny mood.
As we ease into Summer of Salt, we make acquaintances with the Fernweh twins: Mary and Georgina, the latter being the narrator of the novel.
As their birthday approaches, they know they will have to find out their true powers and be ready for it to thrive. Simultaneously, they need to prepare for the birdheads to arrive for the Annabella season is on its way, and their mother Penelope Fernweh will be the host of many ornithologists coming from all over the world to see the famous bird of By-the-Sea.
The more the story unravels itself, the more we discover that this novel is in fact a beautifully-written palimpsest of Edgar Poe’s poem « Annabel Lee. »
In Katrina Leno’s Summer of Salt can be retrieved the gloomy and gothic style of Poe’s writings as well as the mysterious atmosphere and the magic that reigns upon the world and its inhabitants.
In Katrina Leno’s Summer of Salt can be retrieved the gloomy and gothic style of Poe’s writings as well as the mysterious atmosphere and the magic that reigns upon the world and its inhabitants.
Thus, progressively, the plot of Summer of Salt becomes darker and we, as readers, find ourselves trapped in a curl of suspense, emotions, and wonders.
Since saying more about the unraveling of the novel’s plot would end up in spoilers, all I can say to increase your interest in this book that I adored is that if you love reading about magic, powerful yet emotion-driven women, the discovery of the self, then this novel will match your expectations.
Eventually, I ended up recommending Summer of Salt to the friend who recommended it to me for I believe this is a book that all women should read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia and Xenophobia
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