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nitzanschwarz's review
3.0
This book... How do I feel about this books? Because I'm fairly certain I didn't really like it, but I didn't really dislike it, either. Man, so complicated. I'll try to make a list, okay?
What I Liked
Well, the atmosphere for sure. I love atmospheric, moody reads, and this book is definitely that. The setting, too, is a huge plus. Island communities are pretty fun to read of, and one speckled with magical girls, frequented by a 300 years old bird, and struck by murderish is a wonderful setting.
The main characters and their family dynamics were great, too. Georgina and Mary contrasted each other wonderfully, and that just served to emphasize their sisterly connection and how they were always there for one another. Their mother was a gift, and so was Georgina's best friend Vira. That girl rocks, and I wouldn't mind reading a book from her pov.
Mary's response to being sexually assaulted was very poignant, and while I hated what happened to her, there is no doubt that this honest reaction and depiction of what it does to the victim is very heartfelt and moving.
What I Didn't Like
Number one, the romance. I was super excited to read about a cute queer romance and was sorely disappointed. There was nothing there. It was cute as a crush but very lacking as a relationship. We got to learn far more about Prue's brother, Harrison, than we ever did of this girl who Georgina falls in love with. It was just so sudden and lacked any basis. I wanted to see them talk! I wanted to see them do things together! I wanted to see them be together, outside of Georgina telling me they were. Where were all those scenes??? Once the Story kicked into gears, this romance was kicked to the curb and left there to fizzle.
I really didn't like the way sexual assault was handled. While as I said I loved the way Mary's written and the way the author dealt with her reaction, I also felt that everything around it was shaky at best. Because, at the end of the day, the discussion of this awful subject barely even took place. Instead, Mary turns into a bird, and there it kind of ends. Like in a fairytale, where no one accuses the victim, and it all happens quickly and effortlessly. But the novel acknowledging that this is fairytale-like does not change the fact that it is, and I didn't want this novel to take the easy, off-hand remark route.
Honestly, though, NO ONE figured Georgina's powers before she blasted the asshole to next Tuesday? No one? Not once when people told the story of her birth did her family wonder? Not once through all those times everyone remarked on how SHE CRIES EVERY TIME IT RAINS did it click for anyone?? NO ONE? *face palms*
What I Liked
Well, the atmosphere for sure. I love atmospheric, moody reads, and this book is definitely that. The setting, too, is a huge plus. Island communities are pretty fun to read of, and one speckled with magical girls, frequented by a 300 years old bird, and struck by murderish is a wonderful setting.
The main characters and their family dynamics were great, too. Georgina and Mary contrasted each other wonderfully, and that just served to emphasize their sisterly connection and how they were always there for one another. Their mother was a gift, and so was Georgina's best friend Vira. That girl rocks, and I wouldn't mind reading a book from her pov.
What I Didn't Like
Number one, the romance. I was super excited to read about a cute queer romance and was sorely disappointed. There was nothing there. It was cute as a crush but very lacking as a relationship. We got to learn far more about Prue's brother, Harrison, than we ever did of this girl who Georgina falls in love with. It was just so sudden and lacked any basis. I wanted to see them talk! I wanted to see them do things together! I wanted to see them be together, outside of Georgina telling me they were. Where were all those scenes??? Once the Story kicked into gears, this romance was kicked to the curb and left there to fizzle.
hannahwashburn's review against another edition
5.0
cute lil island, cute lil girls in love, cute lil bird who is actually an ancestor
y’know, beach things
(pride month read 10/30)
y’know, beach things
(pride month read 10/30)
thems0kitty's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
annikthegaycat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
missgrayreads's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
5.0
i remember loving this book when i first read it. i need to reread it to see what it does to me now.
ladytiara's review against another edition
5.0
"On the island of By-the-Sea you could always smell two things: salt and magic.
The first was obvious. It came crashing ashore in the blue waves; it sat heavy and thick in our hair and our clothes; it stained our bedsheets and made our pillows damp.
The second--the scent of magic--was harder to pin down."
Summer of Salt is one of the best books I've read this year. It has lots of elements I love: magical realism, an island settings (I have a thing for books set on islands), and a quirky, sort of Wes Anderson-esque vibe. This book is not going to be for everyone, but it's the sort of book I want to press into people's hands with a plea to read it.
Georgina Fernweh lives on an unusual island called By-the-Sea. The Fernweh family runs an inn that's very busy in the summer, when a group of bird enthusiasts descend upon the island hoping to see Annabella's Woodpecker, a very rare bird that only appears in this particular place and only during summer. Georgina and her twin sister Mary grew up on the island, and although they're going to be leaving for college at the end of the summer, they've never been off the island. Oh, and Annabella may be 300 years old and a distant great-aunt of the sisters (said great-aunt disappeared and the family was convinced that she turned into a bird).
The Fernwehs are an interesting family. Most of the women in the family have magical gifts, and they always show up before they turn 18. Mary has been able to float in the air since she was an infant, and their mother can create potions. But Georgina has shown no sign of a magical gift, and as she nears her 18th birthday, she's wondering if she'll be one of the few Fernweh woman without a gift.
The birdheads, as the islanders call them, are a funny bunch, all completely obsessed with Annabella. Most of them are repeat visitors, but this year, a grad student and his younger sister come to stay, and Georgina finds herself attracted to the sister, Prue.
The tone changes halfway through the book, and after a tragic event, the islanders and the birdheads start to turn against the Fernweh family. The townspeople and the birdheads seem fine with the slightly unusual family when everything is going fine, but when things go wrong, everyone is quick to turn on them and blame them. The fraught atmosphere is heightened by terrible weather that causes massive flooding on the island.
I love that there's no issue with Georgina being gay. She's been out for several years, and it's a non-issue. The only problem is that on such a small island, her dating pool is very limited. The arrival of Prue gives her a romantic interest, and their attraction is a slow burn. The romance isn't a major focus of the book, since there's a lot of other drama going on, but it's very sweet.
This book is equal parts beautiful and devastating. Katrina Leno's writing is lovely ("She was tied to the water, my sister. Moods like tides, temper like a hungry shark." is one particularly evocative passage.) I really loved this book, and I'm excited to read Leno's other books.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
The first was obvious. It came crashing ashore in the blue waves; it sat heavy and thick in our hair and our clothes; it stained our bedsheets and made our pillows damp.
The second--the scent of magic--was harder to pin down."
Summer of Salt is one of the best books I've read this year. It has lots of elements I love: magical realism, an island settings (I have a thing for books set on islands), and a quirky, sort of Wes Anderson-esque vibe. This book is not going to be for everyone, but it's the sort of book I want to press into people's hands with a plea to read it.
Georgina Fernweh lives on an unusual island called By-the-Sea. The Fernweh family runs an inn that's very busy in the summer, when a group of bird enthusiasts descend upon the island hoping to see Annabella's Woodpecker, a very rare bird that only appears in this particular place and only during summer. Georgina and her twin sister Mary grew up on the island, and although they're going to be leaving for college at the end of the summer, they've never been off the island. Oh, and Annabella may be 300 years old and a distant great-aunt of the sisters (said great-aunt disappeared and the family was convinced that she turned into a bird).
The Fernwehs are an interesting family. Most of the women in the family have magical gifts, and they always show up before they turn 18. Mary has been able to float in the air since she was an infant, and their mother can create potions. But Georgina has shown no sign of a magical gift, and as she nears her 18th birthday, she's wondering if she'll be one of the few Fernweh woman without a gift.
The birdheads, as the islanders call them, are a funny bunch, all completely obsessed with Annabella. Most of them are repeat visitors, but this year, a grad student and his younger sister come to stay, and Georgina finds herself attracted to the sister, Prue.
The tone changes halfway through the book, and after a tragic event, the islanders and the birdheads start to turn against the Fernweh family. The townspeople and the birdheads seem fine with the slightly unusual family when everything is going fine, but when things go wrong, everyone is quick to turn on them and blame them. The fraught atmosphere is heightened by terrible weather that causes massive flooding on the island.
I love that there's no issue with Georgina being gay. She's been out for several years, and it's a non-issue. The only problem is that on such a small island, her dating pool is very limited. The arrival of Prue gives her a romantic interest, and their attraction is a slow burn. The romance isn't a major focus of the book, since there's a lot of other drama going on, but it's very sweet.
This book is equal parts beautiful and devastating. Katrina Leno's writing is lovely ("She was tied to the water, my sister. Moods like tides, temper like a hungry shark." is one particularly evocative passage.) I really loved this book, and I'm excited to read Leno's other books.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
papertraildiary's review against another edition
4.0
I love a Katrina Leno book! The author of Everything All At Once and The Lost and Found has such a soft and loving touch of magical realism in her stories that I dig so hard. In Summer of Salt, a town on a tiny island off the East Coast is preparing for their summer slew of birder tourists who come every year in order to study a rare 300-year-old bird that lives on the island, a bird that is also believed to be a Georgina’s great-great-aunt. Every woman in Georgina’s family has a magical power, and it’s supposed to show up by age 18. Georgina hasn’t seen her power yet, while her twin sister Mary is floating around everywhere, and it’s almost their birthday, so she’s kind of stressed. When the time the bird should arrive comes and goes, and it rains so much it starts to flood the island, everyone in the town starts to freak out. All the while Mary starts acting really distant when she normally is all up in Georgina’s face. This story is so much more than Georgina, but she’s a good person to lead it. She is level and caring, and wants to help everyone. I will say that I found the love interest Prue to be completely unnecessary and lacklustre, but so be it. The relationship between the sisters was way more compelling. Summer of Salt was darker than Leno’s last two books, but I know that her next book is going to be pretty heavy, so I feel like this acts as a smooth transition for her.
moonlight_reader9's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I absolutely fell in love with this book. It's beautifully written and character driven. I felt every emotion while reading this book. The characters are so likeable and very well described. The story is truly magical and touches the heart. I highly recommend it.
*SA Warning*
*SA Warning*