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melissa_b_67's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thirst for Salt is the story of the love affair between the 24 year old unnamed narrator and 42 year old Jude. The story begins with our narrator telling us that their relationship has already ended. An author who is able to grab our attention so that we continue to turn the pages, even though we know the outcome of the story from the onset, has a true talent indeed. The writing in this book is beautiful and poetic, but still accessible. Thirst for Salt is character-driven, literary fiction, and although only 272 pages, it is a story you can lose yourself in, in all the best ways. This book has a melancholic, dreamlike atmosphere which leaves the reader with a sense of nostalgia for that first great love.
Although this story does have the coming-of-age theme, which I am not drawn to these days, I was thoroughly invested in the timelessness of that deep fall into all-consuming first love. The characters were not especially lovable, but they weren't unlikable either. Again and again what drew me to this story was the author's ability to bring the fleetingness of a great love to the page, "As all lovers learn, when love ends, you lose the future as well as the past."
With the atmospheric Australian beach setting, sub-plots of mother-daughter bonds and the impact of childhood loss on adult relationships, the author's choice to keep the narrator unnamed, the absence of quotation marks, and the many nuances of the love affair, Thirst for Salt is a book you will want to both immerse yourself in and discuss with others.
I have to add that I am obsessed with the title of this book. Thirst for Salt conjures up so many thoughts and images, and the title is perfectly suited for this story.
Thirst for Salt was a 5 star read for me, but I also felt conflicted while reading it due to some unusual stylistic and character choices made by the author. I borrowed Thirst for Salt from Libby and read on my Kindle, but I think I might purchase a printed copy for my shelves. The writing is gorgeous and I'm certain I will want to go back and read certain passages again and again.
If you like an immersive love story, without a perfect storybook ending, leaving you with all the feels, you might want to give Thirst for Salt a try.
Although this story does have the coming-of-age theme, which I am not drawn to these days, I was thoroughly invested in the timelessness of that deep fall into all-consuming first love. The characters were not especially lovable, but they weren't unlikable either. Again and again what drew me to this story was the author's ability to bring the fleetingness of a great love to the page, "As all lovers learn, when love ends, you lose the future as well as the past."
With the atmospheric Australian beach setting, sub-plots of mother-daughter bonds and the impact of childhood loss on adult relationships, the author's choice to keep the narrator unnamed, the absence of quotation marks, and the many nuances of the love affair, Thirst for Salt is a book you will want to both immerse yourself in and discuss with others.
I have to add that I am obsessed with the title of this book. Thirst for Salt conjures up so many thoughts and images, and the title is perfectly suited for this story.
Thirst for Salt was a 5 star read for me, but I also felt conflicted while reading it due to some unusual stylistic and character choices made by the author. I borrowed Thirst for Salt from Libby and read on my Kindle, but I think I might purchase a printed copy for my shelves. The writing is gorgeous and I'm certain I will want to go back and read certain passages again and again.
If you like an immersive love story, without a perfect storybook ending, leaving you with all the feels, you might want to give Thirst for Salt a try.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Abortion
callmeamelia's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion and Animal death
rly's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abortion
bookmaddie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“Always the beggar for his love. I was like the desperate ocean, wearing away at him. The ceaseless questioning of the tide to the shore that I heard from our bedroom window all winter long. Asking, Do you love me? Do you love me?”
This is a book that’s a tribute to love, and to the sea, so I thought it would be fitting to post this review while I’m at the ocean. Lucas’s writing is melancholy and mesmerizing as she documents the relationship of a young woman and older man, set against the backdrop of the Australian coast. The ocean holds so much in this story, and I loved how the salt water seeped into the cracks between the two lovers. To me, this book felt wistful, passionate, poetic, windswept, weaving from past to present, bouncing from wave to wave. A literary story, but one I got completely wrapped up in. I’d definitely compare this to Sally Rooney, but with a bit more communication, nature, and yearning.
“I suppose I’d been playing, the way I did sometimes when I was out there alone—making arcs, pointing my feet like a dancer—because in the water I could love my body the way I never did on land.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
apmreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thirst for Salt follows a 37-year-old woman recalling her 24th year as she gets entangled in a relationship with a 42-year-old man. I thought the ways this book navigated relationships--both romantic and parent-child--were beautifully done. It was understated, but packed a punch. I loved the descriptive writing and the ways places were painted on the page. This character-driven novel doesn't feel overly pretentious the way other books like this can feel. Everyone has their own flaws, but I didn't hate them. It was a lovely exploration of love--how our life experiences shape how we give, receive, and perceive it--and the ways that our main character handles her first "grown-up" relationship. This was also my first book in a long time that didn't have quotation marks, so that was a little weird. Lol.
At times, the book failed to hold my interest so that's why it only got four stars for me. But another book to add to the Sad Girl Lit Fit category! I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the eARC! This title publishes March 7, 2023.
At times, the book failed to hold my interest so that's why it only got four stars for me. But another book to add to the Sad Girl Lit Fit category! I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the eARC! This title publishes March 7, 2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Abortion, and Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
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