Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - The Salt Grows Heavy

Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

71 reviews

mar's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

4.5

literally had to come back and up my rating after a couple of days bc i cant stop thinking about this book. i want what they have

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ceruleanseas's review against another edition

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dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is a stunning fantasy horror novella. Khaw reimagines a version of The Little Mermaid where the prince wasn't so sweet and spins a tale, not about revenge, but about the aftermath. The mermaid (for lack of a better description or a name) leaves her husband's kingdom in ruins, accompanied by a plague doctor who is more than they seem. I adored the elegant and imaginative prose, and appreciated the complex motivation of characters who are unapologetic about their natures.

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rookdigoo's review against another edition

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4.5

Oh, how I love retellings that twist deep, deep into the lifeblood of their sources.
Prose that tastes like the other side of the coin from Andersen's. The seamless twining of The Little Mermaid and The Three Army Surgeons? Not an expected combination and I adored every dark, dripping moment of it. This isn't a "dark" retelling where the "dark" bits are played for shock value, to make you gasp, "this didn’t happen in the Disney version". It's a story that knows itself, that doesn't care what pre-conceived notions its reader brings. A fairy tale horror story of love and staying.
I'm so delighted to find a retelling of such totally different fairy tales, mixed in which a healthy helping of more pieces of folklore stitched together with nearly invisible thread.

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fox_at_the_circus's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved how poetic and flowery and even animalistic at points the writing of this book got. It really pulled me into the world and set the atmosphere of the story perfectly! And I love this world; even though the book is pretty short, it still felt like a developed setting with hints and more lore.
And I really like the two main characters and their relationship with each other, too. This is a story about two people dealing with their trauma together, healing together in a way, and supporting each other throughout it. They are not perfect or try to be, but they feel realistic and are loyal to each other. I especially loved the line, where the plague doctor calls out the "your trauma makes you stronger" bullshit.

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gloom_lord's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Khaw's The Salt Grows Heavy is itself a bezoar, a taut antidote, a charm against the deafening silence of our thrownness into the world. It reminds us that love can be transcendent, that it may very well be all we have to cling to at life's terminus. It is a beautiful book.

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