You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think House of Salt and Sorrows might be my most unexpected favorite read of 2020.
When I was younger, I loved the Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses movie. My nostalgic feelings for that movie combined with the realization that I’d never read a retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses led to me picking up this book, which I figured would be a bit spooky. I didn’t realize how much it would creep me out until I was too invested in the story to stop reading, and decided I’d only read during the day with the lights on, maybe music in the background. Not everyone will find this scary, but I did.
Craig put so much into so few pages, and did a phenomenal job of it. The story is set on a small set of islands, but the world beyond is immense, the mythology intricate. There are numerous characters—the twelve sisters and their father, their stepmother, friends and lovers and household staff and island citizens—but Craig developed all of them well enough to make it easy for me to differentiate between them.
I really enjoyed the dynamics between the sisters. Annaleigh was a bit plain, I won’t lie, but she was still compelling in a way I’m not sure I can explain. I liked all of the sisters still living at the time of the story, and given the way they were written, I’m sure I would’ve loved the dead ones if I’d been able to get
to know them. I loved little Verity. 10 out of 10, would hug, possibly my favorite Thaumas sibling. (I almost always love the baby beans. Not sure why.)
While on the subject of character dynamics, I enjoyed the sisters’ interactions with Hanna and her son Fisher. Though the former was somewhat swept aside as the story progressed, seeing her step in as a maternal figure after their mother died was quite sweet. She was technically their nurse—maybe their maid, I can’t recall which—but she cared for all of the girls as if they were hers, and I loved to see it. Her son Fisher was a friend to the whole family, dancing with the sisters at their parties when no one else would. He was just so sweet. Pretty sure sweetness is genetic in this case. Like mother, like son, or whatever the saying is.
You know who else was really sweet? The love interest Cassius. I won’t say anything about whether or not he’s trustworthy, because that would ruin the fun, but I loved his relationship with Annaleigh. Absolutely loved it. I ship it so much, I can’t even express. They! Are! Adorable!
Lastly, I want to address how freaking WILD this book’s story is. I marathoned 75% of the book this afternoon in a matter of hours. The horror elements were a surprise, but even more surprising was the way the second half of the novel resembled a psychological thriller. I had no idea what to expect or who to trust or even who actually existed. I can’t specify due to spoilers, but once again, it was WILD. Please read this.
I enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrows way more than I ever thought I would. I look forward to buying my own copy, recommending this to everyone, and eventually reading Craig’s next release.
When I was younger, I loved the Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses movie. My nostalgic feelings for that movie combined with the realization that I’d never read a retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses led to me picking up this book, which I figured would be a bit spooky. I didn’t realize how much it would creep me out until I was too invested in the story to stop reading, and decided I’d only read during the day with the lights on, maybe music in the background. Not everyone will find this scary, but I did.
Craig put so much into so few pages, and did a phenomenal job of it. The story is set on a small set of islands, but the world beyond is immense, the mythology intricate. There are numerous characters—the twelve sisters and their father, their stepmother, friends and lovers and household staff and island citizens—but Craig developed all of them well enough to make it easy for me to differentiate between them.
I really enjoyed the dynamics between the sisters. Annaleigh was a bit plain, I won’t lie, but she was still compelling in a way I’m not sure I can explain. I liked all of the sisters still living at the time of the story, and given the way they were written, I’m sure I would’ve loved the dead ones if I’d been able to get
to know them. I loved little Verity. 10 out of 10, would hug, possibly my favorite Thaumas sibling. (I almost always love the baby beans. Not sure why.)
While on the subject of character dynamics, I enjoyed the sisters’ interactions with Hanna and her son Fisher. Though the former was somewhat swept aside as the story progressed, seeing her step in as a maternal figure after their mother died was quite sweet. She was technically their nurse—maybe their maid, I can’t recall which—but she cared for all of the girls as if they were hers, and I loved to see it. Her son Fisher was a friend to the whole family, dancing with the sisters at their parties when no one else would. He was just so sweet. Pretty sure sweetness is genetic in this case. Like mother, like son, or whatever the saying is.
You know who else was really sweet? The love interest Cassius. I won’t say anything about whether or not he’s trustworthy, because that would ruin the fun, but I loved his relationship with Annaleigh. Absolutely loved it. I ship it so much, I can’t even express. They! Are! Adorable!
Lastly, I want to address how freaking WILD this book’s story is. I marathoned 75% of the book this afternoon in a matter of hours. The horror elements were a surprise, but even more surprising was the way the second half of the novel resembled a psychological thriller. I had no idea what to expect or who to trust or even who actually existed. I can’t specify due to spoilers, but once again, it was WILD. Please read this.
I enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrows way more than I ever thought I would. I look forward to buying my own copy, recommending this to everyone, and eventually reading Craig’s next release.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide
In the second half of the book, one of the remaining sisters experiences serious depression.lookingmuchimproved's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a truly masterful tragedy.
It completely exceeded all of my expectations.
The world building is incredibly well done with the author feeding us snippets about the family, the culture, the traditions, and the norms of The People of the Salt in such a way that the world is vivid but it never feels like info dumping. The world building is expertly woven into the story as the characters move through that world.
The characters are excellent, and I think part of what makes them great is the fact that the reader is seeing them through the eyes of the main character Annaleigh who serves as our narrator. Annaleigh is a highly compassionate and empathetic characters who helped me appreciate all of the characters in her family even when they might otherwise seem callous because of her understanding of their grief. Still, the narrator does not come off simply as the vessel through which to see the world and other characters, but maintains a unique and interesting personality as well as her own storyline that reflects her wishes and desires.
The setting feels unique with detailed descriptions that highlight the enchantment of that world as well as the pockets of darkness. The author can evoke wonder in one chapter and in the next convey a deep eeriness or horror. The author also does an excellent job keeping the reader guessing about what is really going on, playing with what is real and false, a nightmare or a dream.
A new favorite for sure.
It completely exceeded all of my expectations.
The world building is incredibly well done with the author feeding us snippets about the family, the culture, the traditions, and the norms of The People of the Salt in such a way that the world is vivid but it never feels like info dumping. The world building is expertly woven into the story as the characters move through that world.
The characters are excellent, and I think part of what makes them great is the fact that the reader is seeing them through the eyes of the main character Annaleigh who serves as our narrator. Annaleigh is a highly compassionate and empathetic characters who helped me appreciate all of the characters in her family even when they might otherwise seem callous because of her understanding of their grief. Still, the narrator does not come off simply as the vessel through which to see the world and other characters, but maintains a unique and interesting personality as well as her own storyline that reflects her wishes and desires.
The setting feels unique with detailed descriptions that highlight the enchantment of that world as well as the pockets of darkness. The author can evoke wonder in one chapter and in the next convey a deep eeriness or horror. The author also does an excellent job keeping the reader guessing about what is really going on, playing with what is real and false, a nightmare or a dream.
A new favorite for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Blood
noelanig's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Blood
Minor: Body horror and Vomit
maroonfish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5
I loved this read, but the ending was quite a bit disappointing. Really ruined the read in my opinion. I don't often read this dark a genre, and I enjoyed that! The twist was poorly executed. Ending just lacked coherence.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Blood
coolmombeck's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I have to be honest, I've never read "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," but I loved this book. It started off a little slow, but once I was into it, I finished reading it in a few hours. I truly enjoyed the setting, character building, and the storyline. I thought I had the story figured out, but I was very wrong. It was a great YA mystery/horror and I would definitely recommend. 5/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Vomit
reynoldsreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Retelling of the twelve dancing princesses with some very dark twists!
Annaleigh is the sixth-born of twelve sisters, but after a series of tragic deaths, she is now second in line to inherit her father’s wealth and title. The people on her island home are whispering of a curse on their family, but Annaleigh knows there’s no such thing. She also knows there’s no such thing as ghosts – yet her youngest sister claims to see them. What’s more, she’s not entirely convinced that the most recent of her sisters’ deaths was an accident. When she starts searching for answers, strange things start happening!
Creepy and enchanting and nightmarish and wonderful! Ghosts and glittering ballrooms; murder and mayhem and magic. I had to catch my breath when I finished this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide
More...