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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Extremely visceral descriptions, very gross and nasty and horrific. But somehow also heartwarming?
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw is a reimagining of The Little Mermaid. The mermaid has married the prince, who turns out to be a bastard, and has given birth to monster hybrid babies who have, in turn, eaten the majority of the kingdom. With the bodies burned and the monster babies running wild, the mermaid mother and her Plague Doctor, who is also a Frankenstein, are venturing
in search of another kingdom to devour.
Da fuck did I just read? It does have a certain ring of the Grimm Brothers fairy tales, the really dark ones. I will say that. I found the story entertaining overall;
however, the writing in this book was choked out by a thesaurus before being published. Every SAT word anyone has ever learned has been crammed within
these pages. It is unnecessary and detracts from the story, which is much simpler at its heart.
Did I like that? I don’t know, I’m going to have to sit with my feelings for a while. I rated this 3 stars, so it can go either way on that one.
It was not at all what I expected. I thought the evil mermaid babies would be a factor, but instead, we got the parallel of the occult Frankenstein kids. I would have been interested in the mermaid lore that was shared while they were affixed to the
trees/pyre, but that’s ok, that’s not what this book is.
I think I can recommend this book to weird girl lit lovers. If you need something short to read for spooky season, dark fantasy girlies, I think you might enjoy this. If you like flowery writing, you might enjoy this. If you like evil mermaids, you
might enjoy this.
in search of another kingdom to devour.
Da fuck did I just read? It does have a certain ring of the Grimm Brothers fairy tales, the really dark ones. I will say that. I found the story entertaining overall;
however, the writing in this book was choked out by a thesaurus before being published. Every SAT word anyone has ever learned has been crammed within
these pages. It is unnecessary and detracts from the story, which is much simpler at its heart.
Did I like that? I don’t know, I’m going to have to sit with my feelings for a while. I rated this 3 stars, so it can go either way on that one.
It was not at all what I expected. I thought the evil mermaid babies would be a factor, but instead, we got the parallel of the occult Frankenstein kids. I would have been interested in the mermaid lore that was shared while they were affixed to the
trees/pyre, but that’s ok, that’s not what this book is.
I think I can recommend this book to weird girl lit lovers. If you need something short to read for spooky season, dark fantasy girlies, I think you might enjoy this. If you like flowery writing, you might enjoy this. If you like evil mermaids, you
might enjoy this.
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I would have gotten more out of this from a text reading, rather than an audiobook. The prose is pretty and I like books that have words I didn't know already.
I... Don't know how to feel about this. I guess I liked it?? It was a very interesting read and I'll probably be thinking about it for a while.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Picked it up for a good horror read on a recommendation from a friend, and it did not disappoint. Evocative descriptions that pack a punch and some scenes that left me wildly emotional. Really glad I took the time to read this one.
dark
tense
medium-paced
dark
Some nice prose and quite gruesome imagery. But overall I am left wanting a little more plot and world building.