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nerdatlas5's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Gotta say, I was a little worried about starting this because I found Khaw's other novella, Nothing but Blackened Teeth difficult to follow to a negative degree, but this was a huge improvement. I enjoyed how she played with the way fairytale's betray the bias' of the teller and how she twists them to a much darker form. The horror of it was also well done, especially hearing some of the body horror being described made me pretty squeamish. The characters of the mermaid and plague doctor were done well, and their developing relationship with each other felt so real and full of depth. And for the most part the story did a good job balancing unveiling information to drive the plot while still giving enough to make it understandable. Overall an excellent horror novella.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Torture, and Violence
booksandfin's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
This was an interesting novella. A quick and gruesome read. I loved a lot of the elements in the story and how it fell back into original myth telling that is dark and eerie. I wish it had been a little longer so we could have gotten to know characters a bit better though. I think that there just wasn’t enough time for me to become invested in the characters.
Great for body horror fans! :-)
Great for body horror fans! :-)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Cannibalism
troubleintandem's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book has some beautiful language and vivid imagery, most of it about cold snow, blood, and vivisection. A kind of strange fascinating intersection of Madeline Miller's Cersei and Phil Tippett's Mad God.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
aspyd05's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Lush and visceral. Very poetic and beautiful but also pretty gory
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Torture
Minor: Child death
98whiskers's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, and Violence
clarissag's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The writing is beautiful, but too ornate to be truly visceral. It succeeds at being a fairy tale, but despite the subject material, does not quite read as horror to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Medical content
pinkjunimos's review against another edition
dark
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
dellydoos's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
“There is nothing wrong with being a monster.”
Their mouth bends. “You always know the right things to say.”
Beware: cannibals!
This is the story of a nameless mermaid, a creature of immense power and a haunted past, and her enigmatic companion, a plague doctor who speaks softly but hides a deeper darkness. Together, they abandon their dying city to seek a new life, only to stumble across a village of crazed children and the three psychotic saints who control them. What follows is excessive violence and gore, with just a touch of feminine rage. What a hoot.
Khaw expertly blends body horror with poetic prose, creating a novella that is as grotesque as it is strangely beautiful. I really enjoyed the writing here, which was lyrical and haunting, creating a stark contrast to the gruesome imagery it captured. The descriptions are vivid, and the violence is unrelenting. Real spooky shit, and I loved every bit of it.
At its core, The Salt Grows Heavy is a meditation on monsters—what they are, how they come to be, and whether there is any redemption in embracing the darkness within. Both the mermaid and the plague doctor are creatures of destruction, yet their bond and shared journey reveal surprising depths of vulnerability and self-awareness. The story forces its characters to confront what it means to live with monstrosity, both in the external world and within oneself. By the end, the mermaid’s arc becomes a reflection of survival and autonomy, while the plague doctor’s shadows hint at the complexities of guilt and companionship. It’s a chilling exploration of the ways we navigate the horrors of the world and the monsters we inevitably carry with us.
That said, the main character’s lack of clear motivation can feel disorienting. The mermaid spends much of the story drifting through events rather than shaping them, and while her eventual development adds some depth, it’s not always easy to understand what drives her. This ambiguity, however, may also be the point—monsters don’t always need a reason to exist.
At just over 100 pages this one’s a quick read, but it leaves a lasting impression. It’s bizarre, unsettling, and unapologetically dark, yet undeniably captivating. There are a few content warnings to note if you do plan on reading this, the big ones being: excessive gore and violence, cannibalism, child death, body horror and experimentation. Hey, it’s a horror book. Enjoy it! 4/5 stars.
Their mouth bends. “You always know the right things to say.”
Beware: cannibals!
This is the story of a nameless mermaid, a creature of immense power and a haunted past, and her enigmatic companion, a plague doctor who speaks softly but hides a deeper darkness. Together, they abandon their dying city to seek a new life, only to stumble across a village of crazed children and the three psychotic saints who control them. What follows is excessive violence and gore, with just a touch of feminine rage. What a hoot.
Khaw expertly blends body horror with poetic prose, creating a novella that is as grotesque as it is strangely beautiful. I really enjoyed the writing here, which was lyrical and haunting, creating a stark contrast to the gruesome imagery it captured. The descriptions are vivid, and the violence is unrelenting. Real spooky shit, and I loved every bit of it.
At its core, The Salt Grows Heavy is a meditation on monsters—what they are, how they come to be, and whether there is any redemption in embracing the darkness within. Both the mermaid and the plague doctor are creatures of destruction, yet their bond and shared journey reveal surprising depths of vulnerability and self-awareness. The story forces its characters to confront what it means to live with monstrosity, both in the external world and within oneself. By the end, the mermaid’s arc becomes a reflection of survival and autonomy, while the plague doctor’s shadows hint at the complexities of guilt and companionship. It’s a chilling exploration of the ways we navigate the horrors of the world and the monsters we inevitably carry with us.
That said, the main character’s lack of clear motivation can feel disorienting. The mermaid spends much of the story drifting through events rather than shaping them, and while her eventual development adds some depth, it’s not always easy to understand what drives her. This ambiguity, however, may also be the point—monsters don’t always need a reason to exist.
At just over 100 pages this one’s a quick read, but it leaves a lasting impression. It’s bizarre, unsettling, and unapologetically dark, yet undeniably captivating. There are a few content warnings to note if you do plan on reading this, the big ones being: excessive gore and violence, cannibalism, child death, body horror and experimentation. Hey, it’s a horror book. Enjoy it! 4/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, and Medical trauma
ichthyomancer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Honestly felt the first half was a little hard to get into- it’s own language bogged it down in the beginning, but matured as the novel progressed into something I honestly can’t be mad about. I think the lore contained in the book despite it’s small size was amazing and genuinely made me want to see other fairytales set in the same universe, but I’m happy with this little sliver into it that we got.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
pocketspoon's review against another edition
2.0
Turns out body horror is really really not for me. However, in between the horribleness of that, this was an interesting and creative reimagining of the little mermaid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy