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Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

269 reviews

christmaskid's review against another edition

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dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m so intrigued with Cassandra Khaw’s writing style, I absolutely need to read more. The only reason this is so low rated is because I desperately wish it was longer and more fleshed out!! Praying that they write a longer novel as their prose is absolutely beautiful. 
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liliantreacy's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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ladynocturnal's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

A mermaid and plague doctor go on a gore filled quest. I wasn't all that invested in the characters or story, but the mermaid lore was interesting. The writing made this novella slightly amusing. 
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elle_mv's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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cloaca_dentata's review against another edition

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

4.0

I had to stop and use a dictionary about 3ish times reading this book, but it was definitely in a great way. Khaw is a masterful storyteller and knows how to pack a grotesquely emotional punch in such a short book. 
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gxuosi's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

cannibalism as a metaphor for love, to be so devoted that you devour them whole, but seen from the eyes of the eaten. to be so desired you are torn apart piece by piece. to have nothing left as you are rended from bone and marrow into a porcelain doll, finally an empty husk that’s no longer the idol of your keeper’s eye. to be left in a world of cannibals, devourers, the eaters and eaten; and then against all odds to choose instead of destruction, that someone is worth cannibalizing yourself for; creation, sacrifice, love.
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samkive's review against another edition

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dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

i really liked it, i loved the characters, i loved the pace. a lot of the reviews on goodreads complained about the language used being too difficult to understand but i simply searched up what words i couldn't figure out and used context clues for the rest so 😭😭
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solomonlake's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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kcweber22's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I could see how it might be for some people, but I was not one of those people. It was gory, and borderline gross. It lacked depth and I just didn’t care about the characters. 
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bookmunchr's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The prose in this book is unlike anything I've ever read. Achingly beautiful, and deeply grotesque, and bitterly sweet. This was a short book, though flowery, it was simple in it's construction. Written from the perspective of a mermaid, detached from human experiences, this was expertly penned to *feel* as though some ephemeral mythic being had written it. 

The story was thoughtful and inventive, while also drawing on classic tropes. It was beautiful. 

I picked this book because I'm 2 books shy on my reading goal and I wanted to cram in a couple shorties. But don't be fooled by its length, I'm ranking it near the top of my list. 
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