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swamphag666's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
sestep's review against another edition
dark
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, and Murder
birdiebrain's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, and Medical trauma
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
telligraphy's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
kingrosereads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Self harm, Torture, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
christmaskid's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Violence, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual violence, Torture, and Pregnancy
gxuosi's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Miscarriage and Excrement
nightlight_reader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I’m not a body horror person, or at least I need to be really specific about my body horror triggers, but this was excellent throughout and I think some of the clinical voice of our mermaid narrator helped to mitigate a lot of that for me.
I think the acknowledgements sums up this book well:
“This book of mine about people who won’t give up on each other, who stay even when the world crumbles to ash, who hold on even when there’s nothing but hope.”
It’s a good one. It’s full of love and hope even when it doesn’t seem like it. It’s incredible and dark and fucked up. But it’s a good one.
I think the acknowledgements sums up this book well:
“This book of mine about people who won’t give up on each other, who stay even when the world crumbles to ash, who hold on even when there’s nothing but hope.”
It’s a good one. It’s full of love and hope even when it doesn’t seem like it. It’s incredible and dark and fucked up. But it’s a good one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse
lostphysics's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Cannibalism, and Medical trauma