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A review by melissa_b_67
Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thirst for Salt is the story of the love affair between the 24 year old unnamed narrator and 42 year old Jude. The story begins with our narrator telling us that their relationship has already ended. An author who is able to grab our attention so that we continue to turn the pages, even though we know the outcome of the story from the onset, has a true talent indeed. The writing in this book is beautiful and poetic, but still accessible. Thirst for Salt is character-driven, literary fiction, and although only 272 pages, it is a story you can lose yourself in, in all the best ways. This book has a melancholic, dreamlike atmosphere which leaves the reader with a sense of nostalgia for that first great love.
Although this story does have the coming-of-age theme, which I am not drawn to these days, I was thoroughly invested in the timelessness of that deep fall into all-consuming first love. The characters were not especially lovable, but they weren't unlikable either. Again and again what drew me to this story was the author's ability to bring the fleetingness of a great love to the page, "As all lovers learn, when love ends, you lose the future as well as the past."
With the atmospheric Australian beach setting, sub-plots of mother-daughter bonds and the impact of childhood loss on adult relationships, the author's choice to keep the narrator unnamed, the absence of quotation marks, and the many nuances of the love affair, Thirst for Salt is a book you will want to both immerse yourself in and discuss with others.
I have to add that I am obsessed with the title of this book. Thirst for Salt conjures up so many thoughts and images, and the title is perfectly suited for this story.
Thirst for Salt was a 5 star read for me, but I also felt conflicted while reading it due to some unusual stylistic and character choices made by the author. I borrowed Thirst for Salt from Libby and read on my Kindle, but I think I might purchase a printed copy for my shelves. The writing is gorgeous and I'm certain I will want to go back and read certain passages again and again.
If you like an immersive love story, without a perfect storybook ending, leaving you with all the feels, you might want to give Thirst for Salt a try.
Although this story does have the coming-of-age theme, which I am not drawn to these days, I was thoroughly invested in the timelessness of that deep fall into all-consuming first love. The characters were not especially lovable, but they weren't unlikable either. Again and again what drew me to this story was the author's ability to bring the fleetingness of a great love to the page, "As all lovers learn, when love ends, you lose the future as well as the past."
With the atmospheric Australian beach setting, sub-plots of mother-daughter bonds and the impact of childhood loss on adult relationships, the author's choice to keep the narrator unnamed, the absence of quotation marks, and the many nuances of the love affair, Thirst for Salt is a book you will want to both immerse yourself in and discuss with others.
I have to add that I am obsessed with the title of this book. Thirst for Salt conjures up so many thoughts and images, and the title is perfectly suited for this story.
Thirst for Salt was a 5 star read for me, but I also felt conflicted while reading it due to some unusual stylistic and character choices made by the author. I borrowed Thirst for Salt from Libby and read on my Kindle, but I think I might purchase a printed copy for my shelves. The writing is gorgeous and I'm certain I will want to go back and read certain passages again and again.
If you like an immersive love story, without a perfect storybook ending, leaving you with all the feels, you might want to give Thirst for Salt a try.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Abortion