A review by danielleboldry
salt slow by Julia Armfield

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

i love julia armfield’s writing so much. she has a way of blending the most disturbing and the most mundane parts of life, where they become almost indistinguishable. which in a way is the most harrowing way to tell a scary story. 

this was my first short story collection! a couple of the stories fell flat for me but throughly enjoyed the majority of them:

• the collectibles - a girlie girls frankenstein 
• stop your women’s ears with wax - the inhumane, catastrophic cult of modern day fandoms spurred by the all consuming demonic infatuation with artists/music — something i deeply relate to but also detest  
• granite (possibly my favourite) - gorgeously written - a glimpse into a seemingly perfect relationship with a dark undertone - granite takes on the character of the boyfriend, symbolising the pressure from outside forces to not be alone
• smack - the long-lasting effects of people coming in and out of your life, shedding their skin and leaving it by your feet on their way out. the use of the word smack has an abundance of layers: a smack of jellyfish washing up on the shore as something left behind and the sharp sting of this sudden violent act. 
• cassandra after - beautifully disturbing depiction of grief, a casual ghost story - “i was sweeping the bones of the girl i loved off the kitchen floor.”
• salt slow - wow. just stunning. you can really see the similarities between this and our wives — the deep fascination with the ocean and what lives within it. a really raw depiction of miscarriage - “the sky is gory with stars, like the insides of a gutted night.”