A review by crafalsk264
Salt by Liz Shipton

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.5

A little bit of a different take on dystopian plots. Bird Howsley is living in a post-apoplectic disaster in which a flu-like illness has decimated the world’s population. A few survivors fled the disease ridden mainland and set up an isolated community on a cluster of islands offshore. Here no departure from the most strict disease prevention tactics is tolerated (ie EVERYONE wears a mask whenever they are in contact with another person). Nonconformists are placed on a boat and aimed at the exposed cities on the mainland. It has been nearly a hundred years since the first cases of the disease appeared. Bird has a history of juvenile behavior that while not with malice, or intention to hurt anyone, have resulted in disruptive behavior in class, property damage and near misses in dangerous situations (ie since they live in a waterfront location with the only way out is by boat, all adolescents are required to go through boat use and safety). After stumbling across a lost flask filled with homemade hooch, she turns up to a boating class slightly impaired and misses catch of a line that causes a near miss accident with a classmate. This is one step too far for her parents (upper management at one of four major businesses that support the community), the school administrators, and even her peer group. Bird accidentally ends up with a valuable necklace belonging to her classroom arch nemesis, unconscious with alcohol and is nearly accused of theft of a family heirloom of great value to her classmate which Bird loses in a drunken stupor to a professional thief. Bird knows she has to recover the necklace if she has any hope of going home.

Add in a community of pirate captains and their crews acting as privateers, an island haven for the pirate bands, unusual animals, a search for her brother lost in a raid when they were children, and a growing passion for her sailing instructor who gets swept up in her quest and you have an entertaining entry to a possible series. The rest of the book involves her trek with the pirates and her lover across the Caribbean island chain to reunite with her adult brother. The ending is left open so this is ready for the next book in the series. I enjoyed the book as a brief break in some heavier reading but I am not sure I will follow on with the series. There is explicit sexual content here, please use discretion especially for younger readers. Recommend for readers of romance, fantasy, dystopia, science fiction, pirates, apocalyptic, slow burn, forced proximity and adventure.