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A review by lookingmuchimproved
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a truly masterful tragedy.
It completely exceeded all of my expectations.
The world building is incredibly well done with the author feeding us snippets about the family, the culture, the traditions, and the norms of The People of the Salt in such a way that the world is vivid but it never feels like info dumping. The world building is expertly woven into the story as the characters move through that world.
The characters are excellent, and I think part of what makes them great is the fact that the reader is seeing them through the eyes of the main character Annaleigh who serves as our narrator. Annaleigh is a highly compassionate and empathetic characters who helped me appreciate all of the characters in her family even when they might otherwise seem callous because of her understanding of their grief. Still, the narrator does not come off simply as the vessel through which to see the world and other characters, but maintains a unique and interesting personality as well as her own storyline that reflects her wishes and desires.
The setting feels unique with detailed descriptions that highlight the enchantment of that world as well as the pockets of darkness. The author can evoke wonder in one chapter and in the next convey a deep eeriness or horror. The author also does an excellent job keeping the reader guessing about what is really going on, playing with what is real and false, a nightmare or a dream.
A new favorite for sure.
It completely exceeded all of my expectations.
The world building is incredibly well done with the author feeding us snippets about the family, the culture, the traditions, and the norms of The People of the Salt in such a way that the world is vivid but it never feels like info dumping. The world building is expertly woven into the story as the characters move through that world.
The characters are excellent, and I think part of what makes them great is the fact that the reader is seeing them through the eyes of the main character Annaleigh who serves as our narrator. Annaleigh is a highly compassionate and empathetic characters who helped me appreciate all of the characters in her family even when they might otherwise seem callous because of her understanding of their grief. Still, the narrator does not come off simply as the vessel through which to see the world and other characters, but maintains a unique and interesting personality as well as her own storyline that reflects her wishes and desires.
The setting feels unique with detailed descriptions that highlight the enchantment of that world as well as the pockets of darkness. The author can evoke wonder in one chapter and in the next convey a deep eeriness or horror. The author also does an excellent job keeping the reader guessing about what is really going on, playing with what is real and false, a nightmare or a dream.
A new favorite for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Blood