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A review by laurenwerlinger
Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book is a beautiful story about trauma, magic, and love.
While the themes of the story are clear, they often come across as heavy-handed where author Katrina Leno had the opportunity for more subtlety. The middle of the book felt aimless and unfocused. Leno tries to incorporate different storylines and characters, but often they are disjointed. The romance that occurs between two characters is rushed and not very compelling.
However, the book is redeemed by the atmosphere it creates. Leno draws the reader in to the island of By-the-Sea with beautiful, grounded descriptions of the island and its people. I also loved the soft magic system and the way the magic tied into the theme of trauma.
While the themes of the story are clear, they often come across as heavy-handed where author Katrina Leno had the opportunity for more subtlety. The middle of the book felt aimless and unfocused. Leno tries to incorporate different storylines and characters, but often they are disjointed. The romance that occurs between two characters is rushed and not very compelling.
However, the book is redeemed by the atmosphere it creates. Leno draws the reader in to the island of By-the-Sea with beautiful, grounded descriptions of the island and its people. I also loved the soft magic system and the way the magic tied into the theme of trauma.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Rape, Vomit, and Gun violence
Slut shaming, victim blaming