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A review by shannasbooksnhooks
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"The rain came down harder, shrouding Highmoor in muddled grays. Great boulders at the bottom of the cliffs were tossed about by the raging sea like marbles in a little boy's pocket, their crashes blasting up the steep rocks and rivaling the thunder."
This was a fun book, and I'm glad I decided to give it another shot.I don't think I was really paying attention when I read this the first time around. I would definitely recommend this as a read. It's an amazing, unique retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses story. Additionally, many tellings of the 12 Dancing Princesses fit best within the spring and summer months. However, House of Salt and Sorrows fits amazingly into almost every season and month. There were a few moments where I was questioning Annaleigh's actions, especially with how they compared to her words (even more so near the end). However, it didn't bother me too much since it worked within the story and how the characters interacted with each other overall.
This was a fun book, and I'm glad I decided to give it another shot.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body horror and Pregnancy
Despite this, I will say that it was a bit curious how Annaleigh kept relying on the men in her life - mainly Ortun (her dad), Fisher, and Cassius. However, it did make sense because she's probably, at most, in her late teens and not entirely sure how to handle the situation she was in. Additionally, her reliance on Fisher and Cassius seemed driven by the fact that her family - Ortun, Morella (stepmother), and her sisters - were not listening to her or her concerns. Fisher and Cassius appeared to be the only ones taking her concerns seriously.