A review by duzzle
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A quick, gore-filled fairytale. There was quite a bit of "show, don't tell" that left me wanting for more substance, but I guess that's the price one pays for a novella. I'm curious as to the author's decision to put the first chapter at the very end of the book, even after the acknowledgments, which I rarely read and oftentimes immediately return the book once I finish the epilogue. While the cold open leads to more mystery, it was obviously written with the first chapter in assumption. 
Also, the language was at times needlessly obtuse - I understand the implication was the narrator's high status / intelligence, but it came off as CTRL+H --> replace a word with its most hauty-sounding synonym. 
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