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A review by theunfriendlyghost
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
4.0
I’m really torn between giving three or four stars, as I loved the plot but was unmoved by the characters.
The world building was mesmerizing. I felt present on the island and captivated by the coastal culture.
The food, clothing, and climate were all described in a way that kept me interested in every scene.
The plot as well was very intriguing! It’s definitely one of those stories that starts slow but ends fast.
There was a lot of buildup, which I suppose was necessary, but I can’t decide if the beginning lagged or if the end hurried.
Regardless, I was fascinated by the twists and turns and thoroughly enjoyed the layers of despair.
Unfortunately, I only began feeling attached to the main character around the halfway point, as I found her rather dull. There was much telling about her quirks and passions, from the mouths of siblings, but very little showing. The sisters also I found bland for the most part, but with so many you’d perhaps need a very long book to flesh out each one.
I grew fond of them eventually, but I can’t say the same for the love interest.
He was predictable and shallow, with his only personality trait being his relationship to the main character. I did not root for them as a couple and wasn’t invested in whatever ending was coming.
I could’ve gone without him as a whole and would’ve loved the story of sisters alone, but that’s just my style.
I’m giving it five stars for the plot, but three stars for the characters, landing us at an average of four stars.
The world building was mesmerizing. I felt present on the island and captivated by the coastal culture.
The food, clothing, and climate were all described in a way that kept me interested in every scene.
The plot as well was very intriguing! It’s definitely one of those stories that starts slow but ends fast.
There was a lot of buildup, which I suppose was necessary, but I can’t decide if the beginning lagged or if the end hurried.
Regardless, I was fascinated by the twists and turns and thoroughly enjoyed the layers of despair.
Unfortunately, I only began feeling attached to the main character around the halfway point, as I found her rather dull. There was much telling about her quirks and passions, from the mouths of siblings, but very little showing. The sisters also I found bland for the most part, but with so many you’d perhaps need a very long book to flesh out each one.
I grew fond of them eventually, but I can’t say the same for the love interest.
He was predictable and shallow, with his only personality trait being his relationship to the main character. I did not root for them as a couple and wasn’t invested in whatever ending was coming.
I could’ve gone without him as a whole and would’ve loved the story of sisters alone, but that’s just my style.
I’m giving it five stars for the plot, but three stars for the characters, landing us at an average of four stars.