Published: September 23, 2014
Pages: 416
Source: For Review from Hachette Book Group Canada
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.
Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for.
Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for.
In short: Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper had a cool and unique concept, but frustrating characters and slow pacing hindered my overall enjoyment.
Protagonist Avery was probably my main source of frustration in Salt & Storm. She's been given a bad lot in life, definitely, so I would excuse some anger on her part, but this girl frequently flies into these bizarre fits and rages at the drop of a hat. She's also extraordinarily selfish at times, concerned only with wrongs done unto her, and never thinking of the hurt she causes others in turn with her fits of melodrama.
Somehow there's this guy - Tane - who sees through her rages and likes her, and they quickly - and I mean QUICKLY - declare their love for each other. There were a few times that I found their romance sweet, but for the most part it annoyed me. Their hokey professions and their whip-lash arguments were the stuff of soap operas, not a genuine romance that I could root for. I could not take them seriously and so I did not care what became of them and their romance.
Initially the writing drew me in and immersed me in the atmosphere of this small whaling island so beautifully. But at some point I began to fall out of love with it - the prose is descriptive and the sentences are lengthy, sometimes weighing the pacing down, making the reading tedious and uninteresting. And when the pacing is slow and the characters are unlikeable, the story DRAGS and is a chore to get through.
If it weren't for the frustrating characters and slow pacing, I would have totally dug Salt & Storm though. I did really love the concept behind it and I loved the historical backdrop too. It was just such a fresh idea to me and I really appreciated that because I don't get to read books with unique ideas often. I also really admired the fact that debut author Kendall Kulper decided to GO THERE with the ending and that she's left this as a standalone. So all in all, I'm 50/50 in my rating for Salt & Storm.
Other Reviews:
Late Nights With Good Books
Maji Bookshelf
Supernatural Snark
Author Links:
Website
Goodreads
I liked the sound of this one until I read your review, Aylee. I guess I'll be passing on it now because of the insta-love and frustrating MC. The last thing I want to do is read a book that drags! I'm curious about the ending though ... Since I don't plan on reading this one, you can totally tell me spoilers ;)
ReplyDeleteJust sent you a spoiler-filled email... hope that satisfies you :p :D
DeleteSorry to hear about slow pacing, I don't know if I could get past that
ReplyDeleteIt can be difficult! But I'm not one to DNF.
DeleteYes to all of this! I sadly DNF'd this one for a lot of the reasons you mention. Mostly I just couldn't connect with the MC. I found her so unlikable which is usually not a problem for me but just seemed so irrational most of the time and that on top of the slow pacing and a less then mysterious mystery made this one really not for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
Aww, that's too bad... though I might have DNF'd this one if I were the type to person to DNF. I'm not usually so shaken by an unlikeable character either as long as they have some redeemable characteristics. But yes, she was totally irrational, it was crazy! Her fits were almost funny, they seemed so random.
DeleteThat is so disappointing. I literally was holding the book in my hand when I read your review. I also read Supernatural Snark's review and was a little more enthused, but I decided to put the book down and pick something up instead. I'd still like to read it, but it's not at the top of my list anymore. Sure do love the cover though.
ReplyDeleteThat actually makes me feel bad! I mean, I have definitely read some much more positive reviews than mine so I hope you aren't only taking my thoughts into account when deciding whether to read this one or not because some may like it more than others. And this one did have a fair amount of things going for it!
DeleteI'm sorry Aylee, I was just reading another review of this one and it sounds like a very, very frustrating read indeed, I think I would go nuts reading this.
ReplyDeleteI hope your next book is loads better!! :D
Heh, oh don't feel too bad for me. It was frustrating, but I got through it just fine :)
DeleteI don't think I've seen this one before. It doesn't sound like the right book for me, summary wise, but I'm sorry it didn't work for you since you were so excited. I think I'd get really annoyed by the MC and the romance as well.
ReplyDeleteHmm, yeah it's probably not up your alley either, Lauren! I have to imagine that this is one that would have a very niche audience.
DeleteCertainly sounds like the characters really let this one down and it almost sounds like a bit of insta-love with those two! *gasps in horror* Definite shame as it sounds an interesting one, and being a history nerd, I like the sound of the history backdrop!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't quite "insta" love because it wasn't love at first sight or anything, but damn did they ever fall in love swiftly! Haha, I much prefer a slow buildup. The history was my favourite part!
DeleteAwww, what a bummer - I'm so sorry that this one didn't really work for you, despite what it had going for it. It's not a fun feeling when a book starts up full of promise but ends up making you fall out of love with the things you actually DID love at the start!! I have read some more positive reviews for this one too, so I will still check it out... but the way you described the MC and the romance makes me think I'll have a similar experience to yours here. :( It's a shame too, I had high hopes for this one! Thanks for the enlightening review Aylee ^^ I hope you next read is/was better :)
ReplyDeleteAww, yeah when you put it that way, it was super disappointing to go into it with such high hopes and love it initially and then fall out of love pretty swiftly only a bit into the novel. But yeah, I definitely think you should still check it out because I can think of a few reviews now that were positive! Hopefully the value of the story will outweigh any bad stuff for you. Thanks, Micheline!
DeleteMy friend is reading this and from the angry texts she's sending me she doesn't like it either lol
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
haha, oh dear!
DeleteI am disappointed to see that you didn't like this one. I was completely intrigued when I read the synopsis. But after reading your review I have absolutely no desire to read this one. I hate insta-love. Why does it exist? I don't like whiney- woe is me characters, and I really cannot handle slow pacing. It drives me bonkers. I think I will be skipping this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review!
I've seen a lot of just so-so reviews on this one. Not one review really jumped out and caught my attention in favor of this one. So, after reading your thoughts, plus the fact the story drags I'm going to probably pass on this one. Thoughtful review!
ReplyDeleteahh I was tentatively excited for this but thanks to reviews, I don't think I'm reading this anymore. esp bc one review talked about how it had the White Savior complex. :/ not the book for me then.
ReplyDeleteOh, too bad! The title, the cover, and the description all sounded great, but this sounds like it would frustrate me too.
ReplyDeleteWell, the fact that this is a standalone and the author decided to make a big move with the ending, that thrills me just a little bit! I love it when that happens and it works and is amazing. But at the same moment, way on the other side of that spectrum, the romance lies, and it is nestled in the range of things I wouldn't particularly enjoy at all, by the sounds of it. That sounds dreadully soapy, you are right, and whilst these two elements don't make up the story, and it does sound like it could have potential, I'm not all that drawn to it, myself.
ReplyDeleteSorry it didn't work out better!
I can totally see why yo couldn't resist this book. It does sound promising and it's such a shame that the characters felt you feeling frustrated. Ah, I hate slow pacing. It puts me in slump for a period of time. Anyway, I he your next read rocks. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteSarika @ The Readdicts