Salt by Hannah Moskowitz
3.25 stars
“It’s different when a hunt’s starting. We’re not the kids who were just bickering at each other; we’re not brothers and sisters or orphans or people. We’re weapons.”
Indi and his siblings—Beleza, Oscar, and Zulu—have been hunting down monsters of the sea on their own since their parents went missing. As they sail around the Mediterranean and hunt down the monsters waiting for human prey, they are also looking for the parents and the possible monster that is responsible for their absence. Indi doesn’t want to hunt monsters. He longs for stability and for something more. It’s causing tensions to rise between he and his older sister, Beleza. Will Indi be able to escape the dangers of the sea before its too late? I love the concept of Salt. We follow orphaned sea-monster hunters. It’s like Supernatural in the Mediterranean and I was totally here for it. The concept is a lot of fun, but the execution is… forgettable. The writing isn’t spectacular and lacks greatly in world-building. You are just thrown into these grand monster battles with little to no context and I didn’t really feel immersed in the story. I didn’t really care why these kids were risking their lives to save humans who didn’t know any better because I wasn’t fearful enough of the monsters they were chasing. I didn’t believe they posed much of a threat because Moskowitz didn’t paint a world that need monster hunters to protect the seas. Moskowitz is a writer of simplicity which works well for a lot of stories, but not this one. I craved more complexity in character development and in world building.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.25
“Salt is in our blood.”
The main character is Indi. He’s an interesting character. He isn’t a captivating presence on the page and he is definitely one of those people who fades into the background, which is why I think it’s interesting that we follow his narrative. He is always quick to do the courageous thing in battle, but complain about it or fuss at Oscar for doing the same. He’s far too contradictory for me. I wasn’t necessarily bored by him, but I found it hard to root for him.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 2.25
The real star of this show is Indi’s older sister, Beleza. She’s a character I would have loved to follow. Her narrative would’ve been complex and dripping with a dichotomy of complexity—guilt, self-sacrifice, love for her family, obsession, and a thirst to save others. She was hands down the most interesting character Moskowitz has written in this novel. It’s a tragedy that it wasn’t from her POV.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 4
“My big sister is monster venom.”
I loved the family dynamic. I love following hunters who chase monsters as a family because it always makes the stakes higher. The stakes were high here because two of the hunters were young children, one being elementary school age. I really liked Oscar’s character and I thought it was a pity that because Indi dismissed him, he basically got little development besides having the delinquency of a potential pirate. I loved Zulu. She was absolutely adorable and a totally baddie. She is barely even able to read and she’s out there shooting arrows from a crossbow into a mile-long beast. That’s awesome. I wasn’t a fan of Indi’s love interest (?) who is more of a friend with benefit then roommate then lover who also has a boyfriend at the same time. I just wasn’t feeling her character, but it was cool that we met a lady pirate.
Character Scale: 3.5
I think Salt has the potential to excite a lot of Supernatural fans. It isn’t a bad novel and the concept is a treat and I believe is worth reading alone. This is a short novel and it is definitely not a waste of time. Overall, I think this novel has its fault, but it is endearing and has a fantastic family dynamic.
Plotastic Scale: 3.5
Cover Thoughts: This cover is gorgeous. The sail boat, the stars, the darkness of both the water and the sky. It’s mesmerizing.
Thank you, Netgalley and Chronicle Books, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
3.25 stars
“It’s different when a hunt’s starting. We’re not the kids who were just bickering at each other; we’re not brothers and sisters or orphans or people. We’re weapons.”
Indi and his siblings—Beleza, Oscar, and Zulu—have been hunting down monsters of the sea on their own since their parents went missing. As they sail around the Mediterranean and hunt down the monsters waiting for human prey, they are also looking for the parents and the possible monster that is responsible for their absence. Indi doesn’t want to hunt monsters. He longs for stability and for something more. It’s causing tensions to rise between he and his older sister, Beleza. Will Indi be able to escape the dangers of the sea before its too late? I love the concept of Salt. We follow orphaned sea-monster hunters. It’s like Supernatural in the Mediterranean and I was totally here for it. The concept is a lot of fun, but the execution is… forgettable. The writing isn’t spectacular and lacks greatly in world-building. You are just thrown into these grand monster battles with little to no context and I didn’t really feel immersed in the story. I didn’t really care why these kids were risking their lives to save humans who didn’t know any better because I wasn’t fearful enough of the monsters they were chasing. I didn’t believe they posed much of a threat because Moskowitz didn’t paint a world that need monster hunters to protect the seas. Moskowitz is a writer of simplicity which works well for a lot of stories, but not this one. I craved more complexity in character development and in world building.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.25
“Salt is in our blood.”
The main character is Indi. He’s an interesting character. He isn’t a captivating presence on the page and he is definitely one of those people who fades into the background, which is why I think it’s interesting that we follow his narrative. He is always quick to do the courageous thing in battle, but complain about it or fuss at Oscar for doing the same. He’s far too contradictory for me. I wasn’t necessarily bored by him, but I found it hard to root for him.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 2.25
The real star of this show is Indi’s older sister, Beleza. She’s a character I would have loved to follow. Her narrative would’ve been complex and dripping with a dichotomy of complexity—guilt, self-sacrifice, love for her family, obsession, and a thirst to save others. She was hands down the most interesting character Moskowitz has written in this novel. It’s a tragedy that it wasn’t from her POV.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 4
“My big sister is monster venom.”
I loved the family dynamic. I love following hunters who chase monsters as a family because it always makes the stakes higher. The stakes were high here because two of the hunters were young children, one being elementary school age. I really liked Oscar’s character and I thought it was a pity that because Indi dismissed him, he basically got little development besides having the delinquency of a potential pirate. I loved Zulu. She was absolutely adorable and a totally baddie. She is barely even able to read and she’s out there shooting arrows from a crossbow into a mile-long beast. That’s awesome. I wasn’t a fan of Indi’s love interest (?) who is more of a friend with benefit then roommate then lover who also has a boyfriend at the same time. I just wasn’t feeling her character, but it was cool that we met a lady pirate.
Character Scale: 3.5
I think Salt has the potential to excite a lot of Supernatural fans. It isn’t a bad novel and the concept is a treat and I believe is worth reading alone. This is a short novel and it is definitely not a waste of time. Overall, I think this novel has its fault, but it is endearing and has a fantastic family dynamic.
Plotastic Scale: 3.5
Cover Thoughts: This cover is gorgeous. The sail boat, the stars, the darkness of both the water and the sky. It’s mesmerizing.
Thank you, Netgalley and Chronicle Books, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Are you planning to read Salt? Who are some of your favorite monster hunters? Let me know down below in the comments!
TOTALLY agree. It's good and worth the read, if not completely mind blowing. Great review!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely was worth reading. I don't regret that at all! I'm glad you enjoyed it as well. Thanks so much!!
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