This is a quirky little story, one that I found fast-paced and quite enjoyable. Hannah Moskowitz is pretty great at quirky, and this is no exception. It's pretty short, I finished it in just a few hours, so don't expect a ton of world-building and character development, but it also never drags.

My favorite part of the book, of course, is the sibling relationship. Indi loves his siblings with everything he's got, and after their parents' disappearance, they've become a cohesive foursome. They keep the family business of sea monster hunting going, even if Indi kind of wishes he could work in a Dunkin Donuts or something. The book really focuses on their relationships and dynamic, and how a person knows when/if it's okay for them to venture out and forge their own path.

Of course, the sea monsters are dangerous, and some of the human people they meet even more so. Indi basically must decide: Does he live the life that his parents wanted, that his siblings still want him to live, or does he choose his own path? And if he does, what will that mean for their family unit, who has never been apart?

Sadly this did not live up to my expectations. The pacing made it hard for the me to stay interested in the story.

Creative and engaging, Hannah Moskowitz writes with an active and interesting voice. The concept behind this novel is intriguing and well-executed.

I would gladly add this book to my personal, classroom, or library bookshelf. Very cool stuff.

SALT is a unique, family-focused novel that absolutely blew me out of the water—in the best possible way.

The story manages to be both adventurous and introspective. It’s character driven, but it also has a solid plot. That’s a difficult balance to maintain, and I think Moskowitz did a wonderful job.

The sibling dynamics are, without a doubt, the stars of this novel. I am thoroughly impressed by how Moskowitz was able to convey each of their personalities and relationships so clearly in just the first chapter or two. These siblings felt like real people. There was nuance to each of their characters, and their bonds were beautifully messy.

I loved the voice. It was casually conversational and entertainingly snarky, but also deeply thoughtful. Again, it felt real, as though I was reading the words of an actual teenager who had this uncommon upbringing on the ocean.

I will read anything that includes pirates, sailing, strong ocean elements, etc. However, it’s painfully clear that the majority of authors who write nautical-themed stories have no idea how life aboard a ship or boat actually works. Worse, many of them don’t seem to bother with research beyond a few Google searches. I’m delighted to say that Moskowitz did a fantastic job in that regard, and I was riveted by all the boat talk. I could’ve happily read even more of it. Moskowitz didn’t word everything how I would have, but that’s okay; there are differences from one vessel to another. The important thing is that Moskowitz wrote about shipboard life in a competent (and interesting) way.

I also appreciated that casual sex was normalized. And there was no romance! Give me more of that in YA, please. This book is proof that you can still have fascinating interpersonal dynamics without needing to force a romance.

Speaking of casual sex, there was one part that maybe, possibly, sort of suggested that the main character (MC) might be queer. I wish it had been clear. It was only a very brief, very vague mention of a boy’s hands. But even if the MC (who’s a boy) did have sex with another boy (which isn’t even stated), that doesn’t necessarily mean the MC is queer/bisexual/pansexual. Sexuality is defined by sexual ATTRACTION, not ACTION. There was nothing in this story to indicate that the MC was sexually attracted to the boy who he may or may not have had sex with. I know it’s the author’s choice, and I respect that, but personally I am really tired of years and years of headcanon queers and desperately want to see more representation that is undeniable on the page.

My other pieces of criticism:
- The beginning and middle of the novel could’ve had more tension, plot-wise. There was excellent tension between the siblings, though.
- The climax felt rushed.
- I would’ve liked more world-building. There is SO much more that could’ve been fleshed out, from the monsters to the sics to the travel destinations. (Sidenote: The word “sic” kept making me think of the “[sic]” used when writing verbatim quotes. It was a little distracting, but that’s just the writer in me.) Moskowitz is such a skilled writer, though, so I get the impression that if she didn’t flesh something out, it was probably a conscious decision rather than an oversight.

Even with the above criticism, I loved this book so much that it’s still a five-star read for me.

One final note: the cover seems a bit misleading. The subtle, monochromatic look (especially coupled with the single-word title) makes me think of a quiet, adult contemporary realistic/literary novel with poetic prose. This book is actually more of an adventurous YA contemp fantasy novel with straightforward prose. I didn’t even realize that the cover depicted sea-monster tentacles until I saw the full image within the ARC. I love the cover, and I love the story...I just don’t think they quite go together. I hope that doesn’t prevent this incredible book from finding its audience. (I did read the book description, and I follow Moskowitz on Twitter, so I had an idea of what to expect from the story. But I’m wondering what impression the cover will send to random people who happen to see it at a bookstore.)

Overall, SALT is one of my favorite reads of the year, and I highly recommend it.

ARC provided from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Chronicle Books!

The hook for Salt instantly got me. I am a sucker for monster hunters who surf the oceans. And I am the biggest sucker for stories with siblings. And that's all you really need to know about me. But you also need to know that I thoroughly enjoyed Salt. If you ever yelled at your sibling because they were doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, or ever dreamed about glory, or even just love your family even when they bug you, this book is for you.

But let me hit you with these bullet points to tell you why I enjoyed it so much:

Sibling relationships are my kryptonite. They get me all the time. I don't know if it's just wistful thinking, or mourning what I'll never have, but they touch a spot in my heart.
They are monster hunters. A recent obsession of mine has been books with monster hunters, so it's not surprise that I adored this book. And talk about interesting world building.
The love interest is a pirate. She is amazing and she'd rob me even while I profess my love, but I love her. She is strong willed, intelligent, and incredibly compassionate - for a pirate.
One of the themes they talk a lot about is the concept of home and also identity. For them, they live on the ocean, so they don't have a typical home.

Roaming the Mediterranean Sea on sailboats and hunting down monsters is the only life seventeen-year-old Indi has ever known. He never loved it, but now that his parents are gone—vanished during a hunt three months ago—it’s harder and harder to fight his desire to escape. It doesn’t help that he has custody of his parents’ journal, which contains a too-small section devoted to a treasure his parents promised they would someday give them. Maybe it’s something valuable enough to get militant Beleza to agree to settle down. Something that would take the little kids away from the life that’s turning Oscar into a pirate and wasting Zulu’s brilliant six-year-old mind. Something that could give Indi a normal life. If only sea monsters, his own conscience, and the entire ocean weren’t between him and that treasure.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. The minimalist title and cover of this book really peaked my interest. I (not-so-secretly) miss the trend of one work Young Adult book titles and combined with the unique premise of fighting monsters at sea, I knew I had to read this book.

The characters in this book, Indi and his siblings, were certainly my favorite part of the story. I soon found out that while monster hunting was at the core of book, it’s really a character driven story. Indi’s struggle to find who he is and navigate his role in his family was compelling and heartwarming. His siblings are not quite as complex as he is, but I enjoyed seeing the family interact and function as a unit. Indi’s love interest was a fun character to explore, even if she wasn’t always likable.

Normally, I’d also talk about the plot of a book in my reviews, however as the characters drive the majority of the plot in this story, it’s hard to speak about it separate from an analysis of the characters. I will say that the book is fast paced and the story is mostly told through short narrative vignettes than full, fleshed out chapters. There is an overarching plot, including obstacles, conflicts and resolutions, but it is in the background to Indi’s character development. However, the prose of the story, whether it was internal moments with Indi or a full on fight scene with a sea monster, was beautiful and often heartbreaking.

I wish the world of monster hunting played into the story a bit more than it does. In the beginning of the story, it’s unclear exactly what kind of world this, since the characters spend most of their life at sea and are out of touch land life. It turns out that sea monster are mostly unknown by other people and sailors and a few monster hunters, known as “sics” exist to keep the oceans safe. It’s also eventually revealed that it is a modern world they’re living in, with the internet and cellphones readily available. So the world is more in line with magical realism than high fantasy as I initially expected from the first chapters and book summary.

Salt is a fairly short book and a fast read. If you’re an active reader, you can finish in within about four hours. The book is mostly character driven and the narrator, Indi, is complex and well written. The prose is beautiful and enjoyable to read, but don’t expect an action packed story. Most of the development in within Indi, not within the world.

Indi and his siblings, Beleza, Oscar, and Zulu, have lost their parents three months ago mysteriously. As a family they were known to be sics, monster hunters of the Mediterranean Sea. Now that their parents are gone, all the kids have left is a rickety, dilapidated sailboat with malfunctioning equipment and their parents’ diary.

Indi, 17, first mate of the crew and the oldest of them all, spends many nights worrying about their future. He is the provider now. All the others use their talents for various jobs on the boat and on land. Zulu does most of the weaponry, Oscar charms locals to keep food in their stomachs and Beleza is the second in age to Indi and the captain. She used to be first mate and thinks her brother just wrestles through somehow.

The kids are roaming all of the Mediterranean. Just as they did with their parents. Currently, they were headed to Sicily, but their sailboat was giving them trouble, so they changed course and are heading to a busy port in France. All the kids are versed in multiple languages in some capacity or another. Their parents were very worldly, hence the different, unusual names.

At port, Indi is visiting bars and they stay in low rent pensions…they have to keep their money together. This is where he runs into an interestingly different girl. It does not take long until they make out.

From here the kids travel on in hopes to find a certain monster which Indi believes killed their parents, and as they arrive yet at another port, he runs into the same girl again. What was left at one port as a one night stand, is now changing everything.
Why is she seemingly following them or beating them to their travel destinations? Will they find that monster?

***

This adventure could have been so much more. So much more! If you think of scale and scope that reaches all around the Mediterranean, this could have been an amazing novel. Unfortunately, the entire story fell flat without suspense, without tension building, without cohesiveness. A great concept without follow through.

I was hoping so much to enjoy this novel more but there was no substance to it. Having visited many cities around the Mediterranean, I am simply disappointed by the lack of interestingness in the novel about these amazing places. The book failed to touch any senses of travel, adventure or foreign cultures. Although that may have not been the focus in mind, some tangible, tantalizing facts should have been there for enrichment. Basically there was no spice or flavor to it.

This book must have sprung from a grand idea, but was unable to fulfil it.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you!

At times rushed, laggy, and oddly paced, Hannah Moskowtiz’s Salt might have done with a bit more editing, pacing development, and narrative changes.

Salt is a tale of monster hunters who have found themselves on the adventure of their lives. Indi and his three siblings remind me fondly of my own siblings, but that’s where the resemblance ends, and the annoyance beings. Because although Salt seems to be this gritty and gruesome tale by the image of the cover, there is surprisingly very little monster hunting and ocean life imagery in a book that touts being a monster hunting story.

On the other hand, Salt is very much a reliable book about the main character, Indi, and his multi-faceted and not-so-loving and rather distant relationships with his siblings. Rather than focusing on the actual monsters, Salt relies on its strong emphasis on family and the bonds between siblings to push itself to the finish line, a.k.a. The last page. Unfortunately, that is also where it falls short. A book cannot simply be sustained on just character development the changes that a family experiences on the high seas while tramping around hunting monsters of all sorts of teeth and claws.

A reader has to be able to go into this book prepared to care about the characters from the get-go, but that’s a very hard hurdle to overcome and pill being asked. A deft hand, masterful wording, and compelling narrative is needed from the first word if the author hopes to accomplish that fearful task, and unfortunately, Moskowitz, despite her lovely story-telling later on in the novel, does not accomplish that. It can make finishing the novel arduous and a task, and although at times, I almost DNF’ed Salt, I am glad that I did finish it to the very last page.

So who would I recommend this to? Young children and those in middle school. It’s a strong tale revolving around family and the bonds between siblings who are torn between growing distant from their family and the eternal love that persists nevertheless. It has enough monster hunting and titillating life on the ocean to keep a child interested, and the morals of the tale are evident enough. It’s strong enough to stand on its own, but I wouldn’t hand this over to a college student nor an adult.

3/5 stars.

Family, sailing, and monster hunting! This was a fun and adventurous story of a family of orphans who have been thrown into their parents footsteps to take over the sea monster hunting business in their attempt to find out how their parents died and take revenge on the monster that took their parents from them. But along the way they learn so much more about themselves and what their goal should be instead of revenge.

I really enjoyed the adventurous side of this story. The sailing to different countries and the culture and language and their uncanny ability to get by even when they knew next to nothing about some of the places they ended up. I also loved the family dynamic and the love these four siblings had for each other. The banter between the siblings was funny and sweet and made me appreciate having a close family as well. The setting was a little odd at first to understand, but once I got the hang of it, it was easy to catch on and get an image in my mind.

I did however not like how it felt so rushed. There was so much more that could have happened or been elaborated on to really hook the reader and help them connect with these characters. and the journey they were on to find their parents. But each time the action would start, it was abruptly ended and thrown right into the next scene. It felt as though each important part was cheapened because it was so rushed to get to the next part. I wish that there had been more in that regard, because of this I just didn't connect with these characters as much as I'd like to. And the ones I thought would be interesting to get to know were so bland and one dimensional and gone in the blink of an eye. I wasn't sure if it was because this was a book for younger audiences, but then there was so much adult content and language that I quickly decided against that idea. It just felt as though there could have been so much more to make this adventure something memorable and exciting rather than how choppy and bland it ended up being. I wanted more!

All in all it was good enough that I continued on to the end. but I would have liked it to be more fleshed out. I wanted to really connect with the orphans and feel the fear that they had for these monsters. We were lead up to an epic battle against an unbeatable monster that should have been nail biting and intense, but was so lackluster that I don't really even know how it happened. And then they all just fell asleep? I just don't get it. I kept thinking that it would explain, or that there would be some twist that made me say "aha" but I was left feeling like I was rushed out the door with no direction where I'm supposed to go next.. So for that reason I can't say that it was the best book I've ever read. It had the plot for an amazing story but not the fillings to make it feel real.

I wanted more monster hunting and ocean life, and instead Salt is very focused on the family dynamic between Indi and his relationship with his older sister and two younger siblings as they try to survive to go find their parents (or the monster that killed them). For being a book that was more character driven than plot/event driven, I didn't really feel much of a connection with the characters, which may have had something to do with the feeling that this book seems like it's told in a series of snapshots rather than as one cohesive story. At first I thought the chapters were separate short stories about the same family, and then I realized they were the same plot and they just didn't have much (or sometimes any) flow between chapters. The reading experience was very jarring, and the expanses of black pages speckled with salt or stars created even more distance. Perhaps this was a stylistic choice to make the reader feel the distance Indi feels from his family and from the rest of the world, how cut off he feels from everyone and everything... But the reader needs to connect to the book in order to care about it (at least, this reader does) and I just couldn't connect with this book. There's nothing outright bad or wrong about it, and in a lot of ways it's a really great book. Indi and Beleza, Oscar, and Zulu are really interesting characters (or have the potential to be interesting characters, anyway) and I was really excited about this book, but unfortunately it just fell short of what I feel like it could have been.

Enjoyed this! Felt the ending to be very rushed and could use some development. I found myself wanting a lot more resolution of issues with Oscar and description of Hura storyline.

The teenage years can be tough enough. Kids must find their way, determine the right path for their future, and many will fail to fulfill their parents’ expectations in the process. When you add in the fact that Indi’s parents are missing and presumed dead and he is one of four siblings, including one sibling who is much younger, things get complicated. Indi and his older sister, Beleza, assume responsibility for twelve-year-old master thief Oscar and six-year-old Zulu.
Why hasn’t social services or someone else stepped in to get all of these kids proper care, you might wonder? Well, that’s kind of hard when they have spent most of their life living on vessels hunting ocean monsters with their parents.

And we’re not just talking about big marine mammals that might be daunting. We’re talking about morde d’eaus and El Diamante and a whole host of other monsters responsible for making whole ships disappear, as well as the occasional cat.

Beleza is on a mission that Indi thinks is crazy. She wants to hunt down the monster that presumably killed their parents.

In his heart, however, Indi isn’t that convinced about their mission or their capabilities. There’s a part of him that wants a different life for them all, so he obsesses about reading his parents’ journal to try to find clues to the treasure they told their children they had secured for them.

Indi meets an attractive young woman named Hura and his relationship with her may ultimately help hasten their victory… or the death and destruction of his whole family.

There’s a whole lot to applaud in this fast-paced YA adventure/coming-of-age story. Some may wish for more descriptive details about the monsters and hunts; I appreciated the minimalist approach that gave us just enough to entice our imagination and didn’t get bogged down with excessive details while moving through a hunt or attack. Moskowitz also avoids excessive introspection, which has its perks, too. Mentally and emotionally, we’re right where the protagonist is, and that makes his decisions more credible. Nothing is held back; anything Indi must discover feels like a full revelation to the reader as well.

Under the surface of a revenge/monster story, this is a tale about figuring out who you are, family obligations, principles and forgiveness. Every member of Indi’s family must decide what lines they’re willing to cross and what’s important to them.

I loved this story. Now, it may (or may not) matter to you to know a few things about me to understand how significant that statement is. I’ve flown in an ultralight.I’ve traveled by bus, plane and train. Extensively. 26 countries on 4 continents. And I’ve been out on the open ocean. I’ve sailed in the Irish Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. I’ve traveled over the Atlantic and crossed the English Channel.

The only kind of travel I have a problem with is by water. Not boating on lakes… boating on the ocean. I get seasick. Majorly. I’ve never overcome it.

So this book starts off with these kids on a boat and… you see, a lot of times when I get review copies I just take them and forget what they’re about. I put them on a list in order of release and work my way through. If a book isn’t working I pass and move on and then give it a second try and either read it or abandon it. So, between getting Salt and reading it, I only recalled it was YA.

I started the book and felt nauseous just reading.

And then I turned the page and there were monsters! And we were right into the middle of an attack and I was sold.

Of course, the other thing you may (or may not) need to know about me is that I almost drowned. I’m not talking about I had a little scare in a pool when I couldn’t touch bottom for a second or anything like that. I fell down a waterfall. A group of people formed a lifeline on shore and pulled me out after I was sucked down in a whirlpool.

So there’s a scene in the book that made me squirm, but it’s a testament to Moskowitz’s skill set, that she knows how to set a scene in such a way that the reader feels they are right there. That’s a testament to her skills. I loved this book. Sit down, strap yourself in and brave the high seas with Indi and his family to find out whether or not they can locate the treasure, the truth about their parents and fulfill the revenge mission Beleza has started them on.

https://toesixpress.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/review-salt-by-hannah-moskowitz/

Overall, I loved this book. It's got such a great atmosphere and has such wonderful sibling relationships that I really connected to. Indi is such a good main character. He's kind and loving and makes my heart happy. The reason this isn't a 5 is I had issues with it not feeling fleshed out.


More of my thoughts here : https://youtu.be/579POsTHY2I

Even though it's YA it sounded interesting. While it's not bad I wouldn't say it necessarily would hold an adults intetest

This book was different in a good way for me.  I did not expect sibling fighting monsters but I dig it!  This book was fast paced for me and kept me wanting to read more.  I enjoyed that it took a different path than most books.  It made it memorable to me.  I am also a sukcer for sea monsters and anything with the ocean so this book was great.  *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Honestly I still don't know how I feel about this book. It wasn't great and it wasn't bad. I will say I spent a lot of it confused. To me it just didn't really have a flow.

Four sibling orphans continue the job their parent died doing--saving the world from sea monsters. Indi, the second child of four, struggles with life on the sea, while his siblings thrive on successfully killing sea monsters. It's a hand to mouth existence as they look for clues about what happened to their parents.

I didn't love this one, but still had to finish it. It's a tale of family and familial love, at it's heart with some adventure and heartbreak thrown in for good measure.

This was amazing and everything you expect from a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Quirky. Heartwrenching. Odd. And of course, adventurous. Add on that this read very easily as "Supernatural at Sea" starring Indi as Sam Winchester, Beleza as Dean Winchester, and the Salgada as the Impala, and it was a whole new level of endearing and enrapturing.

Finally, a fantasy novel on par with the high standard Moskowitz's other novel, Teeth, set.

A+++.

I was intrigued by the concept - siblings on a small boat taking down sea monsters. Salt delivered on that and more.

The story starts with action and pulls you into not only the thrill of the battle but also the teamwork of the siblings. With knives, arrows, blowtorches and hooks, they are all lethal. Each of the four primary characters is developed to the point that you'd love to jump on their boat and join them as they thrash something with fangs and a dozen long tentacles.

Other high points: tight writing, a quick pace and the peak into Indi's struggle with the obligation to help his siblings protect others from sea monsters and to find answers to what happened to their parents. The conflict lies in his strong and growing desire to just get off the ship and lead a normal life. Indi's journeys through the seas and through his rocky sibling relationships to find the life he wants feel genuine and make the book hard to put down.

Highly recommended.

This review will be posted on 10/2/18 on thewingedpen.com. I'll post it to goodreads now and to Amazon and Barnes and Noble after the pub date.

Well written fantasy for YA's Siblings sailing the Mediterranean in search of sea monsters! How cool can that be! But they also want a home away from all the drama. All they have are their parents journals to guide them. great story! Very enjoyable. I loved the characters, especially the younger ones- a bit on the feral side, but entertaining! Charming bunch of kiddos I am sure teens will enjoy.