This felt like something I would like, but it didn't grab me. I ended up not finishing this title. I really think that others will enjoy it though.

Happy Pub day to one of the most bizarre/fascinating/I can’t put this down, short story collections I’ve read this year. Salt Slow by Julia Armfield is a collection of stories about women and their experiences. Throughout this collection women/adolescent become insects, men turn to stone, a city becomes insomniac and bodies are picked apart to make up better ones. Y’all these stories are WILD and shocking, I couldn’t put this down. I gave this collection 4 stars, this truly a great debut.

The stories I enjoyed from beginning to end were: Manis, The Great Awake, Granite & The Collectables. Thank you Picador & NetGalley for gifting me this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Julia Armfield researches women’s experiences mapped through their bodies such as a teenager entering puberty experiencing different changes than other girls. Fascinating collection of short stories.

"My mouth is wide with the anticipation. Not for kissing but for something more in keeping with my genes."

The eARC of this unfortunately doesn't work, but I bought the book because I was desperate to get my hands on it so I will review here! This collection is extraordinary. It's sharp-toothed and visceral and messy. Poetic and raw. Every story centers a woman, or groups of women, and it's just incredible to come across a collection like this. Each story is completely unique to the last and will keep you on your toes.

A few of my favorite stories: "Mantis" has a creepy sci-fi but feminist feel to it and it examines young girls' connection to their bodies. "The Great Awake" is a feat of reflection and longing and the feeling of missing out. "Formerly Feral" depicts adolescence and more primal needs. The titular "salt slow" portrays motherhood in a way that resonates. However, EVERY story is worth the time of reading and examining.

Every part is ghoulish and unsettling but in the best way. It discusses sexuality, love, longing, fear, gender roles, societal pressures, and growing up in such an authentic way that adds a little extra oomph with it's magical realism roots.

If you love dark stories that tug at the deep parts of you, then this one is for you. Highly recommended.

[The efile didn't work for me like the other reviewers noted. However, I also had a hard copy and so I based my review off of that.]

This is hard for me to rate because while I thoroughly enjoyed this , it doesn't beat my favorite collection this year, A Mouthful of Birds, by Samanta Schweblin, which I also gave 4 stars. Each of Armfield's stories slowly and delicately unfolds, exposing its secrets and horrors. However, there were times when I wished for a little more, a small push towards more eerie surrealness. Oddly enough, the more popular stories (The Great Awake and Stop Your Women's Ears with Wax) were ones that I ranked lower than some of the others. My favorites were Mantis, Formerly Feral, and Granite, all of which captured my attention from beginning to end and had satisfying conclusions.

The eARC doesn’t work so I can’t view any of the pages! It just skips from the table of contents and acknowledgements clear to the end.