It was weird and hard to follow on audio, even with how short it was. The images and descriptions were a little amorphous for me to grasp while listening. Probably better to physically read.

This was creepy and full of body horror, but at the same time, written beautifully. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a short horror read.

Small audiobook but extremely well paced! Loved the narrator and the plot, I will be recommending this one to all my friends! Creative plot as well, I have never read anything like it.

This book was mega trippy. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with it. While the storyline was interesting to say the least, the narration wasn't bad at all.

The premise and size of this story makes picking up this book a small commitment in expectations. Sadly, the follow through was not there. I understood the choices the author made to throw both the reader and the protagonist off balance, yet, feel like there was more that needed explanation in order to make the main character's desires and relationships more intriguing. I wasn't quite sure what the author tried to achieve in the plot and that left my whole experience with this novella at a loss.

The narrator was fine. The story wasn't really what I was expecting, so maybe that is why I didn't really enjoy the story as much as I should have. It had some interesting aspects to the story, but I didn't really see a point to the whole story.

This book left me with a sense of strangeness that's hard to shake. The plot often felt less like a cohesive narrative and more like a series of vibes strung together. While I entered the story with high hopes, I found myself wanting to love it more than I actually did. It was enjoyable in its own way, but regrettably, it proved to be quite forgettable.

The premise, as described in the synopsis, held immense promise. It dared to reshape a familiar fairytale with a dark and intriguing twist, introducing us to a mermaid whose legacy takes a decidedly grim turn. Joined by a mysterious plague doctor, the narrative ventures into an eerie, snow-covered forest where they encounter a village of ageless children with a thirst for blood, controlled by enigmatic 'saints.'

However, despite this captivating setup, the execution left something to be desired. The story, while initially engaging, failed to maintain its momentum, often meandering into disjointed tangents that left me feeling disconnected from the characters and their journey. This lack of coherence hindered my ability to fully invest in the narrative.

In summary, this book had the potential to be an enthralling and memorable read but ultimately fell short of its promise. While it certainly offered an unusual and unique take on the fairytale genre, it struggled to hold my attention or leave a lasting impression. It's a story that, for me, didn't quite live up to its intriguing premise.

I didn’t even know where to begin with a review. To be perfectly honest, this just was not for me. I have no idea what happened or what the point of this was. 😭

This is the third time I have tried Cassandra Khaw's work...and I think I am fully ready at this point to throw in the towel. I can never get into any of them, and whenever that happens I always assume there is something I'm just not getting. But I don't think that is the case with this story. Remixes of old stories are so popular right now, and it is honestly something I can live without. The narrator is also nothing to write home about. The story isn't quite scary, isn't quite thrilling, isn't quite particularly intelligent. Do not recommend.

I listened to this one in one sitting and was captivated from the start. I was expecting it to have more horror than it actually had, but other than that I have no complaints. I mean, a plague doctor and a mermaid on a road trip... what else could one ask for in a novella? Creepy kids you say? Khaw has you covered, darling.

HAPPY #bookbirthday to THE SALT GROWS HEAVY by @casskhaw !! Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @macmillan.audio for the audio-ARC.

Do you like mermaids? How about plague doctors? How about a horrifically beautiful love story between the two? This book is billed as a retelling of THE LITTLE MERMAID, and it excels in that realm, but it also has some FRANKENSTEIN nods as well.

Once upon a time, a prince captured a mermaid and made her his bride. He kept her hidden, cut out her tongue so she could not speak, and filled her womb. When the daughters of the mermaid and the prince are born, they have their father's eyes...and their mother's teeth...

The story begins atop a pile of ruin as the babies terrorize and devour the whole kingdom. The only survivors, it seems are the mermaid herself and a plague doctor who was tasked with quelling the mermaid devouring plague. The two find comfort in each other and realize that they share a common bond in being each an amalgamation of different parts stitched together over time...one by magic and the other by medical science.

This story is haunting and beautiful, horrifying and heart-warming. This is the kind of love story I am after. Things are messy and there are many flaws in each partner exposed, they share their vulnerabilities and they fight to make things right.

If you like retellings that turn fairy tales on their heads, love vulnerable, strange characters, or are a big fan of unconventional love stories, this is your book. That is, if you can handle a bit of viscera. 😉

This is one of my favorite books I have read all year so far. It is short and wonderful and you should go look for it on shelves because it joins the world today!!

What book have you read with the weirdest, most unconventional love story? I don't read a lot of romance specific book but I love a horror romance!

💚SMASHBOT💚

A dark, poetic retelling of The Little Mermaid. This novella explores the magical and horrifying side of mermaid lore. I appreciated the writing style as it painted pictures well for my imagination. I was also intrigued by the relationship between the main character/narrator and the plague doctor. I do wish it were longer so that each character could be developed a bit more.

The audiobook reader provided a beautiful voice to pair with the mystery of the plot.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Cassandra Khaw for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In this dark retelling of The Little Mermaid, the eponymous character is more monster than maid. After her daughters consume the man who captured her and cut our her tongue along with the rest of the kingdom, she sets off with a strange plague doctor with a storied past of their own. Dark and creepy and a bit esoteric in all the best ways. Tbh I could've read a full-length novel all about this version of the characters--and it might've functioned a bit better in that form, fully allowed to stretch out to its edges.

A beautifully written, dark tale of a mermaid and a plague doctor. I listened to this as an audiobook, and I'm so happy I did. The narrator was great and brought the novel to life. I wanted a little bit more, but the novella was beautiful.

With gorgeous writing, I wanted to be full on obsessed with The Salt Grows Heavy. Every piece of it felt like a book which would call to my soul. And while I think there are some truly compelling elements here, I would have just liked pieces within the middle to have more space to lean into the story. I adored the imagery, the ending felt a bit loose and lacked the emotional weight.
Full review on YouTube

I started wth a print copy of this book and then ended up listening to an audiobook version, hoping it would engage me more. I tried very hard to get into this book and although I thought the writing was good, this was not the novel for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was sent the ebook from the publisher based on past reading experiences. This book was so far from what I usually could get in to. I don't read a lot of high fantasy, but this book had some moments where I was just confused with what was even happening. The writing style is beautiful though. I made it 25% into this book before I decided I wasn't invested enough to follow along.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a great, uncomfortable short little horror story. It was weird, unsettling and listen to it all in one sitting.

THE SALT GROWS HEAVY
Cassandra Khaw

I really struggled with this one. I couldn’t visualize the scenes. I couldn’t see the characters in my mind.

I had a listening copy so perhaps having the visual piece from an ebook or physical book would have helped. I restarted the first section a couple of times thinking the first-time listening was the wrong time for this book. Upon listening to the first section a second time I still had a hard time with it.

From there, I approached the material differently. I listened and let it wash over me. I held onto the sections that were clear and ignored the ones I didn’t understand. This is not my preferred way of reading.

It led to having an experience with the book that left me unable to articulate the storyline and I didn’t have a clear picture.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

THE SALT GROWS HEAVY…⭐️⭐️⭐️

A mermaid and a plague doctor walk into a creepy cult run by children. It's no joke how creepy this novella is. One might assume a mermaid coming out of the surf marrying the princess is the end of a beautiful story. In Khaw's world, its the beginning of the horror. Now free of her husband as their children destroy his kingdom, she leaves into the sunset with the doctor who always stood by her side.

I personally love Khaw's work. They have just the right amount of creepy, never reveal a lot, and always leave me satisfied. In Salt, the mermaid had her tongue cut out by her controlling husband who eventually gets his just deserts. I loved how her past was revealed so unflinchingly. She accepted her past, even if she didn't like it. She laments the things that have been lost to her either by time or by death. She regularly misses her sisters, though not her children. I found it fascinating, not least of which because its barely explained and we're left to infer some things.

The creepy cult of children was a little confusing at times, and I personally feel like more could have been done with them. They weren't nearly as creepy as they could have been. Murder and all. But I did love the ending and how the day was 'won'.

It's so hard to talk about this book without giving too much away as it was so short. But suffice to say, I plan to pick up my own copy to read, and reread, and read again. It's such a fast read, and that makes it all the creepier. Because you're never given the time to get used to the strange happenings. Which I think is why I love Khaw so much.