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Salt #1
Salt
Never leave home without salt.
Penelope is a witch, part of a secret society protecting humans from demon attacks. But when she was a child, a demon killed her parents—and stole her magic. Since then, she’s been pretending to be something she’s not, using her sister’s magic to hide her own loss, to prevent being sent away.
When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find "her" demon. To take back what was stolen.
Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own.
Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.
Penelope is a witch, part of a secret society protecting humans from demon attacks. But when she was a child, a demon killed her parents—and stole her magic. Since then, she’s been pretending to be something she’s not, using her sister’s magic to hide her own loss, to prevent being sent away.
When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find "her" demon. To take back what was stolen.
Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own.
Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
36 people are currently reading
2091 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Ellison
7 books173 followersDanielle Ellison is a nomad, always on the lookout for an adventure and the next story. In addition to writing, she’s the founder and coordinator of the NoVa TEEN Book Festival. When she’s not busy with books, she’s probably watching her favorite shows, drinking coffee, or fighting her nomadic urges. She is newly settled in Oklahoma (for now) with her cat, Simon, but you can always find her on twitter @DanielleEWrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
January 20, 2014
I can't help but think this book should have been titled: Perfume: The Scent of a Witch instead of Salt (explanation to come). It might have been more appropriately titled Dirt, because it was just as dull.
This book wasn't terrible, but it was excruciatingly boring and the premise of the book is absolutely absurd. You could read the first 15% of the book, then skip ahead to the last 10% of the book without missing anything of vital importance.
In a nutshell, this is the plot: Penelope (Pen) is a witch who has had her powers stolen away from her when she was 9. She is an orphan. She wants to be a demon fighter (an Enforcer) anyway despite the fact that she is powerless to fight against them without other people's assistance.
Pen meets a boy, Carter. Pen keeps running into Carter. Carter smells like nutmeg. There is a spark of interest between them. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
Pen takes her Enforcer exams. Pen talks to Carter some more. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
Man.
Girl-on-girl Hate: The Bechdel Test (wikipedia definition): asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. This book doesn't horribly fail this test, but it does not portray fellow females in a positive light.
Most of the other girls in the book, like Pen's fellow Enforcer testers (who should have been perfectly competent women) are shown to be empty-headed chicks who talk about guys and drool over guys in the major instances when we see them.
Whenever a beautiful woman is seen as a love rival, she is portrayed as a slutty, thirsty bitch.
TSTL: There is a tremendous amount of deus ex fucking machina in this book, and that's the only fucking reason Pen survives as long as she does.
Pen is not fucking badass, she gets saved a tremendous amount of time by Carter. I cannot understand how she can last all these years pretending she has powers when she has none, when she attends a school FULL OF FELLOW WITCHES. I cannot understand why she would want to fight demons, knowing that she is completely fucking useless against them without her powers. She almost dies more than once. She cries.
Not recommended unless you want to be bored out of your mind.
At least Pen smells nice.
This book wasn't terrible, but it was excruciatingly boring and the premise of the book is absolutely absurd. You could read the first 15% of the book, then skip ahead to the last 10% of the book without missing anything of vital importance.
In a nutshell, this is the plot: Penelope (Pen) is a witch who has had her powers stolen away from her when she was 9. She is an orphan. She wants to be a demon fighter (an Enforcer) anyway despite the fact that she is powerless to fight against them without other people's assistance.
Pen meets a boy, Carter. Pen keeps running into Carter. Carter smells like nutmeg. There is a spark of interest between them. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
“Witch,” the demon hisses, “you smell good.”
Pen takes her Enforcer exams. Pen talks to Carter some more. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
“You smell good,” another adds.Pen goes shopping for a pretty dress with her sister and her gay friend. Pen gets to know Carter some more. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
“You smell good, little witch.”Pen goes to a party, a ball where she gets paired with Carter. Pen gets to know Carter some more. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
“You smell unique, little witch.”Pen goes out hunting for demons despite being completely fucking useless against them. Carter finds her, like the stalker he is. The demons think Pen smells nice.
He sniffs me, overexaggerated.Pen gets into a fight with her gay BFF. Pen feels betrayed by Carter. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
“You smell unique, little witch.”
The demon gets quiet. It stares among the three of us, weighing its options. “You smell good,” it says to me.Pen does research about her ancestors. Pen gets back together with Carter. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
The demon gets quiet. It stares among the three of us, weighing its options. “You smell good,” it says to me.Pen does some more research about her ancestors. Pen falls in love with Carter. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
“She does smell really, really delicious,” the brown loafers boy says.Pen finds out more stuff about her ancestors. Pen is in full-throttle love with Carter. Pen gets attacked by demons. The demons think Pen smells nice.
It steps back and inhales the air. “Do you know why you smell so good? You smell like the void, but with whipped cream on top. You are decadent.”Pen solves the mystery of her family. Pen and Carter are Meant To Be. The demons think Pen smells nice. So does Carter.
He smiles and pulls me in. “Witch,” he says, his lips on my neck, “you smell good.”Carter and Pen are the best smelling couple in the fucking history of the world. His scent, man. His fucking scent.
Carter steps toward me, and I catch a scent off him. Whatever it is smells a little like nutmeg. A nutmeg boy.Really. I can't imagine what Carter smells like.
Carter leans in closer. I can smell his musky nutmeg scent.Whatever it is, it sures saves money on a car freshener.
The other being that his car smells like nutmeg, which is a wonderful smell to be trapped in.I wonder what that scent is.
He smells like nutmeg mixed with cloves and it’s such an intoxicating scent.I mean, damned if I know.
“Most boys don’t smell like nutmeg.”
Man.
Girl-on-girl Hate: The Bechdel Test (wikipedia definition): asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. This book doesn't horribly fail this test, but it does not portray fellow females in a positive light.
Most of the other girls in the book, like Pen's fellow Enforcer testers (who should have been perfectly competent women) are shown to be empty-headed chicks who talk about guys and drool over guys in the major instances when we see them.
They are going on about some of the boys from their courses who are testing down the hall.The majority of the beautiful women in this book are cold, harsh, cruel. If a girl is beautiful, she is going to be represented as bitchy at heart, for example, one girl, Shira, is beautiful with a voice that is "sweet and dripping with venom all at once, whereas her plainer sister, Taylor, is sweet and nice. Another woman, Ellore, is perfect in appearance, but again, her beauty is portrayed as a bad thing, Ellore is "beautiful, perfect, and probably deadly."
“You know who’s smart?” Miriam, a girl with black hair and a big nose, chimes in. “Keith Collins in region two. He’s totally going to be Bonded to whoever he gets.”
“He’s good kisser,” Beth mutters.
“Any girl would be beyond lucky to be Paired with him,” Maple says on a sigh.
Whenever a beautiful woman is seen as a love rival, she is portrayed as a slutty, thirsty bitch.
She smiles at Carter, completely ignoring me, and leans against the table, purring like a cat in heat. She chomps her jaws, blowing a bubble with her gum.I'm pretty sick of one-dimensional books.
TSTL: There is a tremendous amount of deus ex fucking machina in this book, and that's the only fucking reason Pen survives as long as she does.
I was an idiot for going in there when I heard the scream. Such an idiot. What was I thinking?The premise itself is absolutely stupid and incomprehensible to me. Pen has lost her power. She is fucking useless on her own, as a witch, because she cannot use powers to fight against demons, the type of demons that have killed her parents and siphoned off her powers as a child. Yet she insists on becoming a demon fighter, yet she insists on CONFRONTING demons, hunting them out.
Pen is not fucking badass, she gets saved a tremendous amount of time by Carter. I cannot understand how she can last all these years pretending she has powers when she has none, when she attends a school FULL OF FELLOW WITCHES. I cannot understand why she would want to fight demons, knowing that she is completely fucking useless against them without her powers. She almost dies more than once. She cries.
I almost died. Someone did die. Demons attacked me. I used magic. Carter is here. I don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t.Pen's thought processes are just mind-numbingly stupid. She goes out and hunts demons while being powerless; she essentially has a fucking deathwish. I shake my head every time Pen performs another seemingly impossible task because it is completely incomprehensible how fortunate she ALWAYS is.
Not recommended unless you want to be bored out of your mind.
At least Pen smells nice.
January 5, 2014
I love witch stories. But this was not one of them. Penelope is a witch without powers - they were stolen from her and now she's dead set on hunting the demon who stole them. This sounds like it could be a fun, action packed novel, except all we have here is a girl who whines a lot and spends most of the book being boring and talking herself out of kissing a guy who apparently annoys her.
That is the gist of it. Exams, simulations, graduation, research, more research, coffee dates, research; some very thrilling stuff in here… There weren't even interesting characters to make up for it. The side characters all blended together, honestly. I can't say I even care to discuss any of them in this series. I mean, one is called Poncho, and hangs out in a library with cats. What do you want me to say? O_O As for Penelope, she's simply annoying with her tiresome inner monologue. It consists of not much else than her wanting to be "normal" and feigning irritation over her stalker but is actually secretly falling in love with him *Le sigh*. Plus, the girl has the lamest of lame jokes:
"So you have a theory? I hope it's not string theory; I hear people are working on that already."
*no one laughs*
Penelope aside, the lore introduced in this book reminded me of Mortal Instruments, with a mix of Harry Potter. Her parents died, attacked by a mysterious demon rumored to be Lucifer's very own (the epitome of demons), who left her forever changed - "unique" in her kind. The witches have their own government and buildings glamoured amongst others. Their 6 floor hub building is, in reality, 16 floors with glamoured entrances. Inside are elevators that go up and down as well as sideways, and libraries that are so large, researchers disappear in it. As for the demons, they are found all over the city, can possess humans, and the witches' jobs are to keep humans safe from the demons on earth. Maybe I've read a lot of books, but nothing about this came off very original to me.
They also treat humans as if they're another being altogether:
"We walk together in silence. Past the Nons barbecuing on their lawns, trimming the grass, playing with water sprinklers in their front yards."
--As if witches don't do mundane things like that. *hairflip*
"Then you had no right to track it down in a highly infested Non location"
--And if you're not a witch, you're an infestation!
On a side note: non magical people are called Nons, and their hub building is called Nucleus House. In my head, though, for some reason I kept reading it as nuns and Nuclear House, so the book was likely very different in my imagination than it was meant to be. :D
I wanted to DNF this one more than once, but I kept going in the hopes that something would happen. It wasn't the worst book ever, but I was very, very bored for most of it. By the end, the book could have exploded and I would not have raised my interest. The characters fell flat, the plot felt overused, and the romance left much to be desired.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
That is the gist of it. Exams, simulations, graduation, research, more research, coffee dates, research; some very thrilling stuff in here… There weren't even interesting characters to make up for it. The side characters all blended together, honestly. I can't say I even care to discuss any of them in this series. I mean, one is called Poncho, and hangs out in a library with cats. What do you want me to say? O_O As for Penelope, she's simply annoying with her tiresome inner monologue. It consists of not much else than her wanting to be "normal" and feigning irritation over her stalker but is actually secretly falling in love with him *Le sigh*. Plus, the girl has the lamest of lame jokes:
"So you have a theory? I hope it's not string theory; I hear people are working on that already."
*no one laughs*
Penelope aside, the lore introduced in this book reminded me of Mortal Instruments, with a mix of Harry Potter. Her parents died, attacked by a mysterious demon rumored to be Lucifer's very own (the epitome of demons), who left her forever changed - "unique" in her kind. The witches have their own government and buildings glamoured amongst others. Their 6 floor hub building is, in reality, 16 floors with glamoured entrances. Inside are elevators that go up and down as well as sideways, and libraries that are so large, researchers disappear in it. As for the demons, they are found all over the city, can possess humans, and the witches' jobs are to keep humans safe from the demons on earth. Maybe I've read a lot of books, but nothing about this came off very original to me.
They also treat humans as if they're another being altogether:
"We walk together in silence. Past the Nons barbecuing on their lawns, trimming the grass, playing with water sprinklers in their front yards."
--As if witches don't do mundane things like that. *hairflip*
"Then you had no right to track it down in a highly infested Non location"
--And if you're not a witch, you're an infestation!
On a side note: non magical people are called Nons, and their hub building is called Nucleus House. In my head, though, for some reason I kept reading it as nuns and Nuclear House, so the book was likely very different in my imagination than it was meant to be. :D
I wanted to DNF this one more than once, but I kept going in the hopes that something would happen. It wasn't the worst book ever, but I was very, very bored for most of it. By the end, the book could have exploded and I would not have raised my interest. The characters fell flat, the plot felt overused, and the romance left much to be desired.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
February 20, 2017
Penelope is a witch but one without powers of her own. When she was younger a demon attacked and killed her parents and stole Penelope's magic. Penelope can only practice magic if she uses her family members to obtain the power from and they have to be within a certain distance for this to work.
In Penelope's world a witch without magic normally doesn't survive but Penelope did when her magic was stolen and now she is determined to find that demon and get her own powers back. When given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force she jumps at the chance to take the tests so that hopefully she will pass and be able to track down the demon.
Salt started off rather well and I really thought I would enjoy reading about Penelope and her world but unfortunately this one slowed down for me and just couldn't hold my attention very well. It seemed like a good set up to have this young witch looking for her powers but without the powers it also seemed a bit silly for her to toss herself into harms way so many times in the read. Normally I'm one that complains if the action is lacking but this seemed to be overly repetitive with magic-less Penelope getting herself involved in demon fights.
In the end I decided on 2.5 stars for Salt. Just a bit too repetitive and not very captivating to this reader unfortunately.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
In Penelope's world a witch without magic normally doesn't survive but Penelope did when her magic was stolen and now she is determined to find that demon and get her own powers back. When given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force she jumps at the chance to take the tests so that hopefully she will pass and be able to track down the demon.
Salt started off rather well and I really thought I would enjoy reading about Penelope and her world but unfortunately this one slowed down for me and just couldn't hold my attention very well. It seemed like a good set up to have this young witch looking for her powers but without the powers it also seemed a bit silly for her to toss herself into harms way so many times in the read. Normally I'm one that complains if the action is lacking but this seemed to be overly repetitive with magic-less Penelope getting herself involved in demon fights.
In the end I decided on 2.5 stars for Salt. Just a bit too repetitive and not very captivating to this reader unfortunately.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
June 5, 2014
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book.
This was a witchy YA that kept me flipping the pages till the end of the book, so it definitely deserves all 4 stars.
Penelope was a child when a demon broke into her home, killed her parents, and drained her magic. She should be dead, but for some reason...well, she's not.
Wouldn't be much of a story if she was, right?
She also shouldn't be able to borrow her family's magic to cover up the fact that she doesn't have any of her own. In her world, a witch without magic is called a Static, and those guys end up banished.
Yep. The other witches just toss them out of their society. Nice, no?
Her Grandparents and sister are the only ones who know her secret, and they've all worked hard to keep it safe. So far, it's worked. But Penelope isn't satisfied with just passing for a witch. She's found a ritual that will restore her magical essence, if she can only find the demon who took it.
There's a hitch, though.
There's always a hitch...
The only way for her to find her demon (and a more detailed version of the ritual), is to become an Enforcer. See, only Enforcers have access to the library with all of that info in it that she needs. Of course, to become an Enforcer she's going to have to show off her magical abilities.
Oops. That might be difficult.
Never fear, our girl has it covered. She can pull from her sister, because their tests will be held at the same time.
Except that there's a problem. After all her hard work over the years, some random witch pulled a muscle (or something) and now her Penelope's test date is getting moved to a different time slot.
Time for plan B.
In the meantime, a chance encounter with a demon has left Penelope with a stalker. Sort of. At least, that's what Penelope thinks when Carter first starts popping up around every corner. He's annoying, cocky, and apparently obsessed with her.
Or at the very least waaay too interested in her magical abilities.
Why is she so freaked?
Well, he was there when she managed to explode a demon in an alleyway. And since she has no idea how she managed to pull that one off without having any magic, she certainly doesn't want him poking his nose into it.
Besides, he makes her sick to her stomach. Literally.
A little nausea isn't enough to stop this guy, though. Nope. He's determined to figure Penelope out, because he needs her.
No, not like that!
God. You guys have such dirty minds....
He claims that his magic is more powerful and stable if she's around. If that wasn't interesting enough, it seems as though she can pull magic from him in the same way she can pull it from her family.
Which would explain the alleyway full of exploded demon goo...
To make matters worse, the more Penelope digs into finding a way to restore her powers, the more it looks like she's onto something bigger than just finding her own magic. And it looks like her Grandma is hiding a pretty important piece of the puzzle. In fact, trusting Carter with her secret might be the only way to find out what she needs to know. But Carter has some pretty big secrets of his own, and once she finds out what he's hiding....
Well, let's just say she's a teeny bit upset.
I really enjoyed Salt! The pacing is good, the plot is interesting, and there were a couple of things I didn't see coming.
So all in all, I'd have no problem recommending this one for fans of YA urban fantasy.
This review and other stuff are also at Addicted2Heroines
This was a witchy YA that kept me flipping the pages till the end of the book, so it definitely deserves all 4 stars.
Penelope was a child when a demon broke into her home, killed her parents, and drained her magic. She should be dead, but for some reason...well, she's not.
Wouldn't be much of a story if she was, right?
She also shouldn't be able to borrow her family's magic to cover up the fact that she doesn't have any of her own. In her world, a witch without magic is called a Static, and those guys end up banished.
Yep. The other witches just toss them out of their society. Nice, no?
Her Grandparents and sister are the only ones who know her secret, and they've all worked hard to keep it safe. So far, it's worked. But Penelope isn't satisfied with just passing for a witch. She's found a ritual that will restore her magical essence, if she can only find the demon who took it.
There's a hitch, though.
There's always a hitch...
The only way for her to find her demon (and a more detailed version of the ritual), is to become an Enforcer. See, only Enforcers have access to the library with all of that info in it that she needs. Of course, to become an Enforcer she's going to have to show off her magical abilities.
Oops. That might be difficult.
Never fear, our girl has it covered. She can pull from her sister, because their tests will be held at the same time.
Except that there's a problem. After all her hard work over the years, some random witch pulled a muscle (or something) and now her Penelope's test date is getting moved to a different time slot.
Time for plan B.
In the meantime, a chance encounter with a demon has left Penelope with a stalker. Sort of. At least, that's what Penelope thinks when Carter first starts popping up around every corner. He's annoying, cocky, and apparently obsessed with her.
Or at the very least waaay too interested in her magical abilities.
Why is she so freaked?
Well, he was there when she managed to explode a demon in an alleyway. And since she has no idea how she managed to pull that one off without having any magic, she certainly doesn't want him poking his nose into it.
Besides, he makes her sick to her stomach. Literally.
A little nausea isn't enough to stop this guy, though. Nope. He's determined to figure Penelope out, because he needs her.
No, not like that!
God. You guys have such dirty minds....
He claims that his magic is more powerful and stable if she's around. If that wasn't interesting enough, it seems as though she can pull magic from him in the same way she can pull it from her family.
Which would explain the alleyway full of exploded demon goo...
To make matters worse, the more Penelope digs into finding a way to restore her powers, the more it looks like she's onto something bigger than just finding her own magic. And it looks like her Grandma is hiding a pretty important piece of the puzzle. In fact, trusting Carter with her secret might be the only way to find out what she needs to know. But Carter has some pretty big secrets of his own, and once she finds out what he's hiding....
Well, let's just say she's a teeny bit upset.
I really enjoyed Salt! The pacing is good, the plot is interesting, and there were a couple of things I didn't see coming.
So all in all, I'd have no problem recommending this one for fans of YA urban fantasy.
This review and other stuff are also at Addicted2Heroines
December 14, 2013
Review Posted at Shortie Says
Okay, so I admit when I heard the title of the book I was like “Salt? Huh?” but let me tell you this is one Entangled YA book you will not want to throw over your shoulder. Right from the start Salt is intense and attention grabbing. There were so many pieces of this book that I just absolutely loved. Believe me, this is a story you will not want to miss out on when starting your new year.
I absolutely adore the dynamic between our two main characters: Carter and Penelope. ADORE with a capital A. To watch their witty banter turn into something playful and powerful and ultimately something perfect just made me love them. I mean they go from something like this that I totally laughed out loud at:
“I’m sorry,” Carter’s eyes are on me and I don’t know whom he’s talking to. I’m not taking an apology. Not after that. “It was an accident. I lost track of time.”
I want to punch him in the face.
And then I'll apologize and say it was an accident. That I lost track of my fist.
To something sigh-worthy like this:
“I will always fight for you,” he says, his voice low.
I look into his eyes and I know, without a doubt, that I trust him. “I will too,” I whisper.
His lips are against mine, and my tongue slides against his.
RIGHT?! RIGHT?! How can you not love them? I just absolutely couldn’t get enough of these too. Especially Carter. Oh god, green-eyed, sexy thing Carter you, and the boy can fight like nobody’s business.
With this story, there is always some kind of action happening, whether it’s demon slaying, intense coffee drinking, sparring, or romantic heat, Salt was constantly moving and I absolutely love that quality in a book. Those stories where it’s just one thing after another and your heart doesn’t stop until you’re at the end of the book. You can’t help but love stories where you love a main character’s family and friends, not just them and their love interest, the stories where you have to keep finding the pieces until it all clicks together in one heart-stopping moment. Those books where it’s a world you just want to teleport yourself into. Salt has all of that. I’m not sure what I was expecting with this story, but I got so much more. If you’re thinking of reading this one… do it. It’s a magically intense ride and I absolutely loved it.
Okay, so I admit when I heard the title of the book I was like “Salt? Huh?” but let me tell you this is one Entangled YA book you will not want to throw over your shoulder. Right from the start Salt is intense and attention grabbing. There were so many pieces of this book that I just absolutely loved. Believe me, this is a story you will not want to miss out on when starting your new year.
I absolutely adore the dynamic between our two main characters: Carter and Penelope. ADORE with a capital A. To watch their witty banter turn into something playful and powerful and ultimately something perfect just made me love them. I mean they go from something like this that I totally laughed out loud at:
“I’m sorry,” Carter’s eyes are on me and I don’t know whom he’s talking to. I’m not taking an apology. Not after that. “It was an accident. I lost track of time.”
I want to punch him in the face.
And then I'll apologize and say it was an accident. That I lost track of my fist.
To something sigh-worthy like this:
“I will always fight for you,” he says, his voice low.
I look into his eyes and I know, without a doubt, that I trust him. “I will too,” I whisper.
His lips are against mine, and my tongue slides against his.
RIGHT?! RIGHT?! How can you not love them? I just absolutely couldn’t get enough of these too. Especially Carter. Oh god, green-eyed, sexy thing Carter you, and the boy can fight like nobody’s business.
With this story, there is always some kind of action happening, whether it’s demon slaying, intense coffee drinking, sparring, or romantic heat, Salt was constantly moving and I absolutely love that quality in a book. Those stories where it’s just one thing after another and your heart doesn’t stop until you’re at the end of the book. You can’t help but love stories where you love a main character’s family and friends, not just them and their love interest, the stories where you have to keep finding the pieces until it all clicks together in one heart-stopping moment. Those books where it’s a world you just want to teleport yourself into. Salt has all of that. I’m not sure what I was expecting with this story, but I got so much more. If you’re thinking of reading this one… do it. It’s a magically intense ride and I absolutely loved it.
January 2, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley.)
Penelope comes from a line of witches, and wants to be an enforcer – someone who deals with demons, but she just has one problem. Her magic is ‘cranky’ (temperamental).
Since witnessing her parents murders, Penelope is only able to use magic whilst within twenty feet and six inches of a family member, which makes becoming an enforcer difficult and dangerous, not that that is going to stop her.
Can Penelope become an enforcer? What is wrong with her magic? And who is the guy who seems to be following her about?
This book looked promising from the start, but unfortunately it bored the pants off me.
Penelope was an okay character, although I did find her a bit stupid and immature at times. Knowing that demons are everywhere, and you need salt to fight them, would you really go out without it? I mean really? I know I forget my phone occasionally so I’ll let her off, but still. You think she’d take it everywhere with her, even to the bathroom.
Anyway, Penelope basically had no magic when on her own, so what did she do? Sign up to be an enforcer. Obviously. Because being a big bad demon slayer when you have no magic and would be putting yourself in danger is a great idea. Not.
The storyline in this was fairly simple. Penelope going through training, all the time cheating to some extent because she doesn’t have her own independent magic, a healthy dose of lust for a boy witch, and a big old hidden family secret lurking in the closet. Unfortunately though I found this ridiculously dull; even the big secrets couldn’t entertain me, and this was one of the few books that I actually considered not finishing. I felt like I was wading through quicksand trying to get to the end of this, and that acknowledgements page at 97% was pure sweet relief!
I’m going to give this book the benefit of the doubt, and say that it just wasn’t for me, I’m sure other people will like this, but I just couldn’t. There wasn’t anything glaringly wrong with it, it just bored me, and I really, really do not want to read the next one.
The books this most reminded me of were Teardrop by Lauren Kate, Feudlings by Wendy Knight, and Undeadly by Michele Vail. If you liked any of those books then you will probably like this, but if you didn’t like those books I’d suggest you give this one a miss.
Overall; it just bored me.
4 out of 10.
Penelope comes from a line of witches, and wants to be an enforcer – someone who deals with demons, but she just has one problem. Her magic is ‘cranky’ (temperamental).
Since witnessing her parents murders, Penelope is only able to use magic whilst within twenty feet and six inches of a family member, which makes becoming an enforcer difficult and dangerous, not that that is going to stop her.
Can Penelope become an enforcer? What is wrong with her magic? And who is the guy who seems to be following her about?
This book looked promising from the start, but unfortunately it bored the pants off me.
Penelope was an okay character, although I did find her a bit stupid and immature at times. Knowing that demons are everywhere, and you need salt to fight them, would you really go out without it? I mean really? I know I forget my phone occasionally so I’ll let her off, but still. You think she’d take it everywhere with her, even to the bathroom.
Anyway, Penelope basically had no magic when on her own, so what did she do? Sign up to be an enforcer. Obviously. Because being a big bad demon slayer when you have no magic and would be putting yourself in danger is a great idea. Not.
The storyline in this was fairly simple. Penelope going through training, all the time cheating to some extent because she doesn’t have her own independent magic, a healthy dose of lust for a boy witch, and a big old hidden family secret lurking in the closet. Unfortunately though I found this ridiculously dull; even the big secrets couldn’t entertain me, and this was one of the few books that I actually considered not finishing. I felt like I was wading through quicksand trying to get to the end of this, and that acknowledgements page at 97% was pure sweet relief!
I’m going to give this book the benefit of the doubt, and say that it just wasn’t for me, I’m sure other people will like this, but I just couldn’t. There wasn’t anything glaringly wrong with it, it just bored me, and I really, really do not want to read the next one.
The books this most reminded me of were Teardrop by Lauren Kate, Feudlings by Wendy Knight, and Undeadly by Michele Vail. If you liked any of those books then you will probably like this, but if you didn’t like those books I’d suggest you give this one a miss.
Overall; it just bored me.
4 out of 10.
January 12, 2014
'I believe the demon is out there, and it will make itself known sometime. I just have to wait for it all to come together.
I also believe Zac Efron will come to town and fall madly in love with me, so maybe I'm just too hopeful.'
Filled with kickass action, timeless humour and a feisty female with a mission, Salt is as addictive as it is magical.
There is nothing not to like about this book. The story twists and turns, keeping readers' minds occupied with a intriguing set of interlocking mysteries that combine to create a stunning plot - and not to mention its cast of funny and heartwarming characters, from the wickedly cute Carter, to the loveable and fashion savvy Connie.
Salt also manages to bring about a new spin on paranormal fiction...with the witches doing the demon hunting!
A fan of Cassie Clare's Mortal Instruments series, as well as several other authors whose works have incorporated demon mythology, I wondered how Danielle Ellison would bring to life a concept that has been so frequently used in YA fiction. But I needn't have worried. She did just fine - more so, in fact! Salt revealed a whole new way of viewing such paranormal concepts, whilst managing to keep the youthfulness of the story intact.
I highlighted over thirty quotes in my ebook copy, another tribute to how relatable and entertaining this book was. Lines like:
"Two witches walk into a demon bar, and somehow they both come out alive," and "Men don't have wiles, Pen. We have charisma."
Not to mention Carter. Did I mention Carter?! A new YA Crush has emerged, ladies!
Get your copy of Salt today and discover a story you'll never forget.
I also believe Zac Efron will come to town and fall madly in love with me, so maybe I'm just too hopeful.'
Filled with kickass action, timeless humour and a feisty female with a mission, Salt is as addictive as it is magical.
There is nothing not to like about this book. The story twists and turns, keeping readers' minds occupied with a intriguing set of interlocking mysteries that combine to create a stunning plot - and not to mention its cast of funny and heartwarming characters, from the wickedly cute Carter, to the loveable and fashion savvy Connie.
Salt also manages to bring about a new spin on paranormal fiction...with the witches doing the demon hunting!
A fan of Cassie Clare's Mortal Instruments series, as well as several other authors whose works have incorporated demon mythology, I wondered how Danielle Ellison would bring to life a concept that has been so frequently used in YA fiction. But I needn't have worried. She did just fine - more so, in fact! Salt revealed a whole new way of viewing such paranormal concepts, whilst managing to keep the youthfulness of the story intact.
I highlighted over thirty quotes in my ebook copy, another tribute to how relatable and entertaining this book was. Lines like:
"Two witches walk into a demon bar, and somehow they both come out alive," and "Men don't have wiles, Pen. We have charisma."
Not to mention Carter. Did I mention Carter?! A new YA Crush has emerged, ladies!
Get your copy of Salt today and discover a story you'll never forget.
December 10, 2013
I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this book, and once I started, I could not put it down! It's full of action, great world-building, and characters that I couldn't stop rooting for. I love Pen and Carter--they're like the dynamic duo. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments, as well as twists and turns I didn't see coming. What a terrific debut! SALT has fun, it has sass, it has sweet romance. Read this--you won't regret it.
April 7, 2014
Salt was one of those books that didn’t end up wowing me, but I still enjoyed the story nonetheless. Penelope’s journey was a lot of fun, and I especially enjoyed the second half of the book!
I had a few problems with Penelope. The first being that her jokes were kind of, well, lame in the beginning. I rolled my eyes at Penelope quite a lot. However, by the end she grew on me. I actually found myself laughing aloud during the read, after I got past the beginning. The other quip I had about Penelope is that she had very poor decision making skills.
Also, at the beginning I found myself quite bored and detached. The love interest just wasn’t grabbing me and the plot was kind of had an overused feeling to it. I really do wish the beginning could have been more interesting and original.
Thankfully, the love interest, Carter, and I started to like each other a little more as time went on. I admired him for dealing with some parent problems, and I did like his witty dialogue. That said, I felt the romance developed too quickly and strongly between him and Penelope.
Overall, I had quite a few issues with Salt, but in the end I still had a fun time reading the story! I don’t think I will read the second book as I was happy with the way Penelope's tale ended.
I had a few problems with Penelope. The first being that her jokes were kind of, well, lame in the beginning. I rolled my eyes at Penelope quite a lot. However, by the end she grew on me. I actually found myself laughing aloud during the read, after I got past the beginning. The other quip I had about Penelope is that she had very poor decision making skills.
Also, at the beginning I found myself quite bored and detached. The love interest just wasn’t grabbing me and the plot was kind of had an overused feeling to it. I really do wish the beginning could have been more interesting and original.
Thankfully, the love interest, Carter, and I started to like each other a little more as time went on. I admired him for dealing with some parent problems, and I did like his witty dialogue. That said, I felt the romance developed too quickly and strongly between him and Penelope.
Overall, I had quite a few issues with Salt, but in the end I still had a fun time reading the story! I don’t think I will read the second book as I was happy with the way Penelope's tale ended.
January 3, 2014
For this review and more, visit Such a Novel Idea.
I'm pretty much to the point now that I will pick up anything Entangled Teen puts out. I had the opportunity to review SEVERAL of their 2013 publications and each one just was a home run for me. So, I had high hopes going into this book.
Salt is a witch story, but it isn't some tired, overused paranormal story line. It's got depth and layers and a really unique premise. Penelope, our protagonist, is a witch (obvi). However, rather than casting spells and hanging out raising all kinds of hell like the girls on American Horror Story, Penelope is fighting demons. Umm, so basically we've got Buffy meets Charmed meets Supernatural. SO much yes.
As a kid, a particular demon killed her parents and stole her powers. But you're thinking, "wait, you said she's a witch!?" Here's where the fun part comes in -- she can use her powers when she is close to a family member. That's definitely one I haven't seen done before!
Penelope was an awesome main character -- she had a backbone, was stubborn, and full of snark. She wasn't perfect, but I definitely have a thing for girls who kick butt. And she does that a whole LOT. We see the desperation in her character - she tells lies, gets mad when others keep things from her, and while some people may do an eye roll, I liked that those flaws. THIS IS HOW REAL PEOPLE ACT. We are hypocritical and ridiculous, especially as teenagers. It's just what we do. And I just have to repeat how much I loved her personality. Sarcastic, snarky, and just plain smart ass at times. I loved it.
When Penelope meets Carter, she finds out she can do magic near him. Now this made me wonder, ummm are you guys related, but it was pretty obvious there was something else happening. I liked the connection the two have and they were able to dish out a lot of hilariousness with their encounters. And, I actually LOVED the plot twist with Carter.
There's a lot to this book plot-wise, which I loved... The twists and turns were well-received and the writing was smooth. Pacing, tone, and the actual writing were all great. We get a lot of details that set up the world -- explanations that help make everything make sense. Things keep moving, but you are able to pick up pieces of everything along the way until you get to the moment where it all comes together.
Overall, I'm REALLY glad I picked this one up and can't wait to see where the story goes from here!
I'm pretty much to the point now that I will pick up anything Entangled Teen puts out. I had the opportunity to review SEVERAL of their 2013 publications and each one just was a home run for me. So, I had high hopes going into this book.
Salt is a witch story, but it isn't some tired, overused paranormal story line. It's got depth and layers and a really unique premise. Penelope, our protagonist, is a witch (obvi). However, rather than casting spells and hanging out raising all kinds of hell like the girls on American Horror Story, Penelope is fighting demons. Umm, so basically we've got Buffy meets Charmed meets Supernatural. SO much yes.
As a kid, a particular demon killed her parents and stole her powers. But you're thinking, "wait, you said she's a witch!?" Here's where the fun part comes in -- she can use her powers when she is close to a family member. That's definitely one I haven't seen done before!
Penelope was an awesome main character -- she had a backbone, was stubborn, and full of snark. She wasn't perfect, but I definitely have a thing for girls who kick butt. And she does that a whole LOT. We see the desperation in her character - she tells lies, gets mad when others keep things from her, and while some people may do an eye roll, I liked that those flaws. THIS IS HOW REAL PEOPLE ACT. We are hypocritical and ridiculous, especially as teenagers. It's just what we do. And I just have to repeat how much I loved her personality. Sarcastic, snarky, and just plain smart ass at times. I loved it.
When Penelope meets Carter, she finds out she can do magic near him. Now this made me wonder, ummm are you guys related, but it was pretty obvious there was something else happening. I liked the connection the two have and they were able to dish out a lot of hilariousness with their encounters. And, I actually LOVED the plot twist with Carter.
There's a lot to this book plot-wise, which I loved... The twists and turns were well-received and the writing was smooth. Pacing, tone, and the actual writing were all great. We get a lot of details that set up the world -- explanations that help make everything make sense. Things keep moving, but you are able to pick up pieces of everything along the way until you get to the moment where it all comes together.
Overall, I'm REALLY glad I picked this one up and can't wait to see where the story goes from here!
February 4, 2014
Original Post: http://lilypondreads.blogspot.com/201...
My first impression of Salt was .. Oh Witches! got to have it!
Interesting story. I did almost give up on it because it started out a bit slow and there wasn't as much magic as I wanted.
Penelope is a witch and she is from a long line of witches that protect humans from demons and their attacks. But, when Penelope was little, a demon attacked and killed her parents. Somehow she survived the demon attack, but in the process that demon took her essence, a.k.a her magic.
Second impression... is it me or more and more Young Adult - New Adult books have demons in them?
Penelope wants to become an Enforcer, find her demon and get her magic back. Hard to do on her own if the only way she seems to be able to have any magic is by pulling from her family when they are around. Something that has really been unheard of. Until the meets Carter, a boy that she can suddenly pull her magic from but it feels different, it feels stronger.
Carter harbors his own secrets that might too closely linked to Penelopes.
Different and the ending was not at all what I expect. Okay the big reveal I thought was pretty big, since I had been trying to figure out what was going on for chapter. Well, maybe. I kind of knew what Carter's secret was for chapters, so when the big reveal came for Penelope it was almost a downer, considering it suddenly felt unoriginal and recycled. But I won't tell you why due to the fact that it will probably be a spoiler alert. I guess I was expecting something...different.
Don't get me wrong. The story still had me entertained until the very last page. I liked Penelope, I though she was a strong character and to come out strong after everything she had been through. Oh and good news everyone, so far there are no love triangles! I am so happy. On the bad side, Penelope and Carter were too much lovely dovely for me at times.
I am also glad that the story did not leave off on a cliffhanger, but with enough substance to realize it is not over and that Carter's and Penelope's story has just started!
I know I have been on a young-adult kick lately, but I have been enjoying the few refreshingly new books!
I got a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
My first impression of Salt was .. Oh Witches! got to have it!
Interesting story. I did almost give up on it because it started out a bit slow and there wasn't as much magic as I wanted.
Penelope is a witch and she is from a long line of witches that protect humans from demons and their attacks. But, when Penelope was little, a demon attacked and killed her parents. Somehow she survived the demon attack, but in the process that demon took her essence, a.k.a her magic.
Second impression... is it me or more and more Young Adult - New Adult books have demons in them?
Penelope wants to become an Enforcer, find her demon and get her magic back. Hard to do on her own if the only way she seems to be able to have any magic is by pulling from her family when they are around. Something that has really been unheard of. Until the meets Carter, a boy that she can suddenly pull her magic from but it feels different, it feels stronger.
Carter harbors his own secrets that might too closely linked to Penelopes.
Different and the ending was not at all what I expect. Okay the big reveal I thought was pretty big, since I had been trying to figure out what was going on for chapter. Well, maybe. I kind of knew what Carter's secret was for chapters, so when the big reveal came for Penelope it was almost a downer, considering it suddenly felt unoriginal and recycled. But I won't tell you why due to the fact that it will probably be a spoiler alert. I guess I was expecting something...different.
Don't get me wrong. The story still had me entertained until the very last page. I liked Penelope, I though she was a strong character and to come out strong after everything she had been through. Oh and good news everyone, so far there are no love triangles! I am so happy. On the bad side, Penelope and Carter were too much lovely dovely for me at times.
I am also glad that the story did not leave off on a cliffhanger, but with enough substance to realize it is not over and that Carter's and Penelope's story has just started!
I know I have been on a young-adult kick lately, but I have been enjoying the few refreshingly new books!
I got a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
January 2, 2014
(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review)
The blurb to Salt sounded interesting, but it turned out to be anything but.
It was slower than a tortoise in quicksand, and was as entertaining as watching paint dry. (Actually, watching paint dry would probably have been a bit more fun.)
The main character wasn't a very good one. In the first chapter, she's going on about how her nan always went on about keeping salt on her at all times...and then we find out that's she done the exact opposite.
Pretty stupid, really.
The acknowledgements were honestly the best bit.
Overall, Extremely dull.
The blurb to Salt sounded interesting, but it turned out to be anything but.
It was slower than a tortoise in quicksand, and was as entertaining as watching paint dry. (Actually, watching paint dry would probably have been a bit more fun.)
The main character wasn't a very good one. In the first chapter, she's going on about how her nan always went on about keeping salt on her at all times...and then we find out that's she done the exact opposite.
Pretty stupid, really.
The acknowledgements were honestly the best bit.
Overall, Extremely dull.
July 14, 2014
Wow! I’m surprised how much fun I had with this book. I've always loved hocus pocus type books and I’m still kinda amazed how much I've grown to love demon lore, but I was really impressed with Salt. It has everything I look for a good paranormal escape. Its action punched, suspenseful, mysterious and has a romance that’s totally kissable.
Danielle Ellison’s writes an amazing debut novel. The concept may not be something exactly new but I still really enjoyed Ellison’s take on this genre and I really liked the twist and turns in the plot. It kept me on my toes and anticipating what comes next.
Ellison also really knows how to write some mean ass-kickin! From badass demonic action to Pen’s examination training, to its gripping conclusion, this book is chalked filled with excitement and entertainment that kept my imagination on thrill. But it wasn't all fightin’ there is plenty of hugable romance that saps like me crave for, and Ellison really delivered those moments beautifully.
There is a lot happening here plot wise, but I thought the flow and pace of the story was well done. It never felt dragged out or dull, in fact, I was completely absorbed throughout the entire story. Lies and secrets seem to be the running theme in Penelope Grey’s life. The mysterious surrounding Pen and her families history was a great element I was completely intrigued with, but there are so many factors in this story that make the bigger picture really standout. Carter’s has his own secrets and agendas and I thought it was well played how those secrets affected his magical chemistry with Pen. I also really liked Poncho’s character and was surprised with the secrets he too was hiding. Everything about the story-line was calculating and connected in one way or another and I had a great time trying to piece the string of clues together while kicking back and just enjoyed the comfortable ease of the characters themselves.
I really loved all of these characters. They are filled with fun filled banter, wit and sarcasm. Okay…I admit that Penelope Grey is a character that did have a few flaws. I found her to be a bit hypercritical concerning the lies and deceit. She’s kinda not one to talk since she’s been keeping quite a few secrets to the people who matter the most and her reaction to Carter’s ‘betrayal’ was a bit of an overreaction and little more then childish. She also comes off a little repetitive, and her desperation to become an Enforcer and hunt down the demon that stole her magic and killed her parents tended to scream right off the pages a little too frequently, but as a whole, I liked and admired her determination, passion and strength, especially when it mattered most. I also adored her snark, sass, and fire and the fact that she didn't just roll over when she meets Carter. She’s a fighter, she makes things challenging and she can totally handle her own.
Carter was my by far my favorite, he is simply a fully loaded blast of a character. He’s arrogant, overly confident and drips with charm, wit and charisma. There were a few surprises concerning his character as well, which I loved, but I don’t think one of the earlier revelations should have been that dramatic. I guess I just don’t see the big deal.
This boy knows how to kick some serious ass but I like that he knows how to right a wrong and that he’s supportive and genuinely cares for Pen. Plus, he bakes cookies.
Need I say more?
Together, Pen and Carter steal the show as well as my heart. I really enjoyed the chemistry between them. They have an adorable playful banter thing going on that I found really sweet, sexy and adorable. Pen has a bit of an inner-battle concerning Carter at first since he makes her feel vulnerable in ways only her family has seen, but the connection between them is undeniable when they learn what they can accomplish together in both magic and heart.
I also loved Pen’s sister Connie and her best friend Ric. They were amazing secondary characters who brought constant loyalty, smiles and support when it was needed.
In a nutshell, Salt was just a lot of fun to read. The plot was sizzling with action and mystery. The magical aspect was refreshing, the writing was smooth and these characters were wonderfully put together, easy to love and be invested with from minute one. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Ellison does with the sequel. A solid escape.
Danielle Ellison’s writes an amazing debut novel. The concept may not be something exactly new but I still really enjoyed Ellison’s take on this genre and I really liked the twist and turns in the plot. It kept me on my toes and anticipating what comes next.
Ellison also really knows how to write some mean ass-kickin! From badass demonic action to Pen’s examination training, to its gripping conclusion, this book is chalked filled with excitement and entertainment that kept my imagination on thrill. But it wasn't all fightin’ there is plenty of hugable romance that saps like me crave for, and Ellison really delivered those moments beautifully.
There is a lot happening here plot wise, but I thought the flow and pace of the story was well done. It never felt dragged out or dull, in fact, I was completely absorbed throughout the entire story. Lies and secrets seem to be the running theme in Penelope Grey’s life. The mysterious surrounding Pen and her families history was a great element I was completely intrigued with, but there are so many factors in this story that make the bigger picture really standout. Carter’s has his own secrets and agendas and I thought it was well played how those secrets affected his magical chemistry with Pen. I also really liked Poncho’s character and was surprised with the secrets he too was hiding. Everything about the story-line was calculating and connected in one way or another and I had a great time trying to piece the string of clues together while kicking back and just enjoyed the comfortable ease of the characters themselves.
I really loved all of these characters. They are filled with fun filled banter, wit and sarcasm. Okay…I admit that Penelope Grey is a character that did have a few flaws. I found her to be a bit hypercritical concerning the lies and deceit. She’s kinda not one to talk since she’s been keeping quite a few secrets to the people who matter the most and her reaction to Carter’s ‘betrayal’ was a bit of an overreaction and little more then childish. She also comes off a little repetitive, and her desperation to become an Enforcer and hunt down the demon that stole her magic and killed her parents tended to scream right off the pages a little too frequently, but as a whole, I liked and admired her determination, passion and strength, especially when it mattered most. I also adored her snark, sass, and fire and the fact that she didn't just roll over when she meets Carter. She’s a fighter, she makes things challenging and she can totally handle her own.
Carter was my by far my favorite, he is simply a fully loaded blast of a character. He’s arrogant, overly confident and drips with charm, wit and charisma. There were a few surprises concerning his character as well, which I loved, but I don’t think one of the earlier revelations should have been that dramatic. I guess I just don’t see the big deal.
This boy knows how to kick some serious ass but I like that he knows how to right a wrong and that he’s supportive and genuinely cares for Pen. Plus, he bakes cookies.
Need I say more?
Together, Pen and Carter steal the show as well as my heart. I really enjoyed the chemistry between them. They have an adorable playful banter thing going on that I found really sweet, sexy and adorable. Pen has a bit of an inner-battle concerning Carter at first since he makes her feel vulnerable in ways only her family has seen, but the connection between them is undeniable when they learn what they can accomplish together in both magic and heart.
I also loved Pen’s sister Connie and her best friend Ric. They were amazing secondary characters who brought constant loyalty, smiles and support when it was needed.
In a nutshell, Salt was just a lot of fun to read. The plot was sizzling with action and mystery. The magical aspect was refreshing, the writing was smooth and these characters were wonderfully put together, easy to love and be invested with from minute one. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Ellison does with the sequel. A solid escape.
January 9, 2014
View more content on my blog: Out of Time
I was initially excited to read a book that was thrilling, full of magic and well... fantastic.
This book let me down oh-so far. It was pretty much opposite to what I wanted. Instead of a strong character, I got...Penelope. I wanted an original plot and I got jumbled amount of cliches in pretty packaging. And instead of getting "magic" I got the witches' version of school with a few demon attacks here and there. Pretty much a letdown.
I was endlessly tired of Penelope making dumb decisions, going "oops! I'm an idiot" and ultimately, having someone save her in the end. It was an unnecessary plot of Pen biting off way more than she can chew and yet, not learning the next time she did it.
It didn't help that I had trouble believing she could do things for herself in some situations. For example: in one, she had to beat a girl (with muscle) in a fist-fight and the way I imagine Pen, she don't have any muscles. She got lucky with that fight and ended up "winning" but then that kind of situation happened again. Surely, there's a law against having so much serendipity, right? (Probably not, or Bella Swan would already be dead... lulz.)
I also had major issues with the story, as I already mentioned. Penelope is a witch. Her parents were killed while she was young and she's seeking them out. She also doesn't know what her origin is. This sounds like every book I've ever read... (exaggeration, but still.) She is a witch with no magic (and obviously, being MC) has extraordinary circumstances. And then there's this exam thing that took up half the story, but wasn't important enough to be dominant in the synopsis. And then there's this scene where Male Lead: Carter asks her to be his fake girlfriend; Yeah, I've never heard that one before! Real original. Plus, there wasn't any followup on that situation.
The only thing I actually do like about this story was Carter. He's cliche to the max in the beginning, but I grew to love him anyway. He had to drag Pen's butt out of every situation and told her how stupid she was without actually "telling" her. He was also charming as a character, even though he was completely shallow; as all the other characters are.
The other characters? Can we just call "supporting characters" without the s? I didn't know the difference between them at all. It was the Penelope show the whole way through and I didn't care about anyone except for Carter. I had names of supporting characters that were never developed; never introduced in a way where I could connect with them and ugh, I just didn't care.Even her sister and Grandmother were transparent and pissed me off. Either they weren't there or they made me mad; that's how the characters worked for me.
The whole "witch" idea didn't make sense to me. For me, they were more like Shadowhunters, lol. Fighting demons? And Pen couldn't even fight one without Carter holding her hand. If they were witches, they surely didn't demonstrate that.
The whole book wasn't demonstrated. It was Pen's inner monologue the whole way through. Monologue that (again), annoyed me. I didn't get a feel of anything. I just got filler scene upon filler scene and important scenes that felt like a couple of sentences
Pen, take my advice. Just go be a mundane human. All of us are and we're perfectly happy. I could do without your whining attitude when you can't get it and superiority when you think you're all that just cos you turn a demon into salt. Yeah. You aren't that special.
I was initially excited to read a book that was thrilling, full of magic and well... fantastic.
This book let me down oh-so far. It was pretty much opposite to what I wanted. Instead of a strong character, I got...Penelope. I wanted an original plot and I got jumbled amount of cliches in pretty packaging. And instead of getting "magic" I got the witches' version of school with a few demon attacks here and there. Pretty much a letdown.
I was endlessly tired of Penelope making dumb decisions, going "oops! I'm an idiot" and ultimately, having someone save her in the end. It was an unnecessary plot of Pen biting off way more than she can chew and yet, not learning the next time she did it.
It didn't help that I had trouble believing she could do things for herself in some situations. For example: in one, she had to beat a girl (with muscle) in a fist-fight and the way I imagine Pen, she don't have any muscles. She got lucky with that fight and ended up "winning" but then that kind of situation happened again. Surely, there's a law against having so much serendipity, right? (Probably not, or Bella Swan would already be dead... lulz.)
I also had major issues with the story, as I already mentioned. Penelope is a witch. Her parents were killed while she was young and she's seeking them out. She also doesn't know what her origin is. This sounds like every book I've ever read... (exaggeration, but still.) She is a witch with no magic (and obviously, being MC) has extraordinary circumstances. And then there's this exam thing that took up half the story, but wasn't important enough to be dominant in the synopsis. And then there's this scene where Male Lead: Carter asks her to be his fake girlfriend; Yeah, I've never heard that one before! Real original. Plus, there wasn't any followup on that situation.
The only thing I actually do like about this story was Carter. He's cliche to the max in the beginning, but I grew to love him anyway. He had to drag Pen's butt out of every situation and told her how stupid she was without actually "telling" her. He was also charming as a character, even though he was completely shallow; as all the other characters are.
The other characters? Can we just call "supporting characters" without the s? I didn't know the difference between them at all. It was the Penelope show the whole way through and I didn't care about anyone except for Carter. I had names of supporting characters that were never developed; never introduced in a way where I could connect with them and ugh, I just didn't care.Even her sister and Grandmother were transparent and pissed me off. Either they weren't there or they made me mad; that's how the characters worked for me.
The whole "witch" idea didn't make sense to me. For me, they were more like Shadowhunters, lol. Fighting demons? And Pen couldn't even fight one without Carter holding her hand. If they were witches, they surely didn't demonstrate that.
The whole book wasn't demonstrated. It was Pen's inner monologue the whole way through. Monologue that (again), annoyed me. I didn't get a feel of anything. I just got filler scene upon filler scene and important scenes that felt like a couple of sentences
Pen, take my advice. Just go be a mundane human. All of us are and we're perfectly happy. I could do without your whining attitude when you can't get it and superiority when you think you're all that just cos you turn a demon into salt. Yeah. You aren't that special.
January 9, 2014
Penelope is a witch, part of a secret society protecting humans from demon attacks. But when she was a child, a demon killed her parents—and stole her magic. Since then, she’s been pretending to be something she’s not, using her sister’s magic to hide her own loss, to prevent being sent away.
When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find "her" demon. To take back what was stolen.
Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own.
Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.
Salt interested me because of the Supernatural reference (I am not kidding) and while reading I realized it was more like the Shadowhunters universe. Penelope is part of a society of witches in which select ones are trained to become the demon police, and while they don't actively hunt demons, they interfere when said demons are causing a nuisance. She was stripped of her magic when a kid, and is keeping it a secret from the witch society for fear of being cast out as a Static. So, in the start, I felt her to be a bit selfish, going on about her powers and her goal to get them back. It wasn't revenge what she wanted, though I would have understood that, but her magic back. As the storyline progressed, her character develops from a naive, hopelessly optimistic girl to a brave young woman who is smart and ready to kick ass.
The love interest, on the other hand, didn't get good character development. Much of his actions aren't explained and while he is a good guy, I didn't really like him. Their romance, however, was cute (yeah, as a couple they really clicked even though he was a jerk at the start) with their snark in the start and then their bond being developed. The writing was okay, not really great - but good enough to keep me entertained. I am not really sure about the world-building - especially all the Pairing and Bonding. It seems like a Parabatai thing but the pairs have to get married? I don't see nobody has a problem with their choice being taken from them - if they are going to depend on a person to have their back, shouldn't they get a say in the matter? Also, the Council has those tests every month? Seems like a waste of a lot of time - which can be better spent hunting down those demons, by the way. Also, the whole Void and Essence thing literally gave me a headache - which could also have been because I was up until 2 reading it. Yup, I liked the book enough to sacrifice my sleep.
The surprises/twists in the plot were more or less predictable - I didn't see only one of them coming. The storyline was good and overall, I would say the book is nice. Good for when you want a light read with some good paranormal elements thrown in. 3.5 stars!
Received a copy from Entangled Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find "her" demon. To take back what was stolen.
Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own.
Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.
Salt interested me because of the Supernatural reference (I am not kidding) and while reading I realized it was more like the Shadowhunters universe. Penelope is part of a society of witches in which select ones are trained to become the demon police, and while they don't actively hunt demons, they interfere when said demons are causing a nuisance. She was stripped of her magic when a kid, and is keeping it a secret from the witch society for fear of being cast out as a Static. So, in the start, I felt her to be a bit selfish, going on about her powers and her goal to get them back. It wasn't revenge what she wanted, though I would have understood that, but her magic back. As the storyline progressed, her character develops from a naive, hopelessly optimistic girl to a brave young woman who is smart and ready to kick ass.
The love interest, on the other hand, didn't get good character development. Much of his actions aren't explained and while he is a good guy, I didn't really like him. Their romance, however, was cute (yeah, as a couple they really clicked even though he was a jerk at the start) with their snark in the start and then their bond being developed. The writing was okay, not really great - but good enough to keep me entertained. I am not really sure about the world-building - especially all the Pairing and Bonding. It seems like a Parabatai thing but the pairs have to get married? I don't see nobody has a problem with their choice being taken from them - if they are going to depend on a person to have their back, shouldn't they get a say in the matter? Also, the Council has those tests every month? Seems like a waste of a lot of time - which can be better spent hunting down those demons, by the way. Also, the whole Void and Essence thing literally gave me a headache - which could also have been because I was up until 2 reading it. Yup, I liked the book enough to sacrifice my sleep.
The surprises/twists in the plot were more or less predictable - I didn't see only one of them coming. The storyline was good and overall, I would say the book is nice. Good for when you want a light read with some good paranormal elements thrown in. 3.5 stars!
Received a copy from Entangled Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2014
I never thought I'd actually find the time to read Salt. Actually, I was hesitant (mainly due to the fact I have 10+ books on le review queue)... even though I really wanted to read it because it seemed like a really good book.
I kind of gave in. I didn't regret it either, which would be second worse case scenario next to a DNF. And that would actually suck.
I'm probably Salt deprived though, and I don't mean SODIUM CHLORIDE, as much as like salty snacks. Yum.
In other words, I LOVED this book. I believe I may have "met" my next favorite author.
Do allow me to name the whys. Actually, my thoughts. Warning: there may be gushing. I hope no one minds. *fangirls* There might be a lot too. And it's in a list. Certainly not 13. That's saved for Friday the 13th. Which is in June if anyone cares.
~ It's official. I like characters with a lot of voice. Or maybe it's just a lot of sass. That tends to be a pattern.
~ WITCHES! Even better. Need I say more? I like witchy books as much as I like retellings and mythology. No wonder I loved Harry Potter. And yes, I like witches better than vampires. Sorry Vampire Academy.
~ Tis very action packed my friends. Despite the fact I took awhile to finish it. I was preoccupied with other books. Salt couldn't be crammed into le reading schedule.
~ Daemon Black, you have extreme competition. I apparently like Carter WAY better than you. He's less annoying, even though he's practically an alter ego. Maybe it's the fact that Carter is a witch. *hardly contains jumping up and down while typing* Mom, you saw no big smile on my face. Oh yeah, and let's just add that he's hot (Carter. Not Daemon. Though he is. Sort of? I am not a Daemon fan).
~ This is like Divergent and Hunger Games put together. Witch style. No killing required. Although maybe a few humans and demons were killed in the process. And I like both of those series... although I didn't really like Allegiant.
~ Like I said, I'm Salt deprived. Can someone fast forward time so I can read the second book?
~ I'm also Penelope and Carter deprived. Please, people, don't go come up with couple names like Carlope or Peneter. Couple names are so old. And definitely not cute anymore. O_o Yes, it will make them less cuter if anyone dares to add couple names. *cringe*
~ I'm going to go recommend this to a certain friend of mine. Just so I won't be alone with the gushing. Although I don't mind being the only one. I'll just say I'm talking about Funyuns. :D How do you spell that again?
Nope, definitely no regret in deciding to review Salt when offered. No regrets at all. I think it's really obvious. *walks away with a completely cheesy grin* Anyone want cheesecake? :D?
-------------------
ARC copy provided by EntangledTeen for review
Formatting and pictures have been removed due to copy and paste.
This review and more posted at Bookwyrming Thoughts
I kind of gave in. I didn't regret it either, which would be second worse case scenario next to a DNF. And that would actually suck.
I'm probably Salt deprived though, and I don't mean SODIUM CHLORIDE, as much as like salty snacks. Yum.
In other words, I LOVED this book. I believe I may have "met" my next favorite author.
Do allow me to name the whys. Actually, my thoughts. Warning: there may be gushing. I hope no one minds. *fangirls* There might be a lot too. And it's in a list. Certainly not 13. That's saved for Friday the 13th. Which is in June if anyone cares.
~ It's official. I like characters with a lot of voice. Or maybe it's just a lot of sass. That tends to be a pattern.
~ WITCHES! Even better. Need I say more? I like witchy books as much as I like retellings and mythology. No wonder I loved Harry Potter. And yes, I like witches better than vampires. Sorry Vampire Academy.
~ Tis very action packed my friends. Despite the fact I took awhile to finish it. I was preoccupied with other books. Salt couldn't be crammed into le reading schedule.
~ Daemon Black, you have extreme competition. I apparently like Carter WAY better than you. He's less annoying, even though he's practically an alter ego. Maybe it's the fact that Carter is a witch. *hardly contains jumping up and down while typing* Mom, you saw no big smile on my face. Oh yeah, and let's just add that he's hot (Carter. Not Daemon. Though he is. Sort of? I am not a Daemon fan).
~ This is like Divergent and Hunger Games put together. Witch style. No killing required. Although maybe a few humans and demons were killed in the process. And I like both of those series... although I didn't really like Allegiant.
~ Like I said, I'm Salt deprived. Can someone fast forward time so I can read the second book?
~ I'm also Penelope and Carter deprived. Please, people, don't go come up with couple names like Carlope or Peneter. Couple names are so old. And definitely not cute anymore. O_o Yes, it will make them less cuter if anyone dares to add couple names. *cringe*
~ I'm going to go recommend this to a certain friend of mine. Just so I won't be alone with the gushing. Although I don't mind being the only one. I'll just say I'm talking about Funyuns. :D How do you spell that again?
Nope, definitely no regret in deciding to review Salt when offered. No regrets at all. I think it's really obvious. *walks away with a completely cheesy grin* Anyone want cheesecake? :D?
-------------------
ARC copy provided by EntangledTeen for review
Formatting and pictures have been removed due to copy and paste.
This review and more posted at Bookwyrming Thoughts
January 6, 2014
I was initially drawn to Danielle Ellison’s Salt because of its very Supernatural (the tv show) vibe (the author was clearly inspired by this show) and I thought it would be a very “me” book...it really wasn't -_-
Penelope, a young witch, is determined to hunt down the demon who killed her parents and took her magic. In her magical witch community, a witch without powers is pretty useless, but Penelope can tap into the power of her family, so her secret remains safe. Penelope is given the chance to take the Enforcer test and become a part of an elite demon hunting organization, and she hopes becoming an Enforcer will allow her access to information she needs to find “her” demon. But when she meets Carter, a cute witch with secrets of his own, Penelope’s mission and life get even more complicated.
Author Danielle Ellison has infused her story with some original and cool magical, witchy elements. The witch community, their history, purpose, and powers are intriguing and unique enough. However, I found most of the world-building to be either lacking or messily convoluted. The plot is predictable and lacks any real subtlety as well. The writing is good, but not remarkable. There are some funny moments, but for the most part, the humor falls flat.
I didn't hate Pen and Carter, they're likable enough, but there’s nothing really unforgettable about them. And they each unfortunately suffer from “speeshul snowflake” syndrome, which I’m personally not a fan of. I didn't mind them as a couple, however, their love is insta-love or a destined love trying to disguise itself as a natural, progressive relationship. There’s never a moment in the book when I questioned whether the two would end up together. I never even got the chance to root for and fight for them, because despite the supernatural, personal, and familial issues they face, their relationship has no real obstacles.
All of the supporting characters, even the “bad guys” lack depth. A great supporting character is one that is fully developed and realized and could easily stand alone as the hero/heroine or main character of their own story...none of Salt’s supporting characters are anywhere near there yet.
I mentioned above that this story is clearly inspired by the tv show Supernatural--which is awesome because Supernatural is the best show evah!--however, at times, the story seems to go beyond simply paying homage to something awesome and feels kind of like fanfiction. There are so many elements and even storylines pulled directly from the show and they overshadow any of the original elements the author has created.
My Final Thoughts: While not a bad book, Salt seems to suffer from a lack of great editing and captivating originality, and disappointing characters. More "meh" then "yeah" for me, I won't be continuing with this series
Penelope, a young witch, is determined to hunt down the demon who killed her parents and took her magic. In her magical witch community, a witch without powers is pretty useless, but Penelope can tap into the power of her family, so her secret remains safe. Penelope is given the chance to take the Enforcer test and become a part of an elite demon hunting organization, and she hopes becoming an Enforcer will allow her access to information she needs to find “her” demon. But when she meets Carter, a cute witch with secrets of his own, Penelope’s mission and life get even more complicated.
Author Danielle Ellison has infused her story with some original and cool magical, witchy elements. The witch community, their history, purpose, and powers are intriguing and unique enough. However, I found most of the world-building to be either lacking or messily convoluted. The plot is predictable and lacks any real subtlety as well. The writing is good, but not remarkable. There are some funny moments, but for the most part, the humor falls flat.
I didn't hate Pen and Carter, they're likable enough, but there’s nothing really unforgettable about them. And they each unfortunately suffer from “speeshul snowflake” syndrome, which I’m personally not a fan of. I didn't mind them as a couple, however, their love is insta-love or a destined love trying to disguise itself as a natural, progressive relationship. There’s never a moment in the book when I questioned whether the two would end up together. I never even got the chance to root for and fight for them, because despite the supernatural, personal, and familial issues they face, their relationship has no real obstacles.
All of the supporting characters, even the “bad guys” lack depth. A great supporting character is one that is fully developed and realized and could easily stand alone as the hero/heroine or main character of their own story...none of Salt’s supporting characters are anywhere near there yet.
I mentioned above that this story is clearly inspired by the tv show Supernatural--which is awesome because Supernatural is the best show evah!--however, at times, the story seems to go beyond simply paying homage to something awesome and feels kind of like fanfiction. There are so many elements and even storylines pulled directly from the show and they overshadow any of the original elements the author has created.
My Final Thoughts: While not a bad book, Salt seems to suffer from a lack of great editing and captivating originality, and disappointing characters. More "meh" then "yeah" for me, I won't be continuing with this series
January 7, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.
SALT is a book that I think is either going to be loved or not so much. I could see things about it that will work for some readers but not others. For me, the story worked for what I wanted from it, and I didn't want to put it down. There were a couple of reasons why I couldn't give SALT a five star rating, so first I'll explain what didn't work for me before moving on to what did.
Only two things bugged me about SALT - firstly, Penelope's likeness to Harry Potter (Penelope even mentions the series). Both Penelope and Harry both somehow survived when their parents were killed because they're different from everyone else. The second part is Penelope constantly saying she has to become an Enforcer so she can research the demon who killed her parents and took her powers. I felt like I wasn't trusted to remember her mission, but I remembered all of it, I promise! These issues are just mine personally and weren't to the point where I lost my fondness for this book.
What did work for me were Penelope and Carter's interactions - they were my favorite scenes in the book. The level of snark was so much fun to read! There was something about the two of them together that made me want to know more. When they were around each other, things could happen that only did when they were together. This was interesting to me and made me think they were like two halves that not only fit together but needed to be together.
Penelope's grandmother is a tough love kind of character. At times I wondered why she doesn't show Penelope the kind of love and affection Penelope must be craving after losing both of her parents. Plus, she seemed to favor Penelope's sister. Luckily, Penelope's grandfather and sister both seem warm, caring, and supportive. Maybe I'm being too harsh. She has most likely built up walls to protect herself from further pain after losing her daughter (Penelope's mother).
I felt like I was on the edge of my seat hoping the secret of Penelope's lack of magic wouldn't come out. Have you ever been so nervous while reading a book that something awful is going to happen to a character you like? That's how I felt while reading SALT. There are more secrets being kept by the people in her life besides her own secret, which also kept me glued to my Kindle.
Overall, SALT proved to be a fun read with the awesome interactions between Penelope and Carter. I could have read an entire book of just conversations between them!
SALT is a book that I think is either going to be loved or not so much. I could see things about it that will work for some readers but not others. For me, the story worked for what I wanted from it, and I didn't want to put it down. There were a couple of reasons why I couldn't give SALT a five star rating, so first I'll explain what didn't work for me before moving on to what did.
Only two things bugged me about SALT - firstly, Penelope's likeness to Harry Potter (Penelope even mentions the series). Both Penelope and Harry both somehow survived when their parents were killed because they're different from everyone else. The second part is Penelope constantly saying she has to become an Enforcer so she can research the demon who killed her parents and took her powers. I felt like I wasn't trusted to remember her mission, but I remembered all of it, I promise! These issues are just mine personally and weren't to the point where I lost my fondness for this book.
What did work for me were Penelope and Carter's interactions - they were my favorite scenes in the book. The level of snark was so much fun to read! There was something about the two of them together that made me want to know more. When they were around each other, things could happen that only did when they were together. This was interesting to me and made me think they were like two halves that not only fit together but needed to be together.
Penelope's grandmother is a tough love kind of character. At times I wondered why she doesn't show Penelope the kind of love and affection Penelope must be craving after losing both of her parents. Plus, she seemed to favor Penelope's sister. Luckily, Penelope's grandfather and sister both seem warm, caring, and supportive. Maybe I'm being too harsh. She has most likely built up walls to protect herself from further pain after losing her daughter (Penelope's mother).
I felt like I was on the edge of my seat hoping the secret of Penelope's lack of magic wouldn't come out. Have you ever been so nervous while reading a book that something awful is going to happen to a character you like? That's how I felt while reading SALT. There are more secrets being kept by the people in her life besides her own secret, which also kept me glued to my Kindle.
Overall, SALT proved to be a fun read with the awesome interactions between Penelope and Carter. I could have read an entire book of just conversations between them!
January 12, 2014
Salt was a different type of read but one that I loved for multiple reasons. I love anything witch related and I like that we start this one out with a witch that is a little bit different. We start this book out by meeting Penelope who we learn is a witch but with limited abilities as in she can only do magic if her family is near her as she draws power from them or so she thinks. I loved the character of Penelope as you can tell she is just a teen trying to cope with a lot in her life right now as well as keeping her secret hidden. I liked that Penelope refused to let her magical issues keep her from reaching her goals of becoming an Enforcer. She was willing to take things head on and didn't let others discourage her. As Penelope is going about her life she runs into Carter and learns that everything she thought she knew about her magic isn't really true as somehow she can use his magic also. I have to say that the addition of Carter to this story was one that I think the story needed as he was such a mystery and added a new layer to Penelope that made her not take herself so serious as much and she loosened up some.
As this story continues Penelope starts to learn more about Carter and who he is. I loved the mystery that he was trying to unravel ans just knew things were going to take a shocking turn at some point and oh boy did they. Penelope also learned some shocking family secrets that rattle her but make her reevaluate some things along the way. These two start working together and I loved seeing the chemistry and the way they worked together so well as a team. I was excited to see what more they could do together as their magic flowed so well together. This story picks up the pace pretty quickly and we see tons of action.
Overall this a was a really fun read and I liked that the witches were hunting down the demons. That was a unique twist to the book and one that I would love to see the author explore. The pacing on this story was just right and there was enough action that you wanted to keep reading this book to see what would happen next. The author did a great job of creating characters that I became invested in and wanted to see what would happen with them. I really enjoyed this one and am hoping there will be another book as this was a great start to the series. I would recommend this one to my witch lovers out there.
As this story continues Penelope starts to learn more about Carter and who he is. I loved the mystery that he was trying to unravel ans just knew things were going to take a shocking turn at some point and oh boy did they. Penelope also learned some shocking family secrets that rattle her but make her reevaluate some things along the way. These two start working together and I loved seeing the chemistry and the way they worked together so well as a team. I was excited to see what more they could do together as their magic flowed so well together. This story picks up the pace pretty quickly and we see tons of action.
Overall this a was a really fun read and I liked that the witches were hunting down the demons. That was a unique twist to the book and one that I would love to see the author explore. The pacing on this story was just right and there was enough action that you wanted to keep reading this book to see what would happen next. The author did a great job of creating characters that I became invested in and wanted to see what would happen with them. I really enjoyed this one and am hoping there will be another book as this was a great start to the series. I would recommend this one to my witch lovers out there.
February 8, 2014
SALT was one of those books that you enjoyed reading but don't have anything to really say about it when its over. The circumstances surrounding Penelope's missing powers and her struggles to become what she wants was intriguing. The characters kept my attention and the ending left me happy. There were some points that left me a little bored but I would pick up a book 2 when it comes out.
* This book was provided free of charge from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
* This book was provided free of charge from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2013
2.5 - It's okay. Kinda felt detached from the characters/story.
Read
November 27, 2022DNF @ 8%!
Okay, look. Listen. I’d be lying if I said I wanted to like this book because just a couple of pages in and some inner feeling began tearing up my insides, clamoring to be let out of reading this book. This is a story about witches and when the book starts, we see Penelope trying to get rid of a demon using salt. But she doesn’t have the power, for the demon who killed her parents when she was a child, robbed her of her powers. So the demon she is trying to ‘kill’ in the present realizes that she can’t do anything and begins to gloat. But somehow, she manages to finish it off. What is happening with her powers? Will they return? Or will their absence leave her more vulnerable than before?
I want to put out layered, nuanced reasons as to why I didn’t like this book but I can’t. Because I found this story simply annoying. It’s whiny. That’s what it is. And that’s all there is to it. I was about 8% into the story when I went, “THAT’S ENOUGH!” and DNFed it.
(Taken from my August 2022 wrap up on my blog: August 2022 Wrap Up)
Okay, look. Listen. I’d be lying if I said I wanted to like this book because just a couple of pages in and some inner feeling began tearing up my insides, clamoring to be let out of reading this book. This is a story about witches and when the book starts, we see Penelope trying to get rid of a demon using salt. But she doesn’t have the power, for the demon who killed her parents when she was a child, robbed her of her powers. So the demon she is trying to ‘kill’ in the present realizes that she can’t do anything and begins to gloat. But somehow, she manages to finish it off. What is happening with her powers? Will they return? Or will their absence leave her more vulnerable than before?
I want to put out layered, nuanced reasons as to why I didn’t like this book but I can’t. Because I found this story simply annoying. It’s whiny. That’s what it is. And that’s all there is to it. I was about 8% into the story when I went, “THAT’S ENOUGH!” and DNFed it.
(Taken from my August 2022 wrap up on my blog: August 2022 Wrap Up)
February 5, 2023
Penelope is a witch but unfortunately does not have powers of her own. This story follows her journey to finding the one who took her magic from her potentially dooming her to an early death. Instead Penelope fights against all odds that have been thrust in her way & becomes a member of an elite demon hunting squad. Now she is one step closer to finding the justice she has wanted since she was a child.
This read was a slow burn for me. I found myself really rooting for the FMC. I wanted her to fight for what she wanted to gain back. There were a few things that kept me from fully being engaged with this book. While it started off with a ton of promise I was lost a bit the further I got into it. Overall. It was a 3 star for me.
This read was a slow burn for me. I found myself really rooting for the FMC. I wanted her to fight for what she wanted to gain back. There were a few things that kept me from fully being engaged with this book. While it started off with a ton of promise I was lost a bit the further I got into it. Overall. It was a 3 star for me.
February 20, 2017
Penelope is hiding a secret that could cost her everything: she does not have her own magic since a demon attack when she was a child that claimed the lives of her parents. She hides the truth from everyone, hoping that she can find a way to get her powers back. When she encounters a strange boy who seems to catch her every time she needs some help, she is curious about him. But regardless of his charm, Penelope has bigger problems, such as passing the Enforcer exam without magic and finding out more about the mystery that ruined her life so long ago.
So I had wanted to read this book forever ago but I was put off at the time due to the negative reviews I saw for the book. Well, just a few weeks ago I stumbled across a very pretty cover and was lured into reading the book, without even realizing that this was the same book I cast a side a few years ago but with a cover-lift. Well, I am ever so glad that I picked this book up to read because I really enjoyed the story. It was full of well developed characters, a whole new side to witches, intense action scenes with danger and fighting, an incredible complicated mystery and a swoon worthy romance (that Penelope totally fights against). I enjoyed every minute of this story, even when I started it with trepidation.
See the pretty new cover that lured me in?
Not that there is anything wrong with the old cover, but this one is more eye catching (to me), but as a side note neither cover really describes what the book is actually about, but oh well.
I actually think that this image summed up the dynamic between Penelope and Carter the best
Sooo, to say the least, it was a very antagonistic volatile relationship, but like they say, there is passion where there is hate/violence. From the moment they first meet to all the accidental encounters along the way, they two of them had sparks shooting every time they interacted. I really enjoyed their dynamic, to say the least.
But as a side note, the romance was not the main focus of the story, instead it was something that did not even become a real idea until at least half way through the book. Instead, the story was more about the complexities of the magical world building as well as the danger and mystery surrounding Penelope's past.
Overall this was a dark interesting read that kept me engaged right from the start and I feel invested in these characters. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this story and now I now need to get my hands on the second book in the series ASAP to see what will happen next.
I received this title in return for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/
So I had wanted to read this book forever ago but I was put off at the time due to the negative reviews I saw for the book. Well, just a few weeks ago I stumbled across a very pretty cover and was lured into reading the book, without even realizing that this was the same book I cast a side a few years ago but with a cover-lift. Well, I am ever so glad that I picked this book up to read because I really enjoyed the story. It was full of well developed characters, a whole new side to witches, intense action scenes with danger and fighting, an incredible complicated mystery and a swoon worthy romance (that Penelope totally fights against). I enjoyed every minute of this story, even when I started it with trepidation.
See the pretty new cover that lured me in?
Not that there is anything wrong with the old cover, but this one is more eye catching (to me), but as a side note neither cover really describes what the book is actually about, but oh well.
I actually think that this image summed up the dynamic between Penelope and Carter the best
Sooo, to say the least, it was a very antagonistic volatile relationship, but like they say, there is passion where there is hate/violence. From the moment they first meet to all the accidental encounters along the way, they two of them had sparks shooting every time they interacted. I really enjoyed their dynamic, to say the least.
But as a side note, the romance was not the main focus of the story, instead it was something that did not even become a real idea until at least half way through the book. Instead, the story was more about the complexities of the magical world building as well as the danger and mystery surrounding Penelope's past.
Overall this was a dark interesting read that kept me engaged right from the start and I feel invested in these characters. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this story and now I now need to get my hands on the second book in the series ASAP to see what will happen next.
I received this title in return for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/
August 25, 2018
Good book
Fast paced book. Great characters. Lots of magic, demons, love interest, terror. Worth the read. Wanted more about grandmother's life. I want to see where this story goes so I'll have to get book 2.
Fast paced book. Great characters. Lots of magic, demons, love interest, terror. Worth the read. Wanted more about grandmother's life. I want to see where this story goes so I'll have to get book 2.
December 9, 2016
This book kept me on the edge of my seat and although I predicted what would happen, I thought it was a pretty good book overall.
July 29, 2018
Book 49 complete.
September 12, 2016
First of all, I had liked the book cover that made me choose the book. But compared to the cover, the storyline and narration do not meet my expectations to that level. I mean, I can clearly see the talent of the author and the potentials in the book to mark it as a 4 or 5 star read, but sometimes the story lacked the amount of convincibility (did I coin that or such a word really exists?) and finesse required for deserving such a rating.
The plot is not bad, really. As I said, it has potentials. The main theme is witch and witchcraft, talking about the witches' powers and their world where they fight against the demons to protect them as well as the human kind. Penelope, the female lead, is also a witch. Here the storyline takes quite a similar turn as Harry Potter in the sense that Penelope's parents are also murdered by a demon in her childhood and she is left with no witch powers of her own. She is a 'Static' witch, having lost her witch powers like that.That must be kept a secret because otherwise, pretty obviously, she'll be banished from their world for being one. I feel that as a lead, Penelope lacks the weight at times and there are moments when all I wanted to do is smack her in the head or at least give a mild punch to her face. Sometimes she seemed so over-obsessed with herself! I'm not being a misogynist, but I don't know why it's so hard for me to like the heroines of a book in general. Well, I definitely have a list of heroins I can fangirl all day about, but seriously, that list is like, one-fifth compared to the one I have for my favorite kickass heroes:( She's really enthusiastic to be an Enforcer (the witches who fight the demons) but her over-enthusiasm often leaves her prone to situations, and sometimes she clearly lacks the providence needed for a heroine. Also, I could have liked her a little bit more if she hadn't shown her sense of humor at all, because I understand, some people are not good at some things :p
Then there was Carter, who could have been a swoon-worthy hero if he wasn't shown as being predictable at times. I have a thing for fictional heroes you see:D So no matter how cool or hot, how good guy or badass or rockstar-ish or geeky they are, I seem to love them anyway. For Carter, I really wish I could connect to him on that level. He was not a bad character after all, but needed a little more development.
The thing I liked about these two main characters is there chemistry. I mean, though it was really very predictable and not very unique, I did enjoy their banter most often (excluding Penelope's attempts at humor). Another thing that makes the two interesting together is Penelope's ability to use her powers around Carter. Overall, they are a nice couple together, but there were rooms for making them even nicer I believe.
Another thing that disappointed me was the supporting characters. I always believe that a good story is made of good characters, meaning successful character portrayals. So when reading a book, I look forward to knowing the supporting characters with the same amount of interest. For this book, the supporting characters are vague, not having developed properly. Even Penelope's best friend Ric, a character I might have liked, looks less like a best friend and more like a neighbor or some friendly classmate of Penelope. Best friends are supposed to have more limelight right? They should be in your ups and downs, and most, if not all, chapters should have some references to them (without making in repetitive and boring) And apart from that, all other characters seem to have no standing ground of their own. It's like they were introduced, they appeared and soon forgotten.
The one part I really liked though was the action. The action element of the book is what kept me going. Then there is the ending, which actually made me wait for the second book. So even though it's not on my must-read list, I may still wait and give the second book a try, hoping for further developments and changes in the storyline.
The plot is not bad, really. As I said, it has potentials. The main theme is witch and witchcraft, talking about the witches' powers and their world where they fight against the demons to protect them as well as the human kind. Penelope, the female lead, is also a witch. Here the storyline takes quite a similar turn as Harry Potter in the sense that Penelope's parents are also murdered by a demon in her childhood and she is left with no witch powers of her own. She is a 'Static' witch, having lost her witch powers like that.That must be kept a secret because otherwise, pretty obviously, she'll be banished from their world for being one. I feel that as a lead, Penelope lacks the weight at times and there are moments when all I wanted to do is smack her in the head or at least give a mild punch to her face. Sometimes she seemed so over-obsessed with herself! I'm not being a misogynist, but I don't know why it's so hard for me to like the heroines of a book in general. Well, I definitely have a list of heroins I can fangirl all day about, but seriously, that list is like, one-fifth compared to the one I have for my favorite kickass heroes:( She's really enthusiastic to be an Enforcer (the witches who fight the demons) but her over-enthusiasm often leaves her prone to situations, and sometimes she clearly lacks the providence needed for a heroine. Also, I could have liked her a little bit more if she hadn't shown her sense of humor at all, because I understand, some people are not good at some things :p
Then there was Carter, who could have been a swoon-worthy hero if he wasn't shown as being predictable at times. I have a thing for fictional heroes you see:D So no matter how cool or hot, how good guy or badass or rockstar-ish or geeky they are, I seem to love them anyway. For Carter, I really wish I could connect to him on that level. He was not a bad character after all, but needed a little more development.
The thing I liked about these two main characters is there chemistry. I mean, though it was really very predictable and not very unique, I did enjoy their banter most often (excluding Penelope's attempts at humor). Another thing that makes the two interesting together is Penelope's ability to use her powers around Carter. Overall, they are a nice couple together, but there were rooms for making them even nicer I believe.
Another thing that disappointed me was the supporting characters. I always believe that a good story is made of good characters, meaning successful character portrayals. So when reading a book, I look forward to knowing the supporting characters with the same amount of interest. For this book, the supporting characters are vague, not having developed properly. Even Penelope's best friend Ric, a character I might have liked, looks less like a best friend and more like a neighbor or some friendly classmate of Penelope. Best friends are supposed to have more limelight right? They should be in your ups and downs, and most, if not all, chapters should have some references to them (without making in repetitive and boring) And apart from that, all other characters seem to have no standing ground of their own. It's like they were introduced, they appeared and soon forgotten.
The one part I really liked though was the action. The action element of the book is what kept me going. Then there is the ending, which actually made me wait for the second book. So even though it's not on my must-read list, I may still wait and give the second book a try, hoping for further developments and changes in the storyline.
January 8, 2014
I am always up for a good witch book, add in some demons, and elite demon hunting... sounded awesome!! Well, though I did enjoy it, it wasn't quite as fabulous as I wanted it to be. It was very predictable and the whole hot and cold thing with Penelope and Carter started to get old. I did like the story though. I just wished it had moved along better. I found myself getting bored of Penelope constantly thinking about wanting to kiss Cater, but being mad at him, or needing to focus on her mission. I mean, it was obvious that she should just get a little hot and heavy with him since it was all she thought about anyways. Moving on though, I thought that her trying to figure out the mystery of everything was pretty fun. I saw things coming from a mile away, but it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy seeing them figure things out.
Penelope tragically lost her magic when her parents died. A demon stole her essence, which should have killed her, but didn't. She can still use magic, but only if she pulls it from a family member. Or from Carter as she learns. She has a very sassy attitude that is really entertaining most of the time. I liked that she was tough and even without magic she mostly can take care of herself. She comes across a bit as a damsel in distress since someone is always coming to her rescue, but she fights like crazy to try to save herself from bad situations until she inevitably has someone who she can pull magic comes to the rescue. Outwardly she seems like she is perfectly happy, but her secret that she has no magic really takes a toll on her. She is different, and that puts her whole family in danger. If anyone else knew she would be taken away. I think she handles it pretty well. Plus, she has some pretty motivated goals to get her magic back.
Carter is the type that is both charming and frustrating. He is also a bit of a stalker. I can understand that he wants answers though, so I let it slide. He has his own secrets too, and a mission that is just as dangerous, if not more, than Penelope's. The thing that I loved about him was that he really just wants to be seen for who he is, kind of like Penelope does. They are very similar in that way. He also really cares about her and will do anything to protect her or help her. There is much more to him than just good looks, and superior Enforcer skills.
That brings me to the romance. Can you say Insta-love? Yes, it totally is. I knew it was going to be. I pretty much figured that out right from when they met. I think I am getting a bit desensitized to it now though since it seems to occur more often than not. It was a short book, so they had to fall in love quick, right? Anyways, their little romance was a bit annoying with the whole almost get together, then fight, then almost get together, then Penelope wants nothing to do with him. (And everything to do with him at the same time.) It's more circumstance than anything that keeps throwing them together and making them decide that they are in fact going to fall in love. Okay, so maybe that's a bit harsh, but that was how it seemed to me. It wasn't natural or believable in my eyes. I found it to be more lust than anything. And the fact that they need each other for their magical purposes.
So now that I have made this sound a little negative without meaning to, I did enjoy it. I thought it was a bit cheesy, but cute. Predictable, but still entertaining. I liked some of the side characters, and I thought the story was interesting even though I knew where it was going. I liked how the demons and the witches were done and how the history of everything came out. I do wish that there had been a little more background in the end, but overall it was a good book and I think that there will be a lot of people who enjoy it.
*An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.
Penelope tragically lost her magic when her parents died. A demon stole her essence, which should have killed her, but didn't. She can still use magic, but only if she pulls it from a family member. Or from Carter as she learns. She has a very sassy attitude that is really entertaining most of the time. I liked that she was tough and even without magic she mostly can take care of herself. She comes across a bit as a damsel in distress since someone is always coming to her rescue, but she fights like crazy to try to save herself from bad situations until she inevitably has someone who she can pull magic comes to the rescue. Outwardly she seems like she is perfectly happy, but her secret that she has no magic really takes a toll on her. She is different, and that puts her whole family in danger. If anyone else knew she would be taken away. I think she handles it pretty well. Plus, she has some pretty motivated goals to get her magic back.
Carter is the type that is both charming and frustrating. He is also a bit of a stalker. I can understand that he wants answers though, so I let it slide. He has his own secrets too, and a mission that is just as dangerous, if not more, than Penelope's. The thing that I loved about him was that he really just wants to be seen for who he is, kind of like Penelope does. They are very similar in that way. He also really cares about her and will do anything to protect her or help her. There is much more to him than just good looks, and superior Enforcer skills.
That brings me to the romance. Can you say Insta-love? Yes, it totally is. I knew it was going to be. I pretty much figured that out right from when they met. I think I am getting a bit desensitized to it now though since it seems to occur more often than not. It was a short book, so they had to fall in love quick, right? Anyways, their little romance was a bit annoying with the whole almost get together, then fight, then almost get together, then Penelope wants nothing to do with him. (And everything to do with him at the same time.) It's more circumstance than anything that keeps throwing them together and making them decide that they are in fact going to fall in love. Okay, so maybe that's a bit harsh, but that was how it seemed to me. It wasn't natural or believable in my eyes. I found it to be more lust than anything. And the fact that they need each other for their magical purposes.
So now that I have made this sound a little negative without meaning to, I did enjoy it. I thought it was a bit cheesy, but cute. Predictable, but still entertaining. I liked some of the side characters, and I thought the story was interesting even though I knew where it was going. I liked how the demons and the witches were done and how the history of everything came out. I do wish that there had been a little more background in the end, but overall it was a good book and I think that there will be a lot of people who enjoy it.
*An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.
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