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Il mare è salato come me
Ogni anno West Finch sprofonda un po' di più nell'oceano. Harlow, sedici anni, è più che determinataa salvare la sua piccola città. Ma alla vigilia dell’ennesima tempesta che inghiottirà un altro tratto di costa, sembra che non ci sia nessuno su cui possa davvero contare. Il suo migliore amico di sempre, Ellis, sa affrontare le difficoltà solo fuggendo, e questo vale per le battaglie ambientaliste ma anche per i suoi problemi personali, come il complicato rapporto con il gemello Tommy. Alla vigilia dell’attesa devastante tempesta, Tommy, prigioniero della depressione, si tuffa nell’oceano in tumulto con la ferma intenzione di non fare ritorno. Ma sopravvive, e l’incidente avrà l’effetto di innescare una catena di eventi che sovverte i rapporti fra loro tre, manda all’aria vecchi equilibri, fa nascere nuovi amori e rivela dolorosi segreti. E niente resta segreto a lungo a West Finch…
540 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2021
41 people are currently reading
6101 people want to read
About the author
Cassandra Hartt
1 book53 followersCassandra grew up in Maine and upstate New York before earning an English degree from Dartmouth College. She currently lives in the Bay Area and wishes she had a dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
July 13, 2021
This is a hard one for me to review. Going in, I was POSITIVE that I was going to love this and that it was going to be a new all-time favorite. Unfortunately, it didn't end up living up to the expectations I placed on it. While I was gripped by the story throughout, I feel like I really had to struggle to keep track of what was happening and who was feeling what at any given moment. Ultimately I feel like this just didn't quite do what I was hoping it would, but I did enjoy it enough to want to read more from this author in the future. Here's hoping their next book will work better for me!
CW: suicide, severe depression, animal illness, car accidents, death of a loved one
CW: suicide, severe depression, animal illness, car accidents, death of a loved one
November 1, 2021
TW// suicide attempt, depression
I normally hide my trigger warnings with spoiler tags, but I’ll be doing a deep dive about how the triggers were dealt with in this book, including mentions of my personal experiences with these topics. There’s no shame in not reading my review fully if you find it to be too intense.
First of all, I’d like to say thank you to Cassandra Hartt for including appropriate trigger warnings at the very start of the book. I don’t see trigger warnings enough in books, so I always like to give kudos to authors who use them.
That being said, my specific triggers were in this book. I waited until I was ready to handle those triggers before reading this book, but that still doesn’t stop my frustration and hatred for this book. I was suicidal for a few years in my life and I know two people who’ve passed away from suicide, so I’m very opinionated about books dealing depression and suicide. If a book is going to tackle those topics, it better do everything in its power to raise awareness for the topics, respectfully address the realities of the situation, and not make it seem like good things will come out of suicide or suicide attempts. This book did not do that. I’m at least grateful that I’ve had enough treatment for my depression to realize that this is wrong because if I had read a book like this or any book that suggested that positive things could result from a suicide attempt, I’m not sure I would be here today. I’m not saying that suicide can’t force people to reconnect as they mourn over a loved one; I’m just saying that if you put a book like this one in the hands of an already depressed teen, the messages that a book like this unintentionally presents could lead to an attempt. I’m also frustrated with this book because any sort of near death experience could’ve replaced the suicide attempt and it would've still led to the romance starting. Why make such a big deal out of it being a suicide attempt when a car crash or a roller coaster breaking down or anything like that could’ve been used to bring about the desired romance without the bad handling of a triggering subject? I know people will come at me and say “but it’s representation” because that's what happened when I spoke out about that Netflix show several years ago, but what I’ll say is that you don’t understand how harmful these narratives are until you have been suicidal and you lose someone from suicide. I hope to god none of you will experience these things, so just take it from me: there’s a difference between respectfully including mental health representation and spreading messages that could make a suicidal person strongly consider attempting.
Besides the dealing of depression and suicide in this book, I didn’t like this book as a whole. It felt like it was supposed to be a character driven story, but I hated every character with a burning passion. I was internally screaming at all the characters to just go to therapy. I guess one of them did but the others needed therapy just as bad. All of them were so fundamentally flawed from the start that they aren’t able to redeem themselves in any way shape or form in my eyes. They all treat each other like crap and have toxic relationships. Here’s the rundown of my thoughts on these characters:
Harlow: I mean she was a good friend to Ellis when it happened. I’ll give her that much, but she was to blame for a lot of what led Tommy to his decision. She hated him and made his life hell for no reason. Don’t even get me started on the fact that she literally thought that if Tommy were hooking up with girls he wouldn’t be as depressed. She’s just a crappy person that needs years of therapy to process things so that she can maybe some day in the future be a good person.
Ellis: He’s just as bad as Harlow. I get that everyone processes trauma in different ways, but he seemed so insensitive and just plain rude to both Tommy and Harlow after what happened. He also seemed to have this air to him that he deserved to have all these privileges bestowed on him and he did reckless things whenever he didn’t get those privileges.
Tommy: Someone I knew with the same name is no longer here and didn’t get a second chance like this character so reading the scenes with Tommy was really draining for me. I really related to Tommy. Some of the exact quotes that he said explained my current mental state and I understood why he did what he did, but as a character, Tommy frustrated me. His mental health was used as a plot device to stir up romance and while Tommy was a character that I would’ve otherwise enjoyed, I couldn’t bring myself to like him because of that reason.
Coop: I’m very indifferent about him. I didn’t like him but he wasn’t as bad as the other characters. The other characters just treated him like garbage for the whole book because friendships apparently don’t matter to these characters. Apparently only plans for the future matter and it’s okay to damage friendships to reach those.
Jules: I mean, I guess I liked him but he was mainly just characterized by his relationship status and that's it so I feel like his character was somewhat of a missed opportunity.
The activists: They were purposefully designed to be annoying but why bother including wildlife activists who actually have a point in what they’re saying if you’re going to make them annoying? They’re the characters who had the best intentions but they were designed to be the people who everyone hated. It doesn’t sit right with me.
All the other characters: I mean what can I say? I didn’t like any of them enough to remember their names.
And the thing about this whole book is: this author can write a dang good romance with chemistry, but if the characters are crappy characters, then the romance means nothing. This book is also pitched as LGBTQ+ but it’s not the main romance that’s LGBTQ+ and it doesn’t even start until the 50% mark, which I don’t know… I guess I was just hoping for more LGBTQ+ rep? And though it wasn’t specified, it seemed like the queer relationship was between a minor and an adult? Like a high school junior and someone who had already graduated high school. Big yikes.
The last 10% of this book was a trainwreck. Characters started doing actions that didn’t make sense and the whole story didn’t end in a satisfying way. The ending was somewhat open ended so that you couldn’t tell exactly what was happening, but that just didn’t work for me. It works for some books, but not for this one.
I was extremely disappointed by this book. From the promising premise and the cool looking cover, I’d hoped for better. I even got really sick in the middle of reading this book and instead of being annoyed that I couldn’t read, I was glad that I had an excuse to procrastinate finishing this book so that says a lot about this book.
I received an eARC of this book through a YallWest giveaway and accessed it through NetGalley.
I normally hide my trigger warnings with spoiler tags, but I’ll be doing a deep dive about how the triggers were dealt with in this book, including mentions of my personal experiences with these topics. There’s no shame in not reading my review fully if you find it to be too intense.
First of all, I’d like to say thank you to Cassandra Hartt for including appropriate trigger warnings at the very start of the book. I don’t see trigger warnings enough in books, so I always like to give kudos to authors who use them.
That being said, my specific triggers were in this book. I waited until I was ready to handle those triggers before reading this book, but that still doesn’t stop my frustration and hatred for this book. I was suicidal for a few years in my life and I know two people who’ve passed away from suicide, so I’m very opinionated about books dealing depression and suicide. If a book is going to tackle those topics, it better do everything in its power to raise awareness for the topics, respectfully address the realities of the situation, and not make it seem like good things will come out of suicide or suicide attempts. This book did not do that. I’m at least grateful that I’ve had enough treatment for my depression to realize that this is wrong because if I had read a book like this or any book that suggested that positive things could result from a suicide attempt, I’m not sure I would be here today. I’m not saying that suicide can’t force people to reconnect as they mourn over a loved one; I’m just saying that if you put a book like this one in the hands of an already depressed teen, the messages that a book like this unintentionally presents could lead to an attempt. I’m also frustrated with this book because any sort of near death experience could’ve replaced the suicide attempt and it would've still led to the romance starting. Why make such a big deal out of it being a suicide attempt when a car crash or a roller coaster breaking down or anything like that could’ve been used to bring about the desired romance without the bad handling of a triggering subject? I know people will come at me and say “but it’s representation” because that's what happened when I spoke out about that Netflix show several years ago, but what I’ll say is that you don’t understand how harmful these narratives are until you have been suicidal and you lose someone from suicide. I hope to god none of you will experience these things, so just take it from me: there’s a difference between respectfully including mental health representation and spreading messages that could make a suicidal person strongly consider attempting.
Besides the dealing of depression and suicide in this book, I didn’t like this book as a whole. It felt like it was supposed to be a character driven story, but I hated every character with a burning passion. I was internally screaming at all the characters to just go to therapy. I guess one of them did but the others needed therapy just as bad. All of them were so fundamentally flawed from the start that they aren’t able to redeem themselves in any way shape or form in my eyes. They all treat each other like crap and have toxic relationships. Here’s the rundown of my thoughts on these characters:
Harlow: I mean she was a good friend to Ellis when it happened. I’ll give her that much, but she was to blame for a lot of what led Tommy to his decision. She hated him and made his life hell for no reason. Don’t even get me started on the fact that she literally thought that if Tommy were hooking up with girls he wouldn’t be as depressed. She’s just a crappy person that needs years of therapy to process things so that she can maybe some day in the future be a good person.
Ellis: He’s just as bad as Harlow. I get that everyone processes trauma in different ways, but he seemed so insensitive and just plain rude to both Tommy and Harlow after what happened. He also seemed to have this air to him that he deserved to have all these privileges bestowed on him and he did reckless things whenever he didn’t get those privileges.
Tommy: Someone I knew with the same name is no longer here and didn’t get a second chance like this character so reading the scenes with Tommy was really draining for me. I really related to Tommy. Some of the exact quotes that he said explained my current mental state and I understood why he did what he did, but as a character, Tommy frustrated me. His mental health was used as a plot device to stir up romance and while Tommy was a character that I would’ve otherwise enjoyed, I couldn’t bring myself to like him because of that reason.
Coop: I’m very indifferent about him. I didn’t like him but he wasn’t as bad as the other characters. The other characters just treated him like garbage for the whole book because friendships apparently don’t matter to these characters. Apparently only plans for the future matter and it’s okay to damage friendships to reach those.
Jules: I mean, I guess I liked him but he was mainly just characterized by his relationship status and that's it so I feel like his character was somewhat of a missed opportunity.
The activists: They were purposefully designed to be annoying but why bother including wildlife activists who actually have a point in what they’re saying if you’re going to make them annoying? They’re the characters who had the best intentions but they were designed to be the people who everyone hated. It doesn’t sit right with me.
All the other characters: I mean what can I say? I didn’t like any of them enough to remember their names.
And the thing about this whole book is: this author can write a dang good romance with chemistry, but if the characters are crappy characters, then the romance means nothing. This book is also pitched as LGBTQ+ but it’s not the main romance that’s LGBTQ+ and it doesn’t even start until the 50% mark, which I don’t know… I guess I was just hoping for more LGBTQ+ rep? And though it wasn’t specified, it seemed like the queer relationship was between a minor and an adult? Like a high school junior and someone who had already graduated high school. Big yikes.
The last 10% of this book was a trainwreck. Characters started doing actions that didn’t make sense and the whole story didn’t end in a satisfying way. The ending was somewhat open ended so that you couldn’t tell exactly what was happening, but that just didn’t work for me. It works for some books, but not for this one.
I was extremely disappointed by this book. From the promising premise and the cool looking cover, I’d hoped for better. I even got really sick in the middle of reading this book and instead of being annoyed that I couldn’t read, I was glad that I had an excuse to procrastinate finishing this book so that says a lot about this book.
I received an eARC of this book through a YallWest giveaway and accessed it through NetGalley.
June 21, 2021
The Short Version: A character driven YA story about the people we choose to love, those we don’t, the ways we all fail at ever really coping with our tragedies and the tangled knot of relationships that make up small towns. The undertow of this book will drag you out above your head and pack punches as punishing as the worst New England squalls.
The Long Version: I got to listen to the audiobook of this title thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books.
Very few things in this world sweeter than a diamond in the rough, and The Sea Is Salt And So Am I is certainly that. Prior to requesting this audiobook ARC, I had heard nothing about this title, and had not seen it on any upcoming release lists. As such, I worried this might not be a home run, but was pleasantly surprised to find this so enjoyable.
The story is about three teenagers living in the small town of West Finch, Harlow, Tommy, and Ellis. West Finch is suffering the effects of climate change and is in danger of washing away into the sea within the next few years. Harlow and Ellis have a plan to graduate and leave West Finch behind; Tommy does not. But when Tommy tries to commit suicide, The relationships between these three tangle, untangle, and re-tangle in a myriad of ways.
This story is told alternating between the three teenagers, and all three were exquisitely created. I loved them all, I hated them all, I wanted them to get everything they wanted, I wanted them to get everything they deserved. They were snarky, and petty, and funny, and illogical in all the right ways. You could really sense the authors deep caring for them as the narratives unfolded.
The plot of this story was interesting in that simultaneously it feels like nothing major is happening but also that there are tectonic shifts are occurring in the lives of these three. The novel delves into depression, and suicide and teenage love, and small town politics but sometimes draws just short of really getting waist deep into any of it. The pacing kept my interest and I didn’t have a moment where I felt the narratives sagging.
The writing in the book was top notch from start to finish. It was artistic without feeling stuffy, and mostly felt true to the teenagers who were narrating, though occasionally stepped its toe over the line into being too high brow before withdrawing it again. Occasionally there were lines like “How unfair that a person’s heart can be so full in ways we can’t measure but broken in all the ways we can.” that collide against my suspension of disbelief and made me keenly aware there was an author peering through the window into this world. It didn’t ruin the story, but occasionally it was noticeable.
The dialogue was punchy without drifting into unrealistic and it dripped with the subtext you’d expect between teenagers who’ve spent their whole lives together and know each other better than they know themselves.
The story is multi POV and both the male and female narrator do their part to enhance the experience of this audiobook. The male narrator, having to serve as the narrator for both Tommy and Ellis, succeed in making each of these twin brothers distinct and unique. Both narrators enhance the emotion of the story and made me feel the emotion of the characters they were narrating for, the only negative thing I’d say about the female narrator‘s performance, is her voice is a little cheery and sing-song. When she introduces each chapter, she sounds bright and ebullient, however sometimes the chapters start in very emotional or dark places which was slightly jarring.
There were a few things however, that nagging me a little bit, and kept me from giving this a five star review.
First, the supporting characters, other than the dog, goose, felt a little like window dressing. The author gives them back stories, and introduces us to them, but considering how the story is about the tangle of relationships in small town’s, and how everyone is in everyone else’s business, I felt like we barely dip our toes into the lives of those supporting characters. This may be a little unfair, because to really get at the meet of the supporting characters, you would probably need 1000 pages or more, but I was just left wanting a little bit.
At times, the thin line between love and hate that pervades these relationships between Harlow, Tommy, and Ellis got a little old. They rapidly oscillate between the two poles and routinely question where their feelings really lie. It’s not so much that it’s unbelievable, it just got a little boring to have it happen over and over so often, to the point that at a couple places I was asking myself “Why do they keep interacting if this is how they feel?”
Lastly, the ending wasn’t all that I hoped it would be. Part of the problem is that there was so much for boating, so much hint of a catastrophe to come, that while there is tragedy in the ending, it didn’t hit the way I expected it to. I was planning to be decimated, but ultimately was not. In someways, at the ending, so much has happened, but then again, nothing has happened, which was also unfulfilling. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, which in some ways feels appropriate, but also in someways feels more suited for a movie, then this book. I don’t think the ending was poor, in many ways it makes perfect sense, I just wanted something different.
Overall a very strong 4 out of 5. I emphatically recommend for anyone who likes character driven YA stories and young readers looking to leave more fluffy, sugary, bubble gum YA behind.
Component Ratings
Concept/Idea: 3.5 out of 5
Main Characters: 4.5 out of 5
Supporting characters named Goose: 5 out of 5
Supporting characters not named Goose: 3.5 out of 5
Character Development: 4.5 out of 5
Plot: 3.5 out of 5
Pacing: 4.5 out of 5
Prose: 4 out of 5
Dialogue: 4.5 out of 5
Female Narrator’s Performance: 4 out of 5
Male Narrator’s Performance: 4.5 out of 5
Ending: 3 out 5
The Long Version: I got to listen to the audiobook of this title thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books.
Very few things in this world sweeter than a diamond in the rough, and The Sea Is Salt And So Am I is certainly that. Prior to requesting this audiobook ARC, I had heard nothing about this title, and had not seen it on any upcoming release lists. As such, I worried this might not be a home run, but was pleasantly surprised to find this so enjoyable.
The story is about three teenagers living in the small town of West Finch, Harlow, Tommy, and Ellis. West Finch is suffering the effects of climate change and is in danger of washing away into the sea within the next few years. Harlow and Ellis have a plan to graduate and leave West Finch behind; Tommy does not. But when Tommy tries to commit suicide, The relationships between these three tangle, untangle, and re-tangle in a myriad of ways.
This story is told alternating between the three teenagers, and all three were exquisitely created. I loved them all, I hated them all, I wanted them to get everything they wanted, I wanted them to get everything they deserved. They were snarky, and petty, and funny, and illogical in all the right ways. You could really sense the authors deep caring for them as the narratives unfolded.
The plot of this story was interesting in that simultaneously it feels like nothing major is happening but also that there are tectonic shifts are occurring in the lives of these three. The novel delves into depression, and suicide and teenage love, and small town politics but sometimes draws just short of really getting waist deep into any of it. The pacing kept my interest and I didn’t have a moment where I felt the narratives sagging.
The writing in the book was top notch from start to finish. It was artistic without feeling stuffy, and mostly felt true to the teenagers who were narrating, though occasionally stepped its toe over the line into being too high brow before withdrawing it again. Occasionally there were lines like “How unfair that a person’s heart can be so full in ways we can’t measure but broken in all the ways we can.” that collide against my suspension of disbelief and made me keenly aware there was an author peering through the window into this world. It didn’t ruin the story, but occasionally it was noticeable.
The dialogue was punchy without drifting into unrealistic and it dripped with the subtext you’d expect between teenagers who’ve spent their whole lives together and know each other better than they know themselves.
The story is multi POV and both the male and female narrator do their part to enhance the experience of this audiobook. The male narrator, having to serve as the narrator for both Tommy and Ellis, succeed in making each of these twin brothers distinct and unique. Both narrators enhance the emotion of the story and made me feel the emotion of the characters they were narrating for, the only negative thing I’d say about the female narrator‘s performance, is her voice is a little cheery and sing-song. When she introduces each chapter, she sounds bright and ebullient, however sometimes the chapters start in very emotional or dark places which was slightly jarring.
There were a few things however, that nagging me a little bit, and kept me from giving this a five star review.
First, the supporting characters, other than the dog, goose, felt a little like window dressing. The author gives them back stories, and introduces us to them, but considering how the story is about the tangle of relationships in small town’s, and how everyone is in everyone else’s business, I felt like we barely dip our toes into the lives of those supporting characters. This may be a little unfair, because to really get at the meet of the supporting characters, you would probably need 1000 pages or more, but I was just left wanting a little bit.
At times, the thin line between love and hate that pervades these relationships between Harlow, Tommy, and Ellis got a little old. They rapidly oscillate between the two poles and routinely question where their feelings really lie. It’s not so much that it’s unbelievable, it just got a little boring to have it happen over and over so often, to the point that at a couple places I was asking myself “Why do they keep interacting if this is how they feel?”
Lastly, the ending wasn’t all that I hoped it would be. Part of the problem is that there was so much for boating, so much hint of a catastrophe to come, that while there is tragedy in the ending, it didn’t hit the way I expected it to. I was planning to be decimated, but ultimately was not. In someways, at the ending, so much has happened, but then again, nothing has happened, which was also unfulfilling. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, which in some ways feels appropriate, but also in someways feels more suited for a movie, then this book. I don’t think the ending was poor, in many ways it makes perfect sense, I just wanted something different.
Overall a very strong 4 out of 5. I emphatically recommend for anyone who likes character driven YA stories and young readers looking to leave more fluffy, sugary, bubble gum YA behind.
Component Ratings
Concept/Idea: 3.5 out of 5
Main Characters: 4.5 out of 5
Supporting characters named Goose: 5 out of 5
Supporting characters not named Goose: 3.5 out of 5
Character Development: 4.5 out of 5
Plot: 3.5 out of 5
Pacing: 4.5 out of 5
Prose: 4 out of 5
Dialogue: 4.5 out of 5
Female Narrator’s Performance: 4 out of 5
Male Narrator’s Performance: 4.5 out of 5
Ending: 3 out 5
August 13, 2021
3 stars.
UPDATE : I got approved for the full audiobook like one day before publication date and I am so sad that I will not be changing the rating because it did not deliver but it wasn't horrible either. I will not be reviewing the full book for now but maybe after a re-read in the future, I might!
SAMPLER REVIEW BELOW
【 TW: suicide, clinical depression 】There is a trigger warning before in the book itself.
The sampler was 59 pages and it was packed. We met our three main characters; Harlow, Ellis and Tommy, and also read chapters from all their POVs. The plot is extremely distinct(read the back-cover blurb in the Goodreads description!) and the setting is well thought out. Cassandra Hartt did an amazing job at capturing the atmosphere of West Finch and I felt like I could taste and hear the ocean as I read.
The setting up of the plot was done impeccably. This sampler raised a lot more questions than answers which is exactly how the beginning of a book should be. I just know this one's gonna be a page-turner. Despite Harlow's casual humour & innocence, she seems to be harbouring a lot of secrets and her in this sampler, is merely a thin blanket covering what beast lies underneath. I feel that this applies even more accurately to Ellis.
The writing did get a little blurry when describing events as there was too much hinting and too little showing/telling. it left me a little confused & having to go back to re-read some parts multiple times(& still come out confused). So these 60 pages did take me a little longer than 60 pages normally would've.
I must say I quite dislike Harlow and Ellis, although I found their friendship fairly amiable. The way they treated Tommy is quite despicable and Harlow even more so. I couldn't help but feel disgusted several times while reading her chapters.
Me @ Harlow at least 5 times throughout this sampler:
If she does not undergo a good arc, I'm afraid I'd have to hate her, because I kind of already do. But! I never shy away from bad main characters because it means shying away from a potentially epic character arc. Tommy, I absolutely loved. I felt deeply for him especially with his interactions with Goose. I hope he gets better at the end. He deserves to.
Overall, I think this has potential to be a solid book that sheds light on very important conversations but I think it is delicate ground and the characters(that aren't Tommy) just seem to be stomping on it right now. I am both anxious and excited for this book!
Thank you Netgalley for the extended sampler read! This is my honest review of the sampler.
〖 Follow me on Instagram (@shashaybooks)! 〗
-written on May 22, 2021-
_________________
17 May 2021, Pre-read review:
I'm so glad the publisher provided readers with an excerpt of this book through NetGalley! I am so excited to get to it very very soon!
Excerpt review to come <3
also can we talk about this gorgeous cover?
UPDATE : I got approved for the full audiobook like one day before publication date and I am so sad that I will not be changing the rating because it did not deliver but it wasn't horrible either. I will not be reviewing the full book for now but maybe after a re-read in the future, I might!
SAMPLER REVIEW BELOW
【 TW: suicide, clinical depression 】There is a trigger warning before in the book itself.
The sampler was 59 pages and it was packed. We met our three main characters; Harlow, Ellis and Tommy, and also read chapters from all their POVs. The plot is extremely distinct(read the back-cover blurb in the Goodreads description!) and the setting is well thought out. Cassandra Hartt did an amazing job at capturing the atmosphere of West Finch and I felt like I could taste and hear the ocean as I read.
The setting up of the plot was done impeccably. This sampler raised a lot more questions than answers which is exactly how the beginning of a book should be. I just know this one's gonna be a page-turner. Despite Harlow's casual humour & innocence, she seems to be harbouring a lot of secrets and her in this sampler, is merely a thin blanket covering what beast lies underneath. I feel that this applies even more accurately to Ellis.
The writing did get a little blurry when describing events as there was too much hinting and too little showing/telling. it left me a little confused & having to go back to re-read some parts multiple times(& still come out confused). So these 60 pages did take me a little longer than 60 pages normally would've.
I must say I quite dislike Harlow and Ellis, although I found their friendship fairly amiable. The way they treated Tommy is quite despicable and Harlow even more so. I couldn't help but feel disgusted several times while reading her chapters.
Me @ Harlow at least 5 times throughout this sampler:
If she does not undergo a good arc, I'm afraid I'd have to hate her, because I kind of already do. But! I never shy away from bad main characters because it means shying away from a potentially epic character arc. Tommy, I absolutely loved. I felt deeply for him especially with his interactions with Goose. I hope he gets better at the end. He deserves to.
Overall, I think this has potential to be a solid book that sheds light on very important conversations but I think it is delicate ground and the characters(that aren't Tommy) just seem to be stomping on it right now. I am both anxious and excited for this book!
Thank you Netgalley for the extended sampler read! This is my honest review of the sampler.
〖 Follow me on Instagram (@shashaybooks)! 〗
-written on May 22, 2021-
_________________
17 May 2021, Pre-read review:
I'm so glad the publisher provided readers with an excerpt of this book through NetGalley! I am so excited to get to it very very soon!
Excerpt review to come <3
also can we talk about this gorgeous cover?
August 9, 2021
not an easy feat giving a book a 1 star rating, let alone reviewing it—but sadly this one in particular was just irredeemable for me.
the sea is salt and so am i had a promising premise, and the first chunk of the book showed great potential too. small seaside town teetering on the edge of natural dangers? following 3 teens as their lives tangle and untangle only to tangle again? real and raw depictions of depression and mental illness? i was all in for it, and the writing was good, the setting and atmosphere were there, the characterizations were vivid and real—and i really could see myself loving this book.
unfortunately, that was not the case. there came a point where it was just a frustrating experience of seeing the characters “develop” (but that’s really not the word to use, in fact the opposite.) abruptly. two of the three main povs we’re following were unlikable (as intentional by the author) which interested and intrigued me at first, until their arcs fluctuated with actions that were out of character or didn’t really fit the story.
at the start of the book, i was very much enjoying diving deep into tommy’s character and seeing how he deals with his mental illness—although that quickly fell flat later and became very surface-level. on the other hand, following ellis and harlow was a nightmare; the toxicity brewing between them could be spotted a mile away. now, i understand we are following teenagers in this story and the drama and angst is understandable, but i found the overall themes in this book to be hypocritical and paradoxical and did not serve a real purpose.
on top of all that, there was no real resolution by the end. and if there was a part i didn’t like, there was a part i was bored with and found added nothing at all to the story or the crumbling character arcs. it’s very evident how i couldn’t find a single thing to save this book—thinking on it just gives me a sour feeling.
i’m more frustrated than anyone that i disliked this book that much. i do not recommend.
content warnings: car accidents, death of loved ones, depictions of (severe) depression, suicide ideation, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, etc.
— audiobook provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
the sea is salt and so am i had a promising premise, and the first chunk of the book showed great potential too. small seaside town teetering on the edge of natural dangers? following 3 teens as their lives tangle and untangle only to tangle again? real and raw depictions of depression and mental illness? i was all in for it, and the writing was good, the setting and atmosphere were there, the characterizations were vivid and real—and i really could see myself loving this book.
unfortunately, that was not the case. there came a point where it was just a frustrating experience of seeing the characters “develop” (but that’s really not the word to use, in fact the opposite.) abruptly. two of the three main povs we’re following were unlikable (as intentional by the author) which interested and intrigued me at first, until their arcs fluctuated with actions that were out of character or didn’t really fit the story.
at the start of the book, i was very much enjoying diving deep into tommy’s character and seeing how he deals with his mental illness—although that quickly fell flat later and became very surface-level. on the other hand, following ellis and harlow was a nightmare; the toxicity brewing between them could be spotted a mile away. now, i understand we are following teenagers in this story and the drama and angst is understandable, but i found the overall themes in this book to be hypocritical and paradoxical and did not serve a real purpose.
on top of all that, there was no real resolution by the end. and if there was a part i didn’t like, there was a part i was bored with and found added nothing at all to the story or the crumbling character arcs. it’s very evident how i couldn’t find a single thing to save this book—thinking on it just gives me a sour feeling.
i’m more frustrated than anyone that i disliked this book that much. i do not recommend.
content warnings: car accidents, death of loved ones, depictions of (severe) depression, suicide ideation, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, etc.
— audiobook provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2020
PREFACE: I'm reviewing this as a YA title - but, if I looked at it through the lens of literary fiction, I'd have an entirely different take.
There are moments when you'll think, "This is what John Green tried to do for mental illness in Turtles All the Way Down." But then Hartt throws in one more plot complication and the seasonal storm threatening to pull the town of West Finch into the ocean looks like it is going to take the entire plot of the novel with it. If this was intended for an adult audience, I could ride out the continual crash of new content, but the foundation of the story cannot take another wave pummelling its foundation, and that, too, is looking like it is headed out to sea.
Told from the point of view of three teenage characters, two of whom are twin brothers and the other is one brother's friend, one's enemy. One brother is bi, the other is not. One brother lost a leg and the other did not. One brother has a best friend, the other does not. One brother watches the other go into the raging, frigid Atlantic Ocean in March. He says nothing. But alas, the brother at sea is discovered by a lobster fisherman, and he spends some time in the hospital recovering. But his notes were found. Did not complete. Must come back from the worst or try again.
And then there is Harlow, the friend, who is a meddler and a fighter, currently advocating for saving the town from eroding back into the sea. But she can't because of the Piping Plovers, tiny endangered birds who lay their eggs on the beach. However, Harlow thinks she can save things, even when she is causing the problem.
All worthwhile topics with so much merit, but the book is long and there's so much more to unpack. If it is YA, it needs to take a step back. If it is literary fiction - then dive into the stormy sea. There is some strong writing in these pages, and the cover is spot-on perfect for this title.
#netgalley
There are moments when you'll think, "This is what John Green tried to do for mental illness in Turtles All the Way Down." But then Hartt throws in one more plot complication and the seasonal storm threatening to pull the town of West Finch into the ocean looks like it is going to take the entire plot of the novel with it. If this was intended for an adult audience, I could ride out the continual crash of new content, but the foundation of the story cannot take another wave pummelling its foundation, and that, too, is looking like it is headed out to sea.
Told from the point of view of three teenage characters, two of whom are twin brothers and the other is one brother's friend, one's enemy. One brother is bi, the other is not. One brother lost a leg and the other did not. One brother has a best friend, the other does not. One brother watches the other go into the raging, frigid Atlantic Ocean in March. He says nothing. But alas, the brother at sea is discovered by a lobster fisherman, and he spends some time in the hospital recovering. But his notes were found. Did not complete. Must come back from the worst or try again.
And then there is Harlow, the friend, who is a meddler and a fighter, currently advocating for saving the town from eroding back into the sea. But she can't because of the Piping Plovers, tiny endangered birds who lay their eggs on the beach. However, Harlow thinks she can save things, even when she is causing the problem.
All worthwhile topics with so much merit, but the book is long and there's so much more to unpack. If it is YA, it needs to take a step back. If it is literary fiction - then dive into the stormy sea. There is some strong writing in these pages, and the cover is spot-on perfect for this title.
#netgalley
September 9, 2021
This was a story that had so much potential. But sadly, it ends without any of the potential being actualised.
There is the climate change angle, as the location of West Finch is slowly disappearing under water.
There is the mental health angle, with one of the three main characters suffering from severe depression.
There is the friendship vs. romance angle, with two characters trying to know where they stand with each other.
There is the us vs. them angle, where each side of the climate activists seem to see things only from their perspective instead of trying to reach common ground.
There is the dissimilar twins angle, where the brothers seem to have for a life of contrasts in their outlook as well as decisions.
Any of these angles would have given us a well-developed story and memorable characters. But this book wastes all these opportunities and just goes on and on without going anywhere. (I would have DNFed it for sure were it not an audiobook.) It seemed like a waste of time, especially once you reach the end and see how weak the finale is. This is a Contemporary YA book masquerading as a Literary Fiction, but it does justice to neither because these two genres are like oil and water. The only good part of the book is how it represents the pressures of depression. None of the characters are likeable and I couldn't connect to any of them.
The 12.5 hours long audio didn't feel worthwhile considering the story. Of the three narrators, I liked only the one who voiced Harlow. The male narrators voicing the twins Ellis and Tommy sounded much older than the characters' ages, and their performance seemed lacklustre.
I might have liked this a little better if I had read it. But even then, it might just have been a decent one-time read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
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There is the climate change angle, as the location of West Finch is slowly disappearing under water.
There is the mental health angle, with one of the three main characters suffering from severe depression.
There is the friendship vs. romance angle, with two characters trying to know where they stand with each other.
There is the us vs. them angle, where each side of the climate activists seem to see things only from their perspective instead of trying to reach common ground.
There is the dissimilar twins angle, where the brothers seem to have for a life of contrasts in their outlook as well as decisions.
Any of these angles would have given us a well-developed story and memorable characters. But this book wastes all these opportunities and just goes on and on without going anywhere. (I would have DNFed it for sure were it not an audiobook.) It seemed like a waste of time, especially once you reach the end and see how weak the finale is. This is a Contemporary YA book masquerading as a Literary Fiction, but it does justice to neither because these two genres are like oil and water. The only good part of the book is how it represents the pressures of depression. None of the characters are likeable and I couldn't connect to any of them.
The 12.5 hours long audio didn't feel worthwhile considering the story. Of the three narrators, I liked only the one who voiced Harlow. The male narrators voicing the twins Ellis and Tommy sounded much older than the characters' ages, and their performance seemed lacklustre.
I might have liked this a little better if I had read it. But even then, it might just have been a decent one-time read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews
June 23, 2021
The Sea is Salt and So am I is set in a small town which is facing the risk of going under the ocean bit by bit with every storm. There live three teenagers - a pair of twin brothers (Ellis and Tommy) and their friend/acquaintance Harlow. The story is a roller-coaster ride of their relationship, dreams and life in general. The book opens with the two best friends, Ellis and Harlow witnessing what they didn’t understand to be a suicide attempt by Tommy. It spirals from there into many things, keeping the main focus on mental health, and the inter-personal relation of the characters. The characters behave like teenagers, they are confused but don’t know it, and they are messed up at lot of things. It’s relatable. Their relations are complex, which is nicely explored. The writing in itself is pretty good.
What didn’t work for me mainly is the length of the book. For a large part the story went on in a circle without really going anywhere. It needs a more editing to bring out the story well. Also, I wish the threat of the town going underwater was utilized better. Such a powerful element only remained in the background.
I listened to the audio version, and it’s really well narrated. Especially the narrator for Harlow’s voice is perfectly suited for a teenage girl.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and RB media.
What didn’t work for me mainly is the length of the book. For a large part the story went on in a circle without really going anywhere. It needs a more editing to bring out the story well. Also, I wish the threat of the town going underwater was utilized better. Such a powerful element only remained in the background.
I listened to the audio version, and it’s really well narrated. Especially the narrator for Harlow’s voice is perfectly suited for a teenage girl.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and RB media.
June 19, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this novel.
On the one hand I appreciated the fact that this book offers quite complicated and messy relationship among its characters. Their dynamics were multilayered and I feel like they could have been explored even more.
On the other hand some of the characters weren't likeable and I did not emphatize with them at all.
I don't wanna say much about the characters because I truly believe that it's better to go into this book without knowing too much and just follow the characters along since I think this is a very character-driven novel. There's also a subplot about the town and a storm but I must admit that it didn't interest me much and I also felt like it was overall quite weak.
On the one hand I appreciated the fact that this book offers quite complicated and messy relationship among its characters. Their dynamics were multilayered and I feel like they could have been explored even more.
On the other hand some of the characters weren't likeable and I did not emphatize with them at all.
I don't wanna say much about the characters because I truly believe that it's better to go into this book without knowing too much and just follow the characters along since I think this is a very character-driven novel. There's also a subplot about the town and a storm but I must admit that it didn't interest me much and I also felt like it was overall quite weak.
June 29, 2021
Maybe I'm missing something here. I understand the author has spoken about writing unlikeable characters, but I thought the point was that eventually they grow and you start seeing their side. In this, I immediately disliked Harlow and Ellis and that didn't really change. Harlow especially was mean, vindictive, and careless about other's feelings. She thinks highly of herself because she's an activist, but her plans aren't realistic and when other's point out the flaws she just lashes out. If she left at the end and we just saw the brothers grow closer, I would have enjoyed this more.
The pacing in this is slow and I wasn't really sure what point we were heading toward. Just the end of summer I guess? The book rotates through Harlow, Ellis, and Tommy's points of view and Tommy is definitely the best character. I felt so much empathy for what he was going through and just wanted him to be cared for. I loved his dog Goose and they have an adorable relationship. Tommy will do anything for her and they were the best part.
I can see why some people have loved this, if you're really into flawed characters and more forgiving than I am, you'll like it more. I wish the ending was less open ended, but at least it wasn't too sad.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the copy.
The pacing in this is slow and I wasn't really sure what point we were heading toward. Just the end of summer I guess? The book rotates through Harlow, Ellis, and Tommy's points of view and Tommy is definitely the best character. I felt so much empathy for what he was going through and just wanted him to be cared for. I loved his dog Goose and they have an adorable relationship. Tommy will do anything for her and they were the best part.
I can see why some people have loved this, if you're really into flawed characters and more forgiving than I am, you'll like it more. I wish the ending was less open ended, but at least it wasn't too sad.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the copy.
June 29, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Sea Is Salt and So Am I was interesting. In it, you will meet Ellis and tommy who are twin brothers. As well as Harlow, who is their friend. I'll admit that throughout the entire book I only truly liked/enjoyed Tommy. The other two could walk right out of this book and I wouldn't even notice. I just wanted a huge fan of them and how they treated Tommy in the beginning. Or really throughout the entire book.
Besides liking Tommy, I really adored his friendship with his dog Goose. First off, the name is completely adorable. Second, can I please kidnap Goose for myself? Third, pretty please? My dogs need a dog friend.
Other than that, the book was just okay. The pace was pretty slow throughout the entire thing and I was afraid for things to get repetitive since we just kept going through the three point of views. Two of which I just didn't care for. If they had more growth or likable personality.. then maybe my opinion would have changed. Unfortunately, it didn't.
In the end, I'm glad that I got the chance to dive into this. I just wish things went a bit differently after all the flaws were out in the open.
The Sea Is Salt and So Am I was interesting. In it, you will meet Ellis and tommy who are twin brothers. As well as Harlow, who is their friend. I'll admit that throughout the entire book I only truly liked/enjoyed Tommy. The other two could walk right out of this book and I wouldn't even notice. I just wanted a huge fan of them and how they treated Tommy in the beginning. Or really throughout the entire book.
Besides liking Tommy, I really adored his friendship with his dog Goose. First off, the name is completely adorable. Second, can I please kidnap Goose for myself? Third, pretty please? My dogs need a dog friend.
Other than that, the book was just okay. The pace was pretty slow throughout the entire thing and I was afraid for things to get repetitive since we just kept going through the three point of views. Two of which I just didn't care for. If they had more growth or likable personality.. then maybe my opinion would have changed. Unfortunately, it didn't.
In the end, I'm glad that I got the chance to dive into this. I just wish things went a bit differently after all the flaws were out in the open.
June 9, 2021
Thank you so much to Roaring Book Press via Bookish First for the finished copy of The Sea Is Salt and So am I!
I'm going to open this with one of my infamous @onereadingnurse medical rants: Don't*stop*taking*your*psych meds*or *antidepressants (or any other medication) just *because*you*feel*better*!! Also parents: for f*cks sake don't trust that your teenager is taking them either, the lack of parental oversight in this book had me so frustrated as a medical person!
This book focuses on three teens in a town that is one storm short of being lost to sea, and the lifelong attention-seeking competition between them. Twin brothers and a girl that entered the picture about 5-6 years prior just constantly swing attention seeking behaviors back and forth through poor life decisions, making each other's lives miserable, and refusing to be happy for each other. Like typical teenagers, they have no introspection that the entire world and all of the others' life decisions doesn't revolve around them.
One brother lost a leg, the parents spent a fortune on a running blade...so the other brother probably started feeling bad, and said well I'll eventually bottom out and kill myself. Fast forward to now and I swear it's a competition. Oh yeah? Well I'm going to crash a car. I'll top you by going off my meds again. Well I'm going to ruin your relationship and do risky sexual behaviors... The two brothers just. never. quit. Then the girl is trying to fix everyone and everything but is so self absorbed, and each one thinks it's their fault that the others are behaving as such. The other part is that their parents all seem too wrapped up in other things to be paying half enough attention and its one big selfish summer in West Finch.
It's really a decent book though and takes a good look at why teens shouldn't think everything is their fault. It explores how our actions affect those around us. There is great description and scenery, a small town atmosphere, and a silly dog named Goose sho is only 6 but everyone seems to write off as ancient. Why do they keep saying a 6 year old dog is like ready to drop dead of old age, I had one live til 14! My one other peeve is that even when used as slang, *cringe*, God should be capitalized in text. I think it appeared 2-3 times and I've never seen it lowercased like that
It's a good YA read, I know a lot of people are focusing on mental health these days so it's a well timed book
I'm going to open this with one of my infamous @onereadingnurse medical rants: Don't*stop*taking*your*psych meds*or *antidepressants (or any other medication) just *because*you*feel*better*!! Also parents: for f*cks sake don't trust that your teenager is taking them either, the lack of parental oversight in this book had me so frustrated as a medical person!
This book focuses on three teens in a town that is one storm short of being lost to sea, and the lifelong attention-seeking competition between them. Twin brothers and a girl that entered the picture about 5-6 years prior just constantly swing attention seeking behaviors back and forth through poor life decisions, making each other's lives miserable, and refusing to be happy for each other. Like typical teenagers, they have no introspection that the entire world and all of the others' life decisions doesn't revolve around them.
One brother lost a leg, the parents spent a fortune on a running blade...so the other brother probably started feeling bad, and said well I'll eventually bottom out and kill myself. Fast forward to now and I swear it's a competition. Oh yeah? Well I'm going to crash a car. I'll top you by going off my meds again. Well I'm going to ruin your relationship and do risky sexual behaviors... The two brothers just. never. quit. Then the girl is trying to fix everyone and everything but is so self absorbed, and each one thinks it's their fault that the others are behaving as such. The other part is that their parents all seem too wrapped up in other things to be paying half enough attention and its one big selfish summer in West Finch.
It's really a decent book though and takes a good look at why teens shouldn't think everything is their fault. It explores how our actions affect those around us. There is great description and scenery, a small town atmosphere, and a silly dog named Goose sho is only 6 but everyone seems to write off as ancient. Why do they keep saying a 6 year old dog is like ready to drop dead of old age, I had one live til 14! My one other peeve is that even when used as slang, *cringe*, God should be capitalized in text. I think it appeared 2-3 times and I've never seen it lowercased like that
It's a good YA read, I know a lot of people are focusing on mental health these days so it's a well timed book
June 15, 2021
CW: attempted suicide; detailed depictions of depression
First you should know that I am a total sucker for a very niche type of book: Things set in small seaside towns that burst with emotion and are full of secrets. (Hence me reading Stay and The Last True Poets of the Sea multiple times each). This book completes my personal seaside trifecta and delivers just that. Emphasis on the emotions. Emphasis on the secrets. Plus: complex mental health, morally gray characters, and climate change.
The story weaves together three points of view: There's Harlow, a budding conservationist concerned with preserving her hometown of West Finch, Maine from rising tides--and preserving her life the way it is while she's at it. There's her best friend, Ellis, a runner who wants nothing more than to run away. And his twin brother, Tommy, outcasted by Ellis and Harlow, repairing his mental health after a suicide attempt, and working extra hours at the family's diner to pay for his dog Goose's surgery. Hartt deftly navigates these perspectives, sometimes focalizing the story through the character who is on the outskirts of a scene, sometimes hiding the character's secrets from the reader, sometimes exposing their ugliest sides.
Hartt has written a piece on her fascination with unlikeable characters, and some people will want to know going in not to expect redemption arcs for these characters. Part of the journey of this book, for me, was growing to like characters and then having my opinions of them shifted and my compassion tested. Some people are not going to like this (or think teens can handle it), especially given the weight of depicting depression. For me, someone uninterested in didactic YA books, it was a literary exploration of empathy--on top of a truly engrossing, emotions-driven page turner.
I also want to highlight that there is SO much kissing and angst, a bisexual POV character, and the goodest dog. AND I read it in two days. Hartt's beautiful, emotional writing is reminiscent of Jandy Nelson, and--hear me out--the unapologetic spotlight on human imperfection reminds me of Wilder Girls. This book hit so many good notes for me (some expected and others a surprise) and I see TSISASAI as a great, literary crossover title for mature teens and new adult readers of YA in the contemporary/realistic fiction space.
First you should know that I am a total sucker for a very niche type of book: Things set in small seaside towns that burst with emotion and are full of secrets. (Hence me reading Stay and The Last True Poets of the Sea multiple times each). This book completes my personal seaside trifecta and delivers just that. Emphasis on the emotions. Emphasis on the secrets. Plus: complex mental health, morally gray characters, and climate change.
The story weaves together three points of view: There's Harlow, a budding conservationist concerned with preserving her hometown of West Finch, Maine from rising tides--and preserving her life the way it is while she's at it. There's her best friend, Ellis, a runner who wants nothing more than to run away. And his twin brother, Tommy, outcasted by Ellis and Harlow, repairing his mental health after a suicide attempt, and working extra hours at the family's diner to pay for his dog Goose's surgery. Hartt deftly navigates these perspectives, sometimes focalizing the story through the character who is on the outskirts of a scene, sometimes hiding the character's secrets from the reader, sometimes exposing their ugliest sides.
Hartt has written a piece on her fascination with unlikeable characters, and some people will want to know going in not to expect redemption arcs for these characters. Part of the journey of this book, for me, was growing to like characters and then having my opinions of them shifted and my compassion tested. Some people are not going to like this (or think teens can handle it), especially given the weight of depicting depression. For me, someone uninterested in didactic YA books, it was a literary exploration of empathy--on top of a truly engrossing, emotions-driven page turner.
I also want to highlight that there is SO much kissing and angst, a bisexual POV character, and the goodest dog. AND I read it in two days. Hartt's beautiful, emotional writing is reminiscent of Jandy Nelson, and--hear me out--the unapologetic spotlight on human imperfection reminds me of Wilder Girls. This book hit so many good notes for me (some expected and others a surprise) and I see TSISASAI as a great, literary crossover title for mature teens and new adult readers of YA in the contemporary/realistic fiction space.
June 28, 2021
**Copy of this book provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I didn't get it.
Harlow Prout is a sixteen-year-old tactless and very unlikable heroine. The whole book focuses on two toxic relationships she is creating with twin brothers - Ellis and Tommy. Ellis, the "best friend", is almost as unlikable as Harlow. They are spending majority of the time together, they are eating breakfast from the same plate and it is not uncommon for them to share a bed. Harlow has an obvious crush on Ellis but he keeps insisting that he is not interested in Harlow "in that way". He also cannot imagine his future without her by his side, as a best friend obviously. Harlow manipulates Ellis, she is bossing him around and planning his future and almost every single day for him. In return, Ellis often behaves in certain way just to make Harlow mad and feels very embarrassed by her on multiple occasions. Both characters will often think how they don't like the other person and yet there is not even a slightest attempt to talk about how they feel. It sounds hardly like a healthy relationship but thats the peak of the iceberg because we haven't introduced Tommy yet.
The book starts when Tommy attempts to commit a suicide. With a neck-breaking twist of logic Harlow decides that she will help Tommy with his depression by making out with him which is wrong on so many levels I don't even know how to comment that. The romance ensues with Harlow being constantly terrified that Ellis will discover the truth and Tommy magically forgetting about how he hates Harlow microsecond after their lips connect. And so the toxic spiral becomes more and more bizarre but not in an entertaining way. I vaguely remember being a teenager but this level of emotional confusion was never a part of it. I don't recommend it.
I didn't get it.
Harlow Prout is a sixteen-year-old tactless and very unlikable heroine. The whole book focuses on two toxic relationships she is creating with twin brothers - Ellis and Tommy. Ellis, the "best friend", is almost as unlikable as Harlow. They are spending majority of the time together, they are eating breakfast from the same plate and it is not uncommon for them to share a bed. Harlow has an obvious crush on Ellis but he keeps insisting that he is not interested in Harlow "in that way". He also cannot imagine his future without her by his side, as a best friend obviously. Harlow manipulates Ellis, she is bossing him around and planning his future and almost every single day for him. In return, Ellis often behaves in certain way just to make Harlow mad and feels very embarrassed by her on multiple occasions. Both characters will often think how they don't like the other person and yet there is not even a slightest attempt to talk about how they feel. It sounds hardly like a healthy relationship but thats the peak of the iceberg because we haven't introduced Tommy yet.
The book starts when Tommy attempts to commit a suicide. With a neck-breaking twist of logic Harlow decides that she will help Tommy with his depression by making out with him which is wrong on so many levels I don't even know how to comment that. The romance ensues with Harlow being constantly terrified that Ellis will discover the truth and Tommy magically forgetting about how he hates Harlow microsecond after their lips connect. And so the toxic spiral becomes more and more bizarre but not in an entertaining way. I vaguely remember being a teenager but this level of emotional confusion was never a part of it. I don't recommend it.
Read
August 29, 2021DNF @ 50%
I was listening to the audiobook of this for the longest time but I was just not enjoying it so I thought that it's finally time to just put it down - though I might pick it up again as an ebook in the future. The Sea Is Salt and So Am I definitely has its good points - the writing was very reminiscent of the YA books I read when I was younger, like The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and it felt very nostalgic in that sense, and I really enjoyed the disability and the depression representation. The characters are all very unlikeable and messy, which they are meant to be, and I cannot fault the author's writing of them in that sense - it made for a very refreshing story - but it got to the point where they had no redeeming qualities or any semblance of a personality trait that would make me connect to them, and I just felt like I was trudging through the story as there wasn't any real plot development until around the 50% mark.
Want more queer books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
I was listening to the audiobook of this for the longest time but I was just not enjoying it so I thought that it's finally time to just put it down - though I might pick it up again as an ebook in the future. The Sea Is Salt and So Am I definitely has its good points - the writing was very reminiscent of the YA books I read when I was younger, like The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and it felt very nostalgic in that sense, and I really enjoyed the disability and the depression representation. The characters are all very unlikeable and messy, which they are meant to be, and I cannot fault the author's writing of them in that sense - it made for a very refreshing story - but it got to the point where they had no redeeming qualities or any semblance of a personality trait that would make me connect to them, and I just felt like I was trudging through the story as there wasn't any real plot development until around the 50% mark.
Want more queer books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
May 20, 2021
CW: depression, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, previous alcoholism and infidelity, death of loved one, car accident, cancer and chemotherapy (pet dog related), underage drinking
I'm not quite sure how to rate/review this book. It may definitely be a case of it's me not you. Cassandra Hartt's writing was really beautiful and thoughtful and kept me reading into the wee hours of the night, but it was also too convoluted at times with many things implied or hinted at but never fully stated. Perhaps that was the point though?
The Sea is Salt and So Am I is a character driven novel and is told from the POV of the three teen main characters - Harlow and identical twins, Ellis and Tommy. All the characters are flawed from the adults to the teens that the story focuses on, and though I didn't particularly like any of them, I felt that the relationships depicted were very accurate and honest. The complex relationships between childhood friends, parent and child, siblings, found families, classmates, and town residents. Ellis and Tommy's estranged relationship as well as Tommy and Cliff's was especially moving and thoughtful. The discussion and depiction of depression and mental illness was frank and raw and I thought the author did an amazing job. Although I am not sure of the accuracy, the cycle of progression and regression was presented in such a unique and emotional way.
I enjoyed the writing overall, but the pacing of the book stalled at times and made it feel overly long. There just wasn't a lot of action for the majority of the book. The overall tone was very somber and I'm still not sure how I feel about the book. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. Many plot points were left unaddressed, but that was likely the point (especially given the way the book concluded). I think perhaps I just didn't fully understand this one.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
I'm not quite sure how to rate/review this book. It may definitely be a case of it's me not you. Cassandra Hartt's writing was really beautiful and thoughtful and kept me reading into the wee hours of the night, but it was also too convoluted at times with many things implied or hinted at but never fully stated. Perhaps that was the point though?
The Sea is Salt and So Am I is a character driven novel and is told from the POV of the three teen main characters - Harlow and identical twins, Ellis and Tommy. All the characters are flawed from the adults to the teens that the story focuses on, and though I didn't particularly like any of them, I felt that the relationships depicted were very accurate and honest. The complex relationships between childhood friends, parent and child, siblings, found families, classmates, and town residents. Ellis and Tommy's estranged relationship as well as Tommy and Cliff's was especially moving and thoughtful. The discussion and depiction of depression and mental illness was frank and raw and I thought the author did an amazing job. Although I am not sure of the accuracy, the cycle of progression and regression was presented in such a unique and emotional way.
I enjoyed the writing overall, but the pacing of the book stalled at times and made it feel overly long. There just wasn't a lot of action for the majority of the book. The overall tone was very somber and I'm still not sure how I feel about the book. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. Many plot points were left unaddressed, but that was likely the point (especially given the way the book concluded). I think perhaps I just didn't fully understand this one.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
October 27, 2020
I really struggled with this book, and I'm still not sure what I really think about it. I'm also not sure how 40 some people gave this book 5 stars and never wrote a review, but I do look forward to seeing what other people think.
What worked for me:
Setting- The premise of a small town that is getting washed away each year by hurricanes was very intriguing, and it was interesting to see how all of the different characters reacted (or didn't react) to the disappearing town.
Complex characters- I really didn't like two of the three main characters, but I thought they were well developed and realistic.
Multiple Narrators- Sometimes multiple narrators bog down the story, but it really worked this time.
Realistic View of Depression/Mental Health Issues- The Sea is Salt and So Am I doesn't flinch away from describing Tommy's mental state over the course of the book. As someone who didn't handle depression well as a teen, his progression/regression cycle felt incredibly real even if it was also frustrating at times.
What didn't work for me:
Even with everything I enjoyed about this book, there was so much more that frustrated me and/or were left unresolved or not even addressed including Ellis's issues with his leg, Harlowe's relationships with both Ellis and Tommy, and how the eroding town seems to only come up when Harlowe worried about it. Also, I hated the ending even though I understand why it was written the way that it was, and I'm even sure many readers will enjoy it or think it fits with the rest of the book.
Overall, The Sea is Salt and So Am I was an interesting debut that will be a good choice for older teens and book clubs.
What worked for me:
Setting- The premise of a small town that is getting washed away each year by hurricanes was very intriguing, and it was interesting to see how all of the different characters reacted (or didn't react) to the disappearing town.
Complex characters- I really didn't like two of the three main characters, but I thought they were well developed and realistic.
Multiple Narrators- Sometimes multiple narrators bog down the story, but it really worked this time.
Realistic View of Depression/Mental Health Issues- The Sea is Salt and So Am I doesn't flinch away from describing Tommy's mental state over the course of the book. As someone who didn't handle depression well as a teen, his progression/regression cycle felt incredibly real even if it was also frustrating at times.
What didn't work for me:
Even with everything I enjoyed about this book, there was so much more that frustrated me and/or were left unresolved or not even addressed including Ellis's issues with his leg, Harlowe's relationships with both Ellis and Tommy, and how the eroding town seems to only come up when Harlowe worried about it. Also, I hated the ending even though I understand why it was written the way that it was, and I'm even sure many readers will enjoy it or think it fits with the rest of the book.
Overall, The Sea is Salt and So Am I was an interesting debut that will be a good choice for older teens and book clubs.
June 24, 2021
I waffled about the rating for this book a lot and until the end I thought it would get a higher score. Major trigger warnings for depression and suicide. None of the characters were particularly lovable, but I didn’t mind that so much. I liked switching perspectives because so much of the drama and misfortune in this book is a lack of communication so it was nice to see what everyone was really thinking. I liked Ellis the least and found myself most willing to turn it off when it was his turn. I had a harder time understanding his perspective and found him to be selfish and cruel at times. I liked Tommy’s perspectives and found his pieces to be poetic, sad, and beautiful. Harlow’s chapters were hard to read at times because she had some major flaws, but at least I could get her perspective (even if I wanted to shake her for her decisions). I think what dragged my rating down the most is my frustration that there was no true ending. The characters deserved it and after listening for twelve and half hours I feel like I also deserved an ending. This whole book was about the relationships between these three teens two twin boys and the girl who came between them. In a plot driven novel a lack of resolution about relationships would not be so bad, but to have such a long story about relationships end with no ending frustrated me a lot. I will say I loved the narration and felt like all three characters had voices that fit them.
August 9, 2021
cw: suicide attempt, severe depression, limb loss, pet with cancer, death of a loved one, car accidents with injury. Please understand this book is saturated with this content; these are not brief mentions.
I was really excited to get approved for this ARC and was really looking forward to it. Generally speaking, I'm a fan of sad books (and this book is SAD), as long as the sadness feels authentic. There's so much about youth suicide that needs to be talked about more, and more authentically. And while an overarching metaphor of being stuck in between storm swells is a little trite, it's also very accurate. But this book doesn't really get into any of that, and there isn't much in the way of healthy resolution, although there is some, and hints at some more. I'm also not a huge fan of flawed characters, although I can be when the characters are aware of their flaws and working to improve them. I feel like that really impacted by impression of this book, and if you like characters with significant flaws, you may like this book much more than I did.
The Sea is Salt and So Am I centers on three teenagers in West Finch, Maine: twin brothers Ellis and Tommy, and Ellis's friend Harlow. Harlow is a budding activist, long concerned about the impacts of climate change on their coastal town. She is known throughout the town for always having a petition and flyers in her hands, hosting letter-writing campaigns, and popping by with 3-ring bingers of research on how to stave off the effects of a storm season only increasing in intensity every year. Ellis is Harlow's best friend, and has been for seven years now, but Tommy cannot stand her, and their friendship has driven the twins apart. Ellis is also a star runner on the high school's track team, especially impressive given that he lost his right leg in an accident several years back. He's looking forward to training camp this summer before heading off to college on a D1 scholarship in another year, all according to The Plan that he and Harlow have had for what seems like forever. Tommy is the complete opposite, with an incredible talent for art (that Harlow continues to insult), a very close bond with his dog (who Harlow is not allowed to touch), and no real friends to speak of.
The story begins with Tommy being rescued by a family friend in the midst of an attempted suicide and follows him through his hospitalization and as he gradually re-enters life in West Finch. While most people settle for just looking at him with pity, asking him every two minutes how he's doing, and searching his room when he's not around, Harlow has devised a perfect plan to help Tommy feel better: find him a girlfriend. She starts with Tommy's ex and then goes through just about every girl in school before settling into the idea that if she wants her arch nemesis to have a girlfriend, she is going to have to fill the role herself.
As Harlow and Tommy start seeing each other, Harlow is committed to keeping the whole thing under wraps--Ellis must never know. Ellis isn't stupid though, and definitely notices something is up. Sad that Harlow has begun seeing someone she won't talk with him about, he begins seeing an out-of-towner who has rolled in to help his sister protest the destruction of the jetty--one of the main actions residents could take to help prolong the time their town can stay livable. He expects Harlow to be jealous, even angry, that he is sleeping with her sworn enemy, but she seems strangely apathetic. How would Ellis react to knowing Harlow and Tommy are together? What ever made she and Tommy such fierce enemies to begin with? And will this relationship help or hurt Tommy in the long run?
I really, really struggled with this book. From the time Harlow decided Tommy had to have a girlfriend to "bounce back," I wanted to set it aside. But I had hope that maybe by the end we could all agree that was a terrible idea. That people have to get acquainted with themselves and develop some internal coping skills while having a dependable support system--not a girl who is in it until he's fixed and then will go back to allying with his brother. But no. I struggled with the rigors of The Plan that Harlow created for she and Ellis, and how hard Ellis worked to live up to its standards for Harlow, and how she just accepted defeat when something didn't go her way. While Ellis was busy tweaking The Plan and making a Plan 2.0, Harlow was ready and willing to throw it all out the window. If things don't line up perfectly, what's even the point? I didn't want to write Harlow off as an irredeemable character, but she doesn't develop over the course of the book. If anything, she gets worse. And that ruined it for me.
Honestly, it isn't just Harlow. All three of them are so self-absorbed, but also all three of these kids have been through tremendous trauma and no one is talking about that. No one is talking about what it's like to literally watch your twin brother attempt suicide, to watch your friend get hit by a car and know you could have called out and maybe prevented it, to lose your leg, to see your only friend in the world get cancer and hear that the treatment you've been saving up for can't even cure it. Just so many things. We get a few references to Tommy's Cool Therapist, but no sense of what it's like for Tommy to actually go. We get a dismal portrayal of Tommy's hospitalization, and a depiction of medication that would make you think anyone would be crazy for agreeing to take them. And while there is a moment where Tommy "decides" to go back on his medication all on his own, he continues to self-sabotage until his girlfriend and brother find out he has been off of them. Then all of sudden, medication is now strictly a measure of compliance, something he does to appease others, but never for himself: "The most important part of being healthy is for other people to think I'm healthy." There's no growth, no development, no resolution. Just wallowing. 384 pages of wallowing. And I'm not here for it.
Lastly, I don't want to wrap this up without talking about the ending. I don't often talk about actual endings in my reviews, but in this case it feels important:
Anyway, I was not a fan. But I appreciate NetGalley and Macmillan offering me the eARC in exchange for the review.
I was really excited to get approved for this ARC and was really looking forward to it. Generally speaking, I'm a fan of sad books (and this book is SAD), as long as the sadness feels authentic. There's so much about youth suicide that needs to be talked about more, and more authentically. And while an overarching metaphor of being stuck in between storm swells is a little trite, it's also very accurate. But this book doesn't really get into any of that, and there isn't much in the way of healthy resolution, although there is some, and hints at some more. I'm also not a huge fan of flawed characters, although I can be when the characters are aware of their flaws and working to improve them. I feel like that really impacted by impression of this book, and if you like characters with significant flaws, you may like this book much more than I did.
The Sea is Salt and So Am I centers on three teenagers in West Finch, Maine: twin brothers Ellis and Tommy, and Ellis's friend Harlow. Harlow is a budding activist, long concerned about the impacts of climate change on their coastal town. She is known throughout the town for always having a petition and flyers in her hands, hosting letter-writing campaigns, and popping by with 3-ring bingers of research on how to stave off the effects of a storm season only increasing in intensity every year. Ellis is Harlow's best friend, and has been for seven years now, but Tommy cannot stand her, and their friendship has driven the twins apart. Ellis is also a star runner on the high school's track team, especially impressive given that he lost his right leg in an accident several years back. He's looking forward to training camp this summer before heading off to college on a D1 scholarship in another year, all according to The Plan that he and Harlow have had for what seems like forever. Tommy is the complete opposite, with an incredible talent for art (that Harlow continues to insult), a very close bond with his dog (who Harlow is not allowed to touch), and no real friends to speak of.
The story begins with Tommy being rescued by a family friend in the midst of an attempted suicide and follows him through his hospitalization and as he gradually re-enters life in West Finch. While most people settle for just looking at him with pity, asking him every two minutes how he's doing, and searching his room when he's not around, Harlow has devised a perfect plan to help Tommy feel better: find him a girlfriend. She starts with Tommy's ex and then goes through just about every girl in school before settling into the idea that if she wants her arch nemesis to have a girlfriend, she is going to have to fill the role herself.
As Harlow and Tommy start seeing each other, Harlow is committed to keeping the whole thing under wraps--Ellis must never know. Ellis isn't stupid though, and definitely notices something is up. Sad that Harlow has begun seeing someone she won't talk with him about, he begins seeing an out-of-towner who has rolled in to help his sister protest the destruction of the jetty--one of the main actions residents could take to help prolong the time their town can stay livable. He expects Harlow to be jealous, even angry, that he is sleeping with her sworn enemy, but she seems strangely apathetic. How would Ellis react to knowing Harlow and Tommy are together? What ever made she and Tommy such fierce enemies to begin with? And will this relationship help or hurt Tommy in the long run?
I really, really struggled with this book. From the time Harlow decided Tommy had to have a girlfriend to "bounce back," I wanted to set it aside. But I had hope that maybe by the end we could all agree that was a terrible idea. That people have to get acquainted with themselves and develop some internal coping skills while having a dependable support system--not a girl who is in it until he's fixed and then will go back to allying with his brother. But no. I struggled with the rigors of The Plan that Harlow created for she and Ellis, and how hard Ellis worked to live up to its standards for Harlow, and how she just accepted defeat when something didn't go her way. While Ellis was busy tweaking The Plan and making a Plan 2.0, Harlow was ready and willing to throw it all out the window. If things don't line up perfectly, what's even the point? I didn't want to write Harlow off as an irredeemable character, but she doesn't develop over the course of the book. If anything, she gets worse. And that ruined it for me.
Honestly, it isn't just Harlow. All three of them are so self-absorbed, but also all three of these kids have been through tremendous trauma and no one is talking about that. No one is talking about what it's like to literally watch your twin brother attempt suicide, to watch your friend get hit by a car and know you could have called out and maybe prevented it, to lose your leg, to see your only friend in the world get cancer and hear that the treatment you've been saving up for can't even cure it. Just so many things. We get a few references to Tommy's Cool Therapist, but no sense of what it's like for Tommy to actually go. We get a dismal portrayal of Tommy's hospitalization, and a depiction of medication that would make you think anyone would be crazy for agreeing to take them. And while there is a moment where Tommy "decides" to go back on his medication all on his own, he continues to self-sabotage until his girlfriend and brother find out he has been off of them. Then all of sudden, medication is now strictly a measure of compliance, something he does to appease others, but never for himself: "The most important part of being healthy is for other people to think I'm healthy." There's no growth, no development, no resolution. Just wallowing. 384 pages of wallowing. And I'm not here for it.
Lastly, I don't want to wrap this up without talking about the ending. I don't often talk about actual endings in my reviews, but in this case it feels important:
Anyway, I was not a fan. But I appreciate NetGalley and Macmillan offering me the eARC in exchange for the review.
May 29, 2021
⚠️[Tw: suicide, depression, self-injurious behavior, animal cruelty, animal death,
Violence, abuse, cancer and chemotherapy(pet dog), death of a loved one]⚠️
- If you are struggling in any way or are having thoughts of hurting yourself please contact your local helpline or talk to a trusted loved one.
Characters & Plot: so far we have met the three main characters Harlow, Ellis and Tommy. And for some reason Harlow and Ellis hate Tommy. And for some other reason Tommy hates Harlow but not Ellis. Something big definitely happened and I really want to know what it is because it really messed up their "friendship" if there ever was one. So by what we know so far the plot evolves around Harlow, Ellis and Tommy. Harlow is trying to save her town that is really changing because of climate change. Ellis is about to run away again which is what he does when problems arrive and now his problems have doubled. Tommy attempt suicide but unexpectedly, jumping off into the Atlantic didn't kill him. Harlow, Ellis and Tommy's relationship is as horrible as ever. And now they have to live with it. Or die with it?
The environmentalist in me was just screaming at Ellis a rooting for Harlow. The rest of me was angry at everyone. I was angry at Harlow I was angry at Ellis I was angry at Tommy! I was angry at everyone for their own reasons especially Harlow for the fact that she hated Tommy even as he almost died because of that hatred! Why can't they all just be friends in this universe? I am so confused as to why they all hate each other. Why do they all hate Tommy, like can't they just put their hate aside and actually be there for him?
I WANT THE BOOK!!! NOWWWW!
A special thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with the excerpt of this book!
Violence, abuse, cancer and chemotherapy(pet dog), death of a loved one]⚠️
- If you are struggling in any way or are having thoughts of hurting yourself please contact your local helpline or talk to a trusted loved one.
Characters & Plot: so far we have met the three main characters Harlow, Ellis and Tommy. And for some reason Harlow and Ellis hate Tommy. And for some other reason Tommy hates Harlow but not Ellis. Something big definitely happened and I really want to know what it is because it really messed up their "friendship" if there ever was one. So by what we know so far the plot evolves around Harlow, Ellis and Tommy. Harlow is trying to save her town that is really changing because of climate change. Ellis is about to run away again which is what he does when problems arrive and now his problems have doubled. Tommy attempt suicide but unexpectedly, jumping off into the Atlantic didn't kill him. Harlow, Ellis and Tommy's relationship is as horrible as ever. And now they have to live with it. Or die with it?
The environmentalist in me was just screaming at Ellis a rooting for Harlow. The rest of me was angry at everyone. I was angry at Harlow I was angry at Ellis I was angry at Tommy! I was angry at everyone for their own reasons especially Harlow for the fact that she hated Tommy even as he almost died because of that hatred! Why can't they all just be friends in this universe? I am so confused as to why they all hate each other. Why do they all hate Tommy, like can't they just put their hate aside and actually be there for him?
I WANT THE BOOK!!! NOWWWW!
A special thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with the excerpt of this book!
June 7, 2021
The Sea is Salt and So Am I is a beautifully-written novel; a multi-perspective story centered around Harlow, Ellis and his twin brother Tommy in small-town Maine.
TW: suicide attempts and mental illness/depression
Oh, how I wanted to love this book and I started off really optimistic. Hartt does an amazing job with her storytelling and prose as well as having you feel invested in this small-town community (Cliff!); however, I really struggled to like Harlow and Ellis and I felt like their friendship was toxic. Where were their redemption arcs? The person I felt the worst for was Tommy. While understanding this book is labeled as "YA", this could give younger reads the wrong idea about friendships and relationships.
As it relates to the ending, I can see why some people may love it but I did not. I felt like our characters deserved more of a resolution especially after all they go through during the course of the novel.
Overall, I gave this book 2 stars since it just wasn't for me but I really wanted to love it. Thank you to BookishFirst for the opportunity to read this book!
TW: suicide attempts and mental illness/depression
Oh, how I wanted to love this book and I started off really optimistic. Hartt does an amazing job with her storytelling and prose as well as having you feel invested in this small-town community (Cliff!); however, I really struggled to like Harlow and Ellis and I felt like their friendship was toxic. Where were their redemption arcs? The person I felt the worst for was Tommy. While understanding this book is labeled as "YA", this could give younger reads the wrong idea about friendships and relationships.
As it relates to the ending, I can see why some people may love it but I did not. I felt like our characters deserved more of a resolution especially after all they go through during the course of the novel.
Overall, I gave this book 2 stars since it just wasn't for me but I really wanted to love it. Thank you to BookishFirst for the opportunity to read this book!
June 4, 2021
A big thank you to NetGalley for sending me the sneak peak preview of this book, scheduled to be published on Tuesday, June 8th!
Rating: 5 Stars (This is apt to change once I finish the entire story, but for now, I'm in love with what I was able to read in the sneak peak)
Right off the bat, I knew that I would enjoy this book (or at least the few chapters I got a sneak peak of!). I'm in my early twenties now, but I remember feeling the way Harlow, Ellis, and Tommy feel. It's so refreshing to read about mental health in a way that doesn't a. glorify it, or b. completely misrepresent it.
There's such a beautiful mixture of guilt, regret, denial, and responsibility all bundled up in an exquisite prose from Hartt in this book. Each character has their own unique voice that sets them apart from the other two protagonists. The way Hartt wrote each perspective sort of reminds me of Maggie Stiefvater's "The Raven Cycle" series. (AKA, beautiful, expressive, and so, so raw.)
At one point, from Tommy's perspective, Hartt writes, "When I was at my lowest, Goose curled up in bed beside me and it was like, as long as you're breathing, I'm breathing. I need to get out there. Now. She's got half a crayon box in her coat alone and I want to remember colors other than beiges and grays."
I mean.......WOW. Hartt captured mental health issues in such a raw and unwavering way that I am extremely desperate to continue this story (and will most definitely be purchasing it the day it comes out)!
If you like any form of literary fiction, you will probably love this book. It's considered young adult, but I can already tell it will set itself apart from the traditional young adult novels that we've grown used to over the last half-decade.
I have a feeling this book will absolutely destroy me, but I can't NOT finish the story at this point. Destroy away, Cassandra. I'm here for it.
Rating: 5 Stars (This is apt to change once I finish the entire story, but for now, I'm in love with what I was able to read in the sneak peak)
Right off the bat, I knew that I would enjoy this book (or at least the few chapters I got a sneak peak of!). I'm in my early twenties now, but I remember feeling the way Harlow, Ellis, and Tommy feel. It's so refreshing to read about mental health in a way that doesn't a. glorify it, or b. completely misrepresent it.
There's such a beautiful mixture of guilt, regret, denial, and responsibility all bundled up in an exquisite prose from Hartt in this book. Each character has their own unique voice that sets them apart from the other two protagonists. The way Hartt wrote each perspective sort of reminds me of Maggie Stiefvater's "The Raven Cycle" series. (AKA, beautiful, expressive, and so, so raw.)
At one point, from Tommy's perspective, Hartt writes, "When I was at my lowest, Goose curled up in bed beside me and it was like, as long as you're breathing, I'm breathing. I need to get out there. Now. She's got half a crayon box in her coat alone and I want to remember colors other than beiges and grays."
I mean.......WOW. Hartt captured mental health issues in such a raw and unwavering way that I am extremely desperate to continue this story (and will most definitely be purchasing it the day it comes out)!
If you like any form of literary fiction, you will probably love this book. It's considered young adult, but I can already tell it will set itself apart from the traditional young adult novels that we've grown used to over the last half-decade.
I have a feeling this book will absolutely destroy me, but I can't NOT finish the story at this point. Destroy away, Cassandra. I'm here for it.
June 26, 2022
3.5⭐️
I think this was a really solid YA book featuring mental health representation. I really appreciated getting the perspectives of each of the three main characters and I think that added a lot to the story.
I think this was a really solid YA book featuring mental health representation. I really appreciated getting the perspectives of each of the three main characters and I think that added a lot to the story.
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April 26, 2021I got a chapter sampler version, so I'm only reviewing the couple of chapters I read, but I really, really like the prose in this one. There's a very distinct voice, which is so nice to find. The set up is very intriguing, and I'm really curious to see how it's going to wrap up.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC-excerpt. Excited to read the full book!
☆ Blog | Twitter ☆
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC-excerpt. Excited to read the full book!
☆ Blog | Twitter ☆
June 5, 2021
I just finished reading "The Sea is Salt and So Am I", and was completely STUNNED to learn that this is Ms. Hartt's debut novel. I'm very much looking forward to following her career, and seeing what she comes up with next!
The author includes a trigger warning at the beginning, and I'll do the same here: This book deals with teen depression, suicidal thoughts, and a suicide attempt. If these topics are triggers for you, you should probably look elsewhere for reading material.
That being said...the author handles these intense topics in a way that is simultaneously realistic, beautiful, and heartbreaking. Her main characters and their experiences are completely believable, and I had trouble putting the book down without seeing what happened to them next. I adored Tommy, liked Harlow, and was mostly mildly annoyed by Ellis, but all three of them captivated me. I am already mentally working out what comes next for them, as I can't stand not knowing how their lives turn out after the end of this story.
The book is set in the fictional town of West Finch, Maine. The town is almost a separate character, and reading about it, the local problems, the wildlife, and the weather added another layer to this already incredibly nuanced novel.
Finally, I appreciated Ms. Hartt's candor in the Author's Note at the end. I will happily read anything else she writes, even if it's just a to-do list. Seriously, readers of the world: Take note! This is an up-and-coming literary talent worth watching!
Five out of five super-sized chunks of the best sharp cheddar money can buy!
The author includes a trigger warning at the beginning, and I'll do the same here: This book deals with teen depression, suicidal thoughts, and a suicide attempt. If these topics are triggers for you, you should probably look elsewhere for reading material.
That being said...the author handles these intense topics in a way that is simultaneously realistic, beautiful, and heartbreaking. Her main characters and their experiences are completely believable, and I had trouble putting the book down without seeing what happened to them next. I adored Tommy, liked Harlow, and was mostly mildly annoyed by Ellis, but all three of them captivated me. I am already mentally working out what comes next for them, as I can't stand not knowing how their lives turn out after the end of this story.
The book is set in the fictional town of West Finch, Maine. The town is almost a separate character, and reading about it, the local problems, the wildlife, and the weather added another layer to this already incredibly nuanced novel.
Finally, I appreciated Ms. Hartt's candor in the Author's Note at the end. I will happily read anything else she writes, even if it's just a to-do list. Seriously, readers of the world: Take note! This is an up-and-coming literary talent worth watching!
Five out of five super-sized chunks of the best sharp cheddar money can buy!
February 7, 2021
I don’t know how to rate this one. I think it’s memorable and I know some student will enjoy it. I think I’ll recommend it for strong readers who will put up with the length with little action. In my mind, it’s a mashing of Jacob Have I Loved and All The Bright Places.
I think the reason I’m not sure about it is because I just couldn’t like Harlow. She’s one of three main characters. And when you don’t like the pivotal character, from which both other characters ebb and flow... well, it makes it hard. And it was just too long once I realized she wasn’t going to have a redemption arch.
The ending was just stupid. Others have said it fit in with the book’s style but I disagree. I just think it’s a cop-out for the author.
I think the reason I’m not sure about it is because I just couldn’t like Harlow. She’s one of three main characters. And when you don’t like the pivotal character, from which both other characters ebb and flow... well, it makes it hard. And it was just too long once I realized she wasn’t going to have a redemption arch.
The ending was just stupid. Others have said it fit in with the book’s style but I disagree. I just think it’s a cop-out for the author.
July 5, 2022
“In my head, I’ve dismantled every last stone, brick, plank of wood. It’s easier to leave something that doesn’t exist. The Atlantic can swallow them all.”
Okay aside from the star rating, I got some pros: I love the name Harlow and I love the setting. I always have a spot in my heart for small coastal towns. Funny enough, this is probably the third book I’ve read where the town is on the brink of being swallowed by the sea.
Also Goose. I love that dog.
But there were also major cons: The characters were meh — mostly melodramatic and boring. I kinda liked Tommy though. I would’ve liked more with the climate crisis and the diner, those places as their homes about to be flooded and the idea of the sea since it’s also in the title. I zoned out for a good chunk of the teen drama (which I why I skimmed the last third).
Okay aside from the star rating, I got some pros: I love the name Harlow and I love the setting. I always have a spot in my heart for small coastal towns. Funny enough, this is probably the third book I’ve read where the town is on the brink of being swallowed by the sea.
Also Goose. I love that dog.
But there were also major cons: The characters were meh — mostly melodramatic and boring. I kinda liked Tommy though. I would’ve liked more with the climate crisis and the diner, those places as their homes about to be flooded and the idea of the sea since it’s also in the title. I zoned out for a good chunk of the teen drama (which I why I skimmed the last third).
June 9, 2021
2 stars
I will start with the positives. Hartt's concept and the way that she uses prose are both incredibly evocative. It's not the first time I've read a story about teenagers struggling with the confines of living in a small town, but it is one of more delicately rendered versions of that trope.
Unfortunately for me, the beauty of the language couldn't overshadow what I felt were glaring issues. Even though the book's main trio were going through events that should have endeared them to me, the majority of each POV was dedicated to discussing how much they hated the other two characters. I could tell that this was done to demonstrate how complex the relationships between the three characters were, but the presentation of positive feelings to establish the tangled web was so scant in comparison. The characters spent the whole book telling me that I shouldn't like or sympathize with them...so I didn't. Using unlikeable characters is normally not an issue for me, but having unlikeable characters in a story where an extreme amount of emotional investment is being asked just seems contradictory.
I will give it to Hartt: she has a facility with language that I very much admire. Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I will start with the positives. Hartt's concept and the way that she uses prose are both incredibly evocative. It's not the first time I've read a story about teenagers struggling with the confines of living in a small town, but it is one of more delicately rendered versions of that trope.
Unfortunately for me, the beauty of the language couldn't overshadow what I felt were glaring issues. Even though the book's main trio were going through events that should have endeared them to me, the majority of each POV was dedicated to discussing how much they hated the other two characters. I could tell that this was done to demonstrate how complex the relationships between the three characters were, but the presentation of positive feelings to establish the tangled web was so scant in comparison. The characters spent the whole book telling me that I shouldn't like or sympathize with them...so I didn't. Using unlikeable characters is normally not an issue for me, but having unlikeable characters in a story where an extreme amount of emotional investment is being asked just seems contradictory.
I will give it to Hartt: she has a facility with language that I very much admire. Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 8, 2021
I finished this just because I hated all the characters
I was originally excited about this book, and I was very much let down.
My points as to why I didn't like it;
There was not a single character that I ended up liking, or feeling anything for.
At times it felt like the characters were romantizing depression; Tommy feeling like he doesn't need his meds anymore and quitting them cold turkey is something that a lot of people do, I've done it myself and it never works out well. Harlow's entire thought process of trying to fix things that she doesn't need to be part of and getting romantically involved with Tommy fits the narrative that all you need to be happy is a partner and that isn't true either. Elis having flings to fill a void.
I couldn't get a good read on what this book was trying to do. Make a point about global warming and our ever changing animal population, or teen drama based around a weird love triangle that I didn't think got settled, and a bunch of really complex secrets.
I don't even know how this ended, because it left with one of the brothers in the sea, again.
It didn't feel like an actual ending more like she didn't want to write a proper conclusion so we got that as an ending.
I was originally excited about this book, and I was very much let down.
My points as to why I didn't like it;
There was not a single character that I ended up liking, or feeling anything for.
At times it felt like the characters were romantizing depression; Tommy feeling like he doesn't need his meds anymore and quitting them cold turkey is something that a lot of people do, I've done it myself and it never works out well. Harlow's entire thought process of trying to fix things that she doesn't need to be part of and getting romantically involved with Tommy fits the narrative that all you need to be happy is a partner and that isn't true either. Elis having flings to fill a void.
I couldn't get a good read on what this book was trying to do. Make a point about global warming and our ever changing animal population, or teen drama based around a weird love triangle that I didn't think got settled, and a bunch of really complex secrets.
I don't even know how this ended, because it left with one of the brothers in the sea, again.
It didn't feel like an actual ending more like she didn't want to write a proper conclusion so we got that as an ending.
April 26, 2022
Rep: bi mc with a prosthesis, mc with depression
CWs: attempted suicide, suicidal ideation
broadly i agree with this review, and that says it better than i could ever. what i would add to that is how much i hated the ending, the reveal that
i also want to mention i thought forgiveness, specifically tommy's forgiveness for what harlow did, which basically drove him towards suicide, was too easy. like .
CWs: attempted suicide, suicidal ideation
broadly i agree with this review, and that says it better than i could ever. what i would add to that is how much i hated the ending, the reveal that
i also want to mention i thought forgiveness, specifically tommy's forgiveness for what harlow did, which basically drove him towards suicide, was too easy. like .
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