If you wanted a book about siblings, monster hunting, and family, look no further than Salt. It’s all of that, and more.
Summary
Even though their parents disappeared during a hunt three months ago, seventeen-year-old Indi and his siblings, Beleza, Oscar, and Zulu, continue to roam the Mediterranean on their sailboat and hunt down monsters–but Indi yearns for a more settled life for his family, and he hopes that his parents’ journal with its tantalizing hints of a treasure, will provide them all with the means of escape from their nomadic and dangerous life before it is too late.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The hook for Salt instantly got me. I am a sucker for monster hunters who surf the oceans. And I am the biggest sucker for stories with siblings. And that’s all you really need to know about me. But you also need to know that I thoroughly enjoyed Salt. If you ever yelled at your sibling because they were doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, or ever dreamed about glory, or even just love your family even when they bug you, this book is for you.
But let me hit you with these bullet points to tell you why I enjoyed it so much:
- Sibling relationships are my kryptonite. They get me all the time. I don’t know if it’s just wistful thinking, or mourning what I’ll never have, but they touch a spot in my heart. And, don’t get me wrong, I could never really hunt monsters, so I couldn’t be with these four, but I would love to have their camaraderie, their blatant love. The ways they know exactly what to say to bug the other person. But also the way they always have each other’s back.
- They are monster hunters. A recent obsession of mine has been books with monster hunters, so it’s not surprise that I adored this book. And talk about interesting world building. Not only are there multi-limbed creatures who go after cats, but there are also cell phones and internet cafes. This isn’t one of this historical seafaring novels, this is one where people are asking them why they don’t have a cell phone. And it’s such a unique concept!
- The love interest is a pirate. She is amazing and she’d rob me even while I profess my love, but I love her. She is strong willed, intelligent, and incredibly compassionate – for a pirate.
- One of the themes they talk a lot about is the concept of home and also identity. For them, they live on the ocean, so they don’t have a typical home. Their home is their business as well. And so they wonder, do they have a home they belong to? A country? At the same time, since they’ve grown up a lot on their own, and without their parents, and without a community, Indi struggles with figuring out if they belong to the same groups as their parents or not.
Suffice it to say, Salt is a book that will sweep you off your feet for a wild ride.
Find Salt on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.