Review: Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno

Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno
Series: n/a

Genre: YA Contemporary, Magic

Publication:  June 5th 2018 by HarperTeen
Format: ARC (thank you, Katrina!)

Goodreads

A magic passed down through generations . . .

Georgina Fernweh waits with growing impatience for the tingle of magic in her fingers—magic that has been passed down through every woman in her family. Her twin sister, Mary, already shows an ability to defy gravity. But with their eighteenth birthday looming at the end of this summer, Georgina fears her gift will never come.

An island where strange things happen . . .

No one on the island of By-the-Sea would ever call the Fernwehs what they really are, but if you need the odd bit of help—say, a sleeping aid concocted by moonlight—they are the ones to ask.

No one questions the weather, as moody and erratic as a summer storm.

No one questions the (allegedly) three-hundred-year-old bird who comes to roost on the island every year.

A summer that will become legend . . .

When tragedy strikes, what made the Fernweh women special suddenly casts them in suspicion. Over the course of her last summer on the island—a summer of storms, of love, of salt—Georgina will learn the truth about magic, in all its many forms.

I can’t express in words how much I love this book. I want to scream from rooftops about how amazing and stunning this novel is. SUMMER OF SALT is something you definitely need to pick up.

SUMMER OF SALT is an atmospheric and magical novel that follows Georgina and her family who live on a strange island called By-the-Sea. Georgina and her family have magic, but when the ancient bird named Annabella is mysteriously murdered, Georgina tries to figure out what happened that night and what her magic is. This novel is so stunning, I’m in awe. The plot is moving and the pacing is incredibly steady.

One of my favorite aspects of this novel has to be the writing. Katrina’s words are whimsical and lush, poignant and magical, and I can’t get enough of it. The writing is just so amazing, and it captured my attention from the beginning. I also adore the diversity of sexuality in this novel – Georgina is gay, Prue is bisexual, Vira is asexual; this novel made my bisexual heart sing. This novel has so many layers of feminism in it, which is enhanced at the end of the story, which I just adored.

Overall, I can’t get over how much I love this book. SUMMER OF SALT is magical and lush, beautiful and atmospheric, with feminist themes throughout. If you’re intrigued by a whimsical tale of a strange island, a murder mystery, beautiful writing, and feminism, you need to read this book.

Trigger warning for rape.

Thank you to Katrina for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alice is an 18 year old college student who loves the oxford comma, television shows, and the company of dogs. She finds writing in the third person odd yet enjoyable. You can find her scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, and forever organizing her shelves on Goodreads.

Are you planning to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

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