Title: A House of Salt and Sorrow
Author: Erin A. Craig
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retelling
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: August 6th, 2019
Summary :
"In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?
When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next. "
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?
When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next. "
Review :
Magic, Gods, Death and Romance embody The House of Salt and Sorrow. If you arent afraid of ghosts, get ready to be, because the spirits of the Thaumas Sisters will haunt you long after you finish reading this retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
The House of Salt and Sorrow had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put the book down; I had to know what would happen next. The bond between the Thaumas Sisters is undeniable through the point of view of Annaleigh. As the Thaumas Sisters start dying one-by-one "accidentally", Annaleigh goes on a mission to find out if her sisters did die by accident or if there is a murder in their mist.
Coming from a clan of five sisters myself, I was able to connect to what the bond is like between sisters, especially the dynamic amongst different siblings and the relationship they have between them. Having to be the nurturing and soft sister to the youngest sibling to the voice of reason to the eldest, the one thing they all have in common is the strength and love they have for one another.
The one thing I wasn't fond of was the romance in House of Salt and Sorrow. I understand as the eldest, Camille, felt she had to find and suitor and marry, but she came off as desperate and whiny to me, and though Annaleigh finds the perfect guy, the "sparks" from their inital meeting and future encounters felt very cliché and overly dramatic. It didn't feel natural or enticing. What I did love was the world building and the description of the island on the sea: the smell of salt and brine, sea turtles hatching on a beach, and bathtubs in the shape of clamshells! Apart from the Thaumas curse and people dying, it seems like a beautiful place to live!
What happens when you can't tell your dreams apart from reality? What happens when your dreams are actually nightmares in disguise? These chilling thoughts inspired by the book will make your skin crawl. Read House of Salt and Sorrow in the middle of the night at your own risk, because let's be real, you will have a hard time getting rest once you pick it up!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ~ 4 Stars ~ Good Read!
