Book Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
Pages: 416
Publish date: August 6th, 2019
Publisher: Penguin Australia – Bantam Juvenile US
ISBN: 9780593120934
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD
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.
House of Salt and Sorrows:
When I read the synopsis for this one, I knew that I had to read it. Retelling and reimaginations are always books that I look out for each year. And this 12 dancing princess’ sounded just my thing. It did take me a little while to pick House of Salt and Sorrows up after I brought it and I have no idea why. Because as soon as I picked it up, I feel in love with the writing, the characters, and the story.
House of Salt and Sorrows follows Annaleigh as she tries to navigate the world, where people she loves just keep on dying. From her sisters to her mother, people say that the family is cursed. And slowly Annaleigh starts to believe in too. With her sisters dancing all through the night, Annaleigh doesn’t know if she wants to join them or not. Then she meets a mysterious stranger and things start to change even more. But will Ananleigh find out why she keeps on losing her sisters before it’s too late?
Annaleigh was such an interesting character in House of Salt and Sorrows and I really enjoyed getting to know her throughout the novel. Annaleigh while quite innocent has gone through hell. She has lost her mother as well as sisters and everything in life is falling apart. She is trying to keep everything together because she wants to help the rest of her family. The best she can.
Throughout the novel, Annaleigh character arc is fantastic. I love the reader gets to see her grow throughout the story. Not only get to know the world around her but also get to know herself. Annaleigh doesn’t show a lot of emotions to those around her including her family throughout House of Salt and Sorrows. But as the novel goes on, she starts to let go and lets people in, including Cassius.
House of Salt and Sorrows is one eerie novel. It’s creepy and makes your stomach turn most of the novel. But that is also what makes it so captivating and breathtaking. It took me a while to figure it out, but it reminds me a lot of Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan. It’s got that same uncanny nature that leaves the reader feeling a little sick to the stomach. You have no idea what’s going to happen next, what’s going to pop out to you, but you keep on reading. This is a dark novel, but it’s what makes it unique and totally something that I would want to pick up. The writing is also quite lyrical, which adds to the ambiance of the whole book.
I love the idea that this is a twelve dancing princess retelling. Like I said before I love retellings’ and when there is something new and different out there, I want to read it. I think that Erin A. Craig did a fantastic job of both exploring the original story as well as making it her own. I really loved the spins that Erin A. Craig did put on the original story, it became even more eerie and captivating.
Sometimes when reading retelling there are a few things that can happen. First, it could be too similar to the original that it doesn’t have anything unique about it or secondly it could be nothing like the original and the reader isn’t able to pick up what it’s supposed to be. But House of Salt and Sorrows fits perfectly in the middle where it has enough that the reader knows it’s a twelve dancing princess retelling, but it’s also unique.
While I did love the romance throughout House of Salt and Sorrows, I really wish there was a little more focus on it. I felt that the reader doesn’t really get to see the development between Annaleigh and Cassius. They were totally adorable together, but I wanted more. What also made the novel more interesting was the mysteriousness of Cassius.
Obviously family is a massive theme throughout House of Salt and Sorrows and what I really liked about that was it showed, the good, the bad and the ugly side of family. It really enhanced the novel and added another dimension to everything going on. The reader really never knows what’s going on. And adding untrustworthy characters, including family members makes everything way more interesting and intense.
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig is haunting, captivating and intriguing. This eerie novel takes the reader on an adventure. Annaleigh and the rest of her family go through a hell of a lot throughout House of Salt and Sorrows and they suffer, immensely. Hope is also threaded throughout the novel and hits the reader all in the right spots. If you are looking for a new and exciting retelling, that is dark and takes the reader on a journey then this one is for you.
Have you read House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!
