This novel really had me from the beginning. The characters were very relatable and the story was really impactful to me personally. This is a story that indicates what is happening to many women around the world and I liked how Kitson attacks a problem that is so relevant to our society today. Also, I liked that Kitson also included the problem of alcoholism into the novel and how drinking can affect the lives of others around that person. While reading this, Kitson provided me with some clarity about the problem that many people go through with drinking. It is a real problem and it should be taken care off because many children are the ones that have to deal with their parents drinking all of the time and that causes these children to live a life that is horrible. All I’m trying to say is that, when a child grows up with a parent or a guardian that has an alcohol problem that causes that child to not really experience childhood at all, making them experience adulthood at such a low age and that is not good.
I really liked the story of Sal and how strong and brave she was. She really set an example to people around the world to really stand up to those around you who are making your life a living hell and I liked what she did so her life could change into something meaningful. For me Sal became the real definition of what Sal means in Spanish. I made a really strong connection to her and that is all thanks to Kitson’s way of writing. The writing in this novel was exceptional and I applaud Kitson because he made me go through many different emotions with this story. Therefore, I love this story and I can’t wait to read more Kitson novels in the future.
All in all, Sal by Mick Kitson, is a story that is powerful, incredibly emotional, a breath of fresh air, and very moving. I believe that all its readers are going to like this story a lot because it is intense and it is a page turner all the way.

SAL

Mick Kitson

Canongate Books, May 8, 2018

241 pages, ebook, paperback, hardcover, audiobook

Women’s lit, General Fiction

✭✭✭
I received an eARC from Canongate Books via NetGalley. This is my honest review for which I receive no compensation of any kind.

The cover is outstanding with the wonderful color scheme and the way the title glows out from it. The artwork certainly relates to the story of the rugged mountains and the two girls around the campfire. The story is pretty good, but I found it beyond belief. It just wasn’t real for me that these two young girls would take off into the wilds of Scotland just before winter with nothing but a You-Tube training to prepare one of them and things purchased online with stolen cards. All this after she killed a man. The characters were very well-drawn. You got a really good take on each character and they were real. One more unrealistic note was that Ingrid was a doctor and showed up just when they needed a doctor. What are the odds? The pace was good. I didn’t feel like things were rushed. There was time to take it all in and absorb each event, understand what was happening and why Sal was making these decisions. The tension suffered from the fact that it just wasn’t real. Peppa is really sick from the bite of the pike and Ingrid shows up at the campsite – a Russian doctor who can save her life. Yup, happens every day. It just didn’t work for me.

And here begins the reveal…

We start out with an alcoholic mother, Maw, and a boyfriend, Robert, who drinks, does drugs and is a pedophile. He has Sal giving him a blowjob each night after her mother passes out drunk.

We have Salmarina (Sal), a 13-year-old girl who hasn’t even had her first period yet. Paula, who everyone calls Peppa, a 10-year-old, that is very active and used to her big sister taking care of her. A bit demanding and selfish with it, I think. She doesn’t see all that her sister does for her because her sister doesn’t want her to. And later on, we have Ingrid, a 75-year-old Russian doctor who has dropped out of society to live rough.

Robert threatens to do to Peppa what he’s been doing to Sal when Sal tries not to cooperate with him. So Sal installs a lock on the inside of Peppa’s door and tells her to use it at night. And Sal starts planning and stealing. She steals gift cards and credit cards and merchandise. She watches survival videos on You-Tube. She orders things online. She gets her teacher to show her how to use a compass and maps.

She installs a lock on her mother’s door and waits until her mother passes out one night. Peppa is in her room with the lock on. And Sal is in her room with her brand new hunting knife that she’s bought online. Robert comes in and has his way with her and then passes out on her bed, as usual. With three slashes, she kills him. She cleans the knife, showers, and changes clothes. She closes the door to her room so that Peppa won’t see. Then she gets Peppa and their supplies. She has posh school uniforms for them to wear under their coats so that people won’t recognize where they are from. They take the train north into Scotland and towards the mountains. They change out of the school uniforms and bury them. Then they hike into the mountains and establish a campsite according to things Sal has learned on You-Tube videos. It’s not clear just how much Peppa has watched the videos, but apparently, she has watched some of them. Sal is in charge and makes all the decisions. Though Peppa is a loose cannon and not always willing to be controlled by Sal. While Sal hikes into town, Peppa isn’t even capable of keeping the fire going properly and that’s when Ingrid shows up for the first time. Peppa tells Ingrid all about them. She’s gone by the time Sal finally gets back with their supplies.

I’m not going to do a more reveal with this book. Suffice to say, the girls have quite a few adventures in the wild trying to just survive. Peppa’s close call with the pike bite is a scary one. They live with Ingrid for awhile. They snatch their mother from rehab once they hear she’s doing well. There is a sad and a happy ending, but I’m not going to reveal either of those.

I wanted to really like this book, but I got really tired of the You-Tube references and the unrealistic story. I’ve been camping (and that’s with lots of equipment), it’s a lot of work and you don’t have time to be off larking about. You work all day just to make sure things are ready for the next meal and bedtime and such. These girls were also trying to catch their own food. And there was no emotional fall-out from committing murder. Even if you hated someone, you would have some problems with killing a person. And then killing rabbits…

I will recommend this book with reservations.

I wish this book were being released now so that I could immediately recommend it to everyone. The story of Sal and her younger sister Peppa has all the feels. There is so much love, tenacity, grit, danger, trust, fear, hate and forgiveness wrapped up in a book-sized package. The characters are incredibly well-developed and the story itself is cleverly plotted. Highly recommend.

A free copy of this book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Sal</i> is a survival story, the story of Sal and her sister Peppa. The book itself is nothing remarkable. Sal is the narrator, so the story is written with a thirteen year old girl's voice. It was mostly well done, with some inconsistencies, however it also means that the prose was nothing spectacular, just the listing of events and key details.

In terms of plot, the girls - mostly Sal - face a difficult situation which they attempt to solve. While the plot is unique, the ending is also kind of predictable and seems to be tied off too neatly.

Although I read the whole book, I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe it would be better for a younger audience(?)

It's taken me a while to write this review as I wanted to do the book justice. I absolutely adored Sal, and I've already called it as my book of the year. Sal and Peppa's vivacity and ferocious will to survive scream off the page, and the humour and compassion in the book will leave many readers breathless I'm sure. I cannot recommend this book enough, I'm sure I will be re-reading it soon.

I loved the resilience of Sal and her love for her sister. Great to see a female protagonist in a young adult novel.

Sal is the story of two sisters who run away from a painful and abusive home. The older sister Sal has meticulously prepared for the adventure by learning about survival off the internet and in books. This is where the text really takes off. The character of Sal is a well-written and believable portrait of a young person on the spectrum.
The sisters escape to the Scottish wilderness to let the news of their running away blow over; they want to eventually go back to help their mother. In the meantime, they work together to find food, build shelter, and protect each other from the painful memories they share.
This is a quick read, but the topics and characters stay with you. I would recommend this to young adults and readers who are looking for a narrator who teaches you new ways of looking at the world.

Thank you to Canongate Books, NetGalley, and the author for the advanced copy to review.

The story of Sal's escape from an abusive home life into the wilds of Scotland is vividly told in this beautiful and touching novel.

This book grew on me. Two girls live in an abusive household, one sister plans their escape and the two of them run to the Scottish forests to hide. I found the first third hard going; the prose reflects the thought process of a 13 year old girl so I was bombarded with lists, information about survival and animals.

Once there was a bit more action story wise the writing style settled down and it was a more enjoyable read.

In true survivor fiction fashion, this book takes the cake for good descriptive language and wonderfully thought out plot lines. We follow the story of Sal, a young woman who takes the initiative to get herself and her younger sister out of an unsavory situation at their home. She learns to survive and create a shelter for herself and peppa, her sister. The characters are well thought out and the storyline very well put together. If you enjoyed Hatchet as a child, this book will put you in the same frame of mind.

This had a good premise. I got a little bogged down with the detailed history and survival lectures, but overall, an ok story.