This one was underwhelming, though it feels unfair to say that as an adult reader. From a younger perspective, I may have found this more exciting. I get what Moskowitz was trying to do here and I enjoyed much of it, but there was something about it that just missed the mark for me.

Moskowitz is such a unique writer. I will follow her to any genre and try what she comes up with. This wasn't my personal favorite of what she has done but I can't deny it enthralled me. Her writing is stark and honest and her style is definitely her own. Would recommend to fans or people who enjoy difficult reads.

Unfortunately his book just didn't work for me for whatever reason. There was nothing egregiously wrong with it. I just left it with no thoughts, just a three star rating. I might read other Hannah Moskowitz books in the future though.

This was a middle-of-the-road read for me. While I liked a lot of aspects, there were some things I disliked, and overall, I just didn't feel strongly enough about the book to really warrant adding an in-depth review to the blog.

I want to start by saying that I've really, really enjoyed Hannah Moskowitz's books in the past. Teeth was one of my favorites. And the concept for SALT is awesome--orphaned siblings that hunt sea monsters? Sign me up! The worldbuilding is so cool and inventive, and as always, Moskowitz delivers with strong characterization and bonds between the siblings. That being said, there was a lack of defined stakes to keep the story moving, and I found myself getting lost due to a lack of cohesion in the narrative. It definitely felt too fast and choppy in moments. With a little more fleshing out this one could have been great, but as it is it feels too short and surface level to satisfy.

This book read much younger than a typical YA novel. I loved the premise, and if it was marketed a bit younger it would have been perfect. But nevertheless I still enjoyed it.

This book was a fun premise. I really like the idea of a group of kids having to grow up and face some tuff adventures. I liked how it took place on a ship, pirate vibes are some of my favorite settings to read about! Thought it was well done world building and very likable characters. Like a gang of outsiders who are children have to be all thrown on to a ship with nothing but their wits and each other... love!

Well my library does have a few copies of this title and the reason I have not reviewed it is because I was not a fan. There are some teens that will enjoy this title but for me (and maybe it is because I’m an adult) I did not enjoy it.

This story was weird, and the pieces didn't feel like cohesive. I didn't like the writing style. Probably would not recommend.

3.5 stars. Characters and world building are something that Hannah Moskowitz always does well, and Salt is no exception. Is this my favorite of her repertoire? No. But it's still a solid and inventive story, that will easily engross its reader.

When I finally decided to read Salt by Hannah Moskowitz, it made me nervous. The reviews were mediocre, and I could not recall my reasons for requesting it to review. I opened the book determined to give it a chance. What I found between its pages was unexpected but entirely welcome.Salt is a quirky story about a family of orphaned sea monster hunters. The two oldest children, ages, seventeen and sixteen, are trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy for their two younger siblings while finding themselves increasingly at odds about their future. Bela, the oldest, wants revenge by hunting down the sea monster who killed their parents. Indi, the family caretaker, dreams of a life on land, one that is as foreign to him as living on the sea is to most of the story's readers. The story follows Indi as he makes choices that will affect his family forever.There is something seductively charming about this rag-tag family of four. I use the word seductive not in a sexual connotation but in a way that intimates how much the family grabs your attention and refuses to let it go once they have it. They are completely down on their luck, with almost no money and no knowledge of how life on land work. They bicker and fight as all siblings do, but there are faith and camaraderie that exists between the four that I find rare and entrancing. This is a group that is completely dependent upon one another during a battle, and that blind trust in each other is a marvel to behold.At the same time, you never forget that these are still children, children without parents to guide them and help them navigate the difficulties of life. The youngest is only six years old. Bela and Indi try to fill their parents' shoes but, as we see with Indi, are adrift themselves with the loss of their parents. Their plight, as well as their determination to stay the course, tugs at your heartstrings even while you know that each one of them would scorn your sympathy.Salt may have strange sea monsters and pirates, ocean battles, and perilous journeys across the sea, but it is really a story about family and those ties that bind one to another. It is about duty and choice and freedom. Admittedly, my expectations for Salt were low, but I felt a pull towards this odd novel that is difficult to explain and even more difficult to ignore. You read to determine whether they get a happy ending, something all four so richly deserved after losing their parents and the familiarity of their monster-hunting ways. You keep reading as a way to make sure the kids are okay because somewhere after the first page, the kids found a way into your heart.Salt is not a novel for everyone; the numerous mediocre reviews attest to that fact. For those who are willing to give it a chance, they will find a somewhat silly novel that is surprisingly endearing and extremely memorable. After all, it isn't every day you read about a family of orphans who fight sea monsters who eat cats or pirates who steal everything they can without harming anyone.

This was such a strange and lovely little book. I loved it immediately.
It is one of those books that you will want to put all of your energy into because before you know it the story is over and you are left feeling a bit melancholy and wishing you could read more about this world with sea monsters and the siblings the story revolves around.

Not terrible. I like it but it’s a thin book. By that I mean, it could and should have so much more development. It needs more descriptions, more imagery. There are what should be dramatic moments and big reveals that are not developed.

It’s a beautiful story of siblings surviving on their own. It just needs more.

I'm so sorry, but this book just was SO not for me. But I very much appreciate the ARC! And wish the author the best in the rest of their endeavors!

What a delightful story! I love the sibling relationships and their determination to survive and discover what happened to their parents.

It’s different when a hunt’s starting. We’re not the kids who were just bickering at each other; we’re not brothers and sisters or orphans or people. We’re weapons.”
** This review was originally published at www.teenreads.com, SEE IT HERE**

In her newest book SALT, Hannah Moskowitz throws us into a world where fighting sea monsters is sometimes easier than slaying your inner demons.

While seventeen year old Indi has never loved sailing throughout the Mediterranean Sea to hunt monsters with his family, it’s the only life he’s ever known. That hasn’t stopped him from dreaming of a normal life on land. Until his parents vanish, that it. When they don’t return from a journey fighting a sea monster of legendary and epic proportions, Indi fears his chance to escape is getting farther and farther away.

The one thing he holds on to is in his parents journal. Obscure directions to the treasure his parents promised they would give them. He clings to hope that it’s valuable enough to provide him and his siblings the chance at a normal life. But first, he has to convince his driven older sister, Beleza, to stop her quest for revenge.

There is something incredibly magical about this book. SALT is about sea monsters and monster hunters, living a nomadic life full of code words and hybrid languages. Part of the magic Moskowitz weaves is that this life isn’t set in the pages of the past. Instead, she has seamlessly woven it into a very modern world. The result is captivating.

Make no mistake, this isn’t simply a fantasy novel with high stakes action and heart pounding adventure, though you’ll find plenty of both. At the heart of SALT, this is a story about love and family. It’s a very sweet coming of age tale exploring how complicated family love can be and how loyalty can tear you between living the life you want and the life expected of you. No one has told Indi he can’t leave the ship, but the way he loves his siblings is strong and pure, and sometimes that can hold you down more firmly than chains or threats.

Even though this book comes in at just 258 pages, this is a stellar case of quality over quantity. Within this short book, the relationships and personalities of Indi and his three siblings shine through as unique, vivid and incredibly realistic. They fight, and snap at each other, and generally drive each other up the wall. But within all of those scenes, the underlying thread of love is always visible. Their interactions very much reminded me of my own siblings, albeit with less weapons and no sea monsters.

SALT has the perfect combination of fantasy, adventure, action and emotion. Every scene involving a sea monster had me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath. I yearned to see more of the cities they were in and fell completely in love with each character as their antics carved their personalities into reality. I adored Zulu and Oscar, felt for Indi and Beleza, and really want to meet Hura, although I will make sure to never turn my back on that wily pirate. This is a book I can see myself falling into again and again.

Fans of Moskowitz will find her themes of love and her ability to blend dark fantasy with reality once again in the pages of SALT. New readers, especially those who love the lyrical writing of Laini Taylor or the hilarious and very morally grey antics of Captain Jack Sparrow, will find a lot to swoon for. It will delight fantasy lovers, and satisfy all your emotional yearning at the same time. In all, don’t let the size of this book fool you. It’s a small novel that packs a killer punch.

Thank you Teenreads and Chronicle Books for sending me a review copy!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

In this story we get to know 4 siblings who have recently become orphaned and took over the family business: hunting down sea monsters, living the ocean life, barely scraping by. They have their parents journal with notes about the various monsters and a map to a potential treasure, as well as their rickety ship and an arsenal of weapons. We follow the siblings on their journey to avenge their parents. Along the way, they encounter clues, monsters, and a female pirate. Will they come face to face with the monster that allegedly killed their parents? Will they find the treasure on the way?

I have to say this book wasn't for me. I was intrigued by the genre and story synopsis as fantastical sea adventures are generally my thing. Unfortunately, the story felt like a hodgepodge of magical text messages sent by an angsty teen. Maybe the teenager-like language was done on purpose but somehow didn't fit the atmosphere of the plotline at all. I was confused at times whether or not the narrator (teenaged Indi) was actually sitting in his older sister's pocket or if it was just a figure of speech. Events along the journey happened abruptly and were hard to follow. The crescendo of encountering the mythical sea creature called El Diamante fell flat and the battle was way too short for me to care about its outcome. And the ending seemed like an odd afterthought.

All in all, I struggled reading this book and am not certain I understood its message. To me, the only positive note was the female pirate who made no excuses for herself and her lifestyle. She was a very positive (despite being a thieving pirate) role model in the book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy to review.

I enjoyed this book a lot more then I thought that I was going to. I did do a Waiting on Wednesday post and once I got the ARC, I got cold feet but since I promised to review it I read it. Overall, I am very happy that I did. The story itself is short, only 250 pages, but it felt like enough. I did not feel like there should have been more. Moskowitz's prose is very atmospheric and it reminded me of The End We Start From. I will admit I was expecting an apocalyptic story as that was the vibe I was getting from the synopsis. It was a bit shocking to find out that it was a modern day story.

Indi and his siblings did not have a basic knowledge of modern life so it might as well have been during the apocalypse. And speaking of Indi and his siblings, they had a great dynamic. They act like a real set of siblings; bickering, loving and antagonizing each other at every turn. However, they did not seem to be fully developed as there were holes in their backstory but this did not take away from the story from me because I was expecting something like TEWSF which does not have that a huge focus on the characters or the setting but on the journey that the main characters take. Like TEWSF, Salt focused more on the sibling's quest to find their parents and fight monsters than anything else. The whole monsters fighting gig was the main reason why I was interested in the book and it did not disappoint. I do wish that Moskowitz explained more on where these monsters came from because she gave almost no lore or mythology on them. The boss fight was disappointing, to say the least. For this being the big climactic moment that was discussed throughout the whole book I was expecting more. I also wanted more than a few passing comments about their parents as that was there driving force for this whole plot.

Salt by Hannah Moskowitz

3.25 stars

“It’s different when a hunt’s starting. We’re not the kids who were just bickering at each other; we’re not brothers and sisters or orphans or people. We’re weapons.”

Indi and his siblings—Beleza, Oscar, and Zulu—have been hunting down monsters of the sea on their own since their parents went missing. As they sail around the Mediterranean and hunt down the monsters waiting for human prey, they are also looking for the parents and the possible monster that is responsible for their absence. Indi doesn’t want to hunt monsters. He longs for stability and for something more. It’s causing tensions to rise between he and his older sister, Beleza. Will Indi be able to escape the dangers of the sea before its too late? I love the concept of Salt. We follow orphaned sea-monster hunters. It’s like Supernatural in the Mediterranean and I was totally here for it. The concept is a lot of fun, but the execution is… forgettable. The writing isn’t spectacular and lacks greatly in world-building. You are just thrown into these grand monster battles with little to no context and I didn’t really feel immersed in the story. I didn’t really care why these kids were risking their lives to save humans who didn’t know any better because I wasn’t fearful enough of the monsters they were chasing. I didn’t believe they posed much of a threat because Moskowitz didn’t paint a world that need monster hunters to protect the seas. Moskowitz is a writer of simplicity which works well for a lot of stories, but not this one. I craved more complexity in character development and in world building.



Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.25

“Salt is in our blood.”

The main character is Indi. He’s an interesting character. He isn’t a captivating presence on the page and he is definitely one of those people who fades into the background, which is why I think it’s interesting that we follow his narrative. He is always quick to do the courageous thing in battle, but complain about it or fuss at Oscar for doing the same. He’s far too contradictory for me. I wasn’t necessarily bored by him, but I found it hard to root for him.



Swoon Worthy Scale: 2.25

The real star of this show is Indi’s older sister, Beleza. She’s a character I would have loved to follow. Her narrative would’ve been complex and dripping with a dichotomy of complexity—guilt, self-sacrifice, love for her family, obsession, and a thirst to save others. She was hands down the most interesting character Moskowitz has written in this novel. It’s a tragedy that it wasn’t from her POV.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 4

“My big sister is monster venom.”

I loved the family dynamic. I love following hunters who chase monsters as a family because it always makes the stakes higher. The stakes were high here because two of the hunters were young children, one being elementary school age. I really liked Oscar’s character and I thought it was a pity that because Indi dismissed him, he basically got little development besides having the delinquency of a potential pirate. I loved Zulu. She was absolutely adorable and a totally baddie. She is barely even able to read and she’s out there shooting arrows from a crossbow into a mile-long beast. That’s awesome. I wasn’t a fan of Indi’s love interest (?) who is more of a friend with benefit then roommate then lover who also has a boyfriend at the same time. I just wasn’t feeling her character, but it was cool that we met a lady pirate.


Character Scale: 3.5

I think Salt has the potential to excite a lot of Supernatural fans. It isn’t a bad novel and the concept is a treat and I believe is worth reading alone. This is a short novel and it is definitely not a waste of time. Overall, I think this novel has its fault, but it is endearing and has a fantastic family dynamic.


Plotastic Scale: 3.5

Cover Thoughts: This cover is gorgeous. The sail boat, the stars, the darkness of both the water and the sky. It’s mesmerizing.

Thank you, Netgalley and Chronicle Books, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

One Sentence Synopsis: Monsters, mourning, and quarreling siblings out on the sea.

Why You Should Be Reading: Monsters, I’m down for. Family dynamics, bring it on. Trying to figure out what you want in life while being pulled left and right by duty, yes, please. Salt won me with these three things. The plot could use a bit of fine tuning, especially anyone besides the siblings. And the ending seemed to come on me too fast.

But I enjoyed Salt and would recommend it to readers looking for an interesting and fast-paced world full of sibling bonds, intrigue, adventure, and sea monsters.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Other Books by Hannah Moskowitz: Gone, Gone, Gone, Teeth, Break

Buy Salt HERE.

Add Salt to your Goodreads HERE.