I'm really sorry to say this, but the content in this book referring to suicide was just too triggering for me to read. From what I read before putting it down, the writing was beautiful and the character work was just exquisite. I can't say I recommend this book or not to all my followers because I didn't read enough to determine my thoughts, but from what I read this book seems to be of high quality. Rating this 5 stars because I don't want to mess up the average rating and ratings are required for review submissions on netgalley. Thank you for the ARC :)

Content warnings: depression, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I tend to gravitate towards character driven books, and this one is definitely one of those! The characters were real, flawed, and relatable. The depiction of mental illness was tough to read, but well done and necessary. I really enjoyed the writing style and it was always engaging. My only real issue was the pacing. It was not consistent to me, and lulled at some points and felt rushed at others.

I do recommend this book, but just be careful of the content warnings.

I went into this book very cautiously due to the authors trigger warning about the suicidal content.
While I love the writing, suicide is a large trigger for me and I’m choosing to DNF this book because of it.

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. I was not interested in the characters and how toxic they were to each other.

The writing in this novel is absolutely gorgeous-feverish and evocative, strange and compelling. And I was drawn in by the premise (I love a Maine setting, and ecological collapse is certainly a timely topic) and was amply forewarned about the focus on depression and suicidal ideation/suicide attempts (kudos to the author for the full-page content warning at the outset). What I wasn't prepared for, and what in the end kept me from enjoying this book, was the levels of unlikeability these characters would achieve (particularly Harlow). I don't mind an unlikeable character, but Harlow was so self-absorbed and lacking in sympathy that I couldn't really deal. I understand that she has massive codependency and anxiety issues, and I appreciate that they were woven into the narrative in fairly nuanced ways, but I could not stand this character, nor could I really stand her friend Ellis. Tommy and his dog Goose were fairly sympathetic, though Goose's cancer diagnosis and treatment make that element fraught for different reasons. In the end, this book took me forever to get through, and I hated being in the company of these characters and their toxic relationships. I loved the world, and I loved the writing, but I just couldn't deal.

CW: depression, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, previous alcoholism and infidelity, death of loved one, car accident, cancer and chemotherapy (pet dog related), underage drinking

I'm not quite sure how to rate/review this book. It may definitely be a case of it's me not you. Cassandra Hartt's writing was really beautiful and thoughtful and kept me reading into the wee hours of the night, but it was also too convoluted at times with many things implied or hinted at but never fully stated. Perhaps that was the point though?

The Sea is Salt and So Am I is a character driven novel and is told from the POV of the three teen main characters - Harlow and identical twins, Ellis and Tommy. All the characters are flawed from the adults to the teens that the story focuses on, and though I didn't particularly like any of them, I felt that the relationships depicted were very accurate and honest. The complex relationships between childhood friends, parent and child, siblings, found families, classmates, and town residents. Ellis and Tommy's estranged relationship as well as Tommy and Cliff's was especially moving and thoughtful. The discussion and depiction of depression and mental illness was frank and raw and I thought the author did an amazing job. Although I am not sure of the accuracy, the cycle of progression and regression was presented in such a unique and emotional way.

I enjoyed the writing overall, but the pacing of the book stalled at times and made it feel overly long. There just wasn't a lot of action for the majority of the book. The overall tone was very somber and I'm still not sure how I feel about the book. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. Many plot points were left unaddressed, but that was likely the point (especially given the way the book concluded). I think perhaps I just didn't fully understand this one.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Cassandra Hartt’s The Sea is Salt and So am I is a beautiful novel filled with poetic words and powerful imagery. In a symbolic nature, the story navigates both personal changes affecting the main point of view characters and the environmental change affecting their home. Overall, the book is a thoughtful and fantastic debut for Hartt.

Readers of The Sea is Salt and So am I follow the stories of three main characters. First, Harlow is a violet-eyed teenager driven to fix things (both people and places). even though her actions are more likely to break them. The twins, Tommy and Ellis are very different. Tommy suffers from depression and suicidal thoughts and is an artist who has lost the drive and ability to draw. His brother, Ellis, is best friends with Harlow. Following a childhood accident, Ellis has a prosthetic leg and dates across the gender spectrum. The relationship between Ellis and Tommy is fragmented, and neither of them seems rather interested in fixing it. Their home, the town of West Finch, Maine is on the precipice of falling into the sea. The three teenagers deal with real-world problems (not something out of a fantasy novel) like love and trust between one another, and readers are simply taken along for the ride.

I admit, there were multiple times when I considered not finishing this book. This is not due to the quality of writing, but rather the depth and emotion that Hartt has poured into the book. Depression and suicide are not easy topics to stomach. There is also a distinct lack of “action” and the pacing is slow at times. However, I pushed through and eventually got to the end. I’m glad I persevered, but this is not the type of book that I would re-read multiple times (specifically due to the subject material).

CONTENT WARNING: Readers should be warned that the book features depictions of suicide and depression. They should also know that the depictions are handled with sensitivity and care.

#NetGalley #TheSeaIsSaltandSoAmI
I thank NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review :)
All I have to say is this....everyone pick this book up when releases. it was quite good

I really struggled to finish this book. It’s one of those ones where issues seems less resolved by the end, but the book is without a doubt finished. However, without a doubt my favorite part was the setting. The idea of an sea town being washed away carries a very powerful tone that is felt throughout the book.

West Finch is clinging to the sea coast, erosion eating away at it each year. Twins Tommy and Ellis no longer have a close relationship. Ellis and Harlow are inseparable best friends. Following one big storm, the three will find themselves competing, testing and bonding in ways unexpected and surprising.

This beautiful book belongs in every school library. It's a richly complex conversation about growing up, figuring out who you are through the disasters you survive and deciding what to do in their wake. Life is messy, complicated, and full of muddy choices and worse hurdles. How Tommy, Ellis and Harlow navigate; who they choose to rely upon and ultimately see their way clear of the debris of those disasters is how they grow. I love that the three main characters in this book are complex, flawed and by turns frustrating and likeable. All three earnest, authentic and vulnerable. So much of this reads of beautiful desperation. Seizing the moment even though they know it's fleeting. This book will resonate for readers who’ve felt overwhelmed and vulnerable beyond measure in the face of everything life throws because sometimes we thrash hoping for the best while bracing for the worst.

“Where you can touch stones carved thousands of years ago and see that most things can be saved, if not always in the ways you expect.”

Reader warnings: clinical depression, suicide

Content Warnings at end of Review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Fierce Reads for the arc of this book.

Sometimes you read a book and you just know it is going to haunt you. You'll be in the grocery store 15 years from now and remember exactly how it felt to read it. You'll wake up in a cold sweat at 2 am with lingering images from a scene in the book that somehow made it into your dreams even though you weren't thinking about it before you went to sleep. That's what this book was for me.

West Finch, Maine has been slowly sinking into the ocean. With rising tide levels and crumbling sea walls, any big storm could mean the end of another business. Harlowe is determined to stop it and save her town, and her best friend, Ellis will help her because saying no to each other would feel like cutting off their own limb. But when Ellis' twin brother, Tommy, swims into a stormy sea without the intention to return, things begin changing for the three teenagers in ways they never thought possible.

I am absolutely obliterated by the writing in this book. It destroyed me. I shouldn't be surprised that the title comes from a poem because everything about this book is pure poetry. It's gripping, haunting, painful and tense and real and I will absolutely never forget it. It left a mark on me.

There is something magnifying about the relationships between Harlowe and Ellis and Tommy in this book. They are in no ways healthy relationships, but they are certainly unforgettable. And gut-wrenching.

The ending of this book killed me. It's completely ambiguous and I will probably never stop thinking about it.

Pub Date: June 8, 2021

Content Warnings:
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit, Self harm, Cancer, and Medical content

*TRIGGER WARNING: Book contains instances of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide, as well as detailed depictions of depression*

In the small town of West Finch, Maine, three people’s lives are intertwined. Sixteen-year old Harlow Prout is an activist who has a complicated relationship with her best friend Ellis and his twin brother Tommy. Ellis, having suffered a childhood injury that has left him with a severe injury, constantly runs away from his problems and has a broken relationship with his twin brother. Tommy, is clinically depressed, and in the wake of the town’s latest devastating storm, attempts to commit suicide but is saved at the last minute. Harlow and Ellis have always been best friends and have an extremely codependent relationship (to the point where it is unhealthy) and Harlow and Tommy have always disliked each other....until now. Harlow and Tommy begin to start a relationship and with this, Harlow and Ellis begin to separate, on top of that all three harbor secrets that threaten to destroy all their relationships.

If I’m being real honest here, Harlow and Ellis were not great people and were extremely unlikeable. The only characters I actually liked and connected with were Tommy and his dog. Harlow is obsessed with “the plan”, her perfect plan for her future with Ellis and constantly fixing things, fixing people, and least we forget she constantly bullies Tommy and when the secret of what she does to him comes out I wasn’t even surprised. Ellis on the other hand is also not a great character, he is the type of person who must have it be about them and no one else. He can’t stand to see Harlow focus on anyone but him and he has to have the separation of Harlow and Tommy, and then when Harlow and Tommy start dating he does everything to separate and destroy that relationship. And onto Tommy, he is someone who is still trying to deal with his mental illness and trying to find some semblance of what to do next. All three of them just do not work together, I so badly wanted Tommy to cut them out of his life.

Onto the ending of the book.... I hated it. I just... I was left with the feeling of “what did I just read? thats it? Is that how this ends??”

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I liked this YA. I especially liked the excerpt that preceded it. But I think I liked Tommy the best.

Ellis is kind of a jerk. And Harlow is pretty annoying. I don't understand their friendship. I don't know why she continues to focus on "the plan" and many of her actions are never explained.

But Tommy's struggles are real and interesting and his interactions and relationships are much better written. When Harlow is with him, the chemistry comes through.

So I'd say the book is uneven, but it has its moments mostly when Tommy and Harlow are together.

I don’t know how to rate this one. I think it’s memorable and I know some student will enjoy it. I think I’ll recommend it for strong readers who will put up with the length with little action. In my mind, it’s a mashing of Jacob Have I Loved and All The Bright Places.

I think the reason I’m not sure about it is because I just couldn’t like Harlow. She’s one of three main characters. And when you don’t like the pivotal character, from which both other characters ebb and flow... well, it makes it hard. And it was just too long once I realized she wasn’t going to have a redemption arch.

The ending was just stupid. Others have said it fit in with the book’s style but I disagree. I just think it’s a cop-out for the author.

Harlow is determined to save her hometown from being swept away into the ocean. If only she could stop getting in her own way and find someone willing to help.. There's an unexpected change between these three teens.

The Sea Is Salt and So Am I is a touching multiperspective glimpse into the reality of teens' lives.
The characters were based on three different teenagers and their experiences of depression and mental health issues. The novel used POV chapters that focused on each character's experience. I enjoyed the setting of the story. In the beginning of the story. I felt confused I read the first three chapters and I had to stop and try to figure out who they were. It was challenging for me to connect with the rest of the story. I would reread this, I enjoyed the view on mental health and depression.

If you a are a fan of Y.A contemporary I think you would enjoy this.

This book is beautifully written with memorable prose and metaphors. It follows Harlow, Tommy, and Ellis, three teens in a seaside town, battling inner demons and climate change. The 3 person POV was a little jarring at first, but works once you get deeper into the book. I'd call this a quiet book with explosive moments, that focuses more on character than plot. Overall, I enjoyed the read, but it wasn't a page-turner.

This book just wasn’t for me, unfortunately. While the premise seems quite promising and I found the depiction of Tommy’s depression interesting and real, I didn’t connect with any of the characters, which took away from my reading experience.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.)

A jagged, complex book about twin brothers, the girl who's shadowed them for years, and a town falling into the sea.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection on preorder and will recommend it to students.

4.5 stars

This is an interesting book. I feel like I could have easily been bored with the story but something about the writing and the characters made me want to keep reading. It's a multi- POV story and honestly I hated/was frustrated with each one of the three main characters at least once throughout the book, but they also felt believable and realistic as teenagers.

I would describe this book as quiet with not a very straightforward storytelling. It takes place in a small town that gets hit with storms pretty often and there are other issues the residents face because of the global warming. There are characters with a depression and disability caused by an accident.

What I found unusual in this book was that some things are implied or hinted at a few times without actually telling you what happened, and you get to try connecting dots until suddenly the writer hits you with a memory or confession with the truth when you least expect it. I was a little confused with how it ended because it was more of an open ending, again not very straightforward, so we can make out of it what we best want I guess.

Overall, I think some might find it maybe a little repetitive and monotonous, but I liked it anyway because of the atmosphere and the pace. The book was very enjoyable to me in a kind of soothing way.