The Sea Is Salt and So Am I is marketed as a YA contemporary novel that asks about secrets and about the power of love to change people

I can say that the only thing I didn't like about what I read was being stuck in Harlow's head for most of this sample. Harlow is an awful person, she's like your vegan friend who won't shut up about being vegan except worse because she somehow has a complete lack of basic empathy. It's really interesting to read because you can see her thought process and it's scarily believable.

On the other end of the good/bad person scale we have Tommy, who hates Harlow for good reason and who seriously needs real help. It saddens me to watch his relationship with Ellis, and it gives me psychic damage to read about how Harlow thinks she helped Tommy. He seems to be the only one of the three main characters who has a heart and I'm going to read the full book when it comes out just because I want to see him start to get better.

This is stunning, I cannot wait to continue the story.

I can tell that this story is going to be beautifully written and grip my heart all the way through.

I’m super excited to read this one, the sneak peak has left me wanting more! Can’t wait to get the full book when it’s released

Thank you Netgalley for this extended sampler!

The sampler was 59 pages and it was packed. We met our three main characters; Harlow, Ellis and Tommy, and also read chapters from all their POVs. The plot is extremely distinct(read the back-cover blurb in the Goodreads description!) and the setting is well thought out. Cassandra Hartt did an amazing job at capturing the atmosphere of West Finch and I felt like I could taste and hear the ocean as I read.

Plot : The setting up of the plot was done impeccably. This sampler raised a lot more questions than answers which is exactly how the beginning of a book should be. I just know this one's gonna be a page-turner.

Writing : The writing did get a little blurry when describing events as there was too much hinting and too little showing/telling. it left me a little confused & having to go back to re-read some parts multiple times(& still come out confused). So these 60 pages did take me a little longer than normal.

I must say I quite dislike Harlow and Ellis, although I found their friendship fairly amiable. The way they treated Tommy is quite despicable and Harlow even more so. I couldn't help but feel disgusted several times while reading her chapters. If she does not undergo a good arc, I'm afraid I'd have to hate her, because I kind of already do. But! I never shy away from bad main characters because it means shying away from a potentially epic character arc. Despite Harlow's casual humour & innocence, she seems to be harbouring a lot of secrets and her in this sampler, is merely a thin blanket covering what beast lies underneath. I feel that this applies even more accurately to Ellis. Tommy, I absolutely loved. I felt deeply for him especially with his interactions with Goose. I hope he gets better at the end and that his mental health is handled well.

Overall, I think this has potential to be a solid book that sheds light on very important conversations surrounding mental health but I think it is delicate ground and the characters(that aren't Tommy) just seem to be stomping on it right now. I am both anxious and excited for this book!

Great writing, interesting plot about a small town and the different ways it needs to be saved, nice representation of disability and mental illness. It contains warnings at the beginning of the book, which I loved.
This wasn’t bad at all but I don’t think it is really for me in terms of pacing. I found it a bit hard to get into and didn’t connect deeply with any of the characters. I probably won’t read the full book but this is more a matter of personal taste. I hope this book finds its audience, wishing it, its author and publisher the best for release day!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this sampler!

The writting in this book is beyong my praise . It was such an important concept that this book touched upon . I am very thrilled to actually get my hands on the copy of this book as soon as it is out !!

I am in love with this book, given I've only managed to read a sample, but it's such a lovely, well written book that I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I'll be updating this review once I manage to read the full book!

Thank you netgalley for the preview and completely ruining me because I'm an IMPATIENT person and I need this asap!

I really enjoyed this sample! I'm so glad Macmillan and Netgalley provided a glimpse of this fascinating read. I can't wait to find out what happens more in this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing this sneak peek of The Sea Is Salt and So Am I! I'm so excited about this book! I will definitely be reading the full book when it is released in June!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with this sample in exchange for an honest review

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. .

Hartt's writing is replete with details that will draw its readers in. Secrets that threaten to shift the comfortable dynamic that the characters have molded into just fine over the last seven years.

From the get go, you're introduced to the beach town of West Finch where it thrives on small town gossip. We are then introduced to our main ensemble: Harlow, Ellis, and Tommy. I love that in the very beginning we are already able to differentiate the three from their distinctive personalities: Harlow, the stubborn, witty girl obsessed with climate change and making an environmental difference; Ellis, the track star scholar who tries to escape his problems using distractions and distance; Tommy, the loner artist struggling with depression.

Harlow and Tommy's hatred towards each other is intriguing and leaves me wondering whether this will be an enemies to lovers story once we continue further. The writing is both captivating and poetic (some paragraphs almost feel like free verse poetry), and I enjoyed the sea/water analogies.

Overall, the first 6 chapters hooked me in and left me wanting to follow along to get to know our characters better.

How dare this teaser end where it did!!! I cannot wait to read this whole book. It has some heavy content so CW for depression, suicidal ideation and attempts.

The characters are engaging and feel complex and unique. The plot progresses at a nice pace leaving you not feeling rushed but very much wanting more.

I have a strong feeling this is going to be a deep, beautiful, emotional and powerful book.

A very interesting sneak peak and I am definitely hyped to read the full novel as soon as I can. There wasn't a lot to work with but it has some real promise and I can't wait to delve further into this world soon.

I didn't actually realize this was just a sampler when I requested it, and it's definitely got me hooked! The writing is beautiful and I can't wait to read more.

This is only a 60 page preview but it's already promising to be a very emotional read. The Sea is Salt and So Am I has some absolutely beautiful writing, and there is a lovely juxtaposition between the town threatened with rising sea levels, and the drama and grief the character's experience.

This is definitely a book to read if you want to put your heart through the wringer! Can't wait to read the rest of it.

The writing is hauntingly beautiful and leaves your heart yearning. This book contains some beautiful, poetic passages in a drama of romance, friendship, and grief set in a town threatened by global warming and rising sea levels. The tragic beauty of the setting establishes the tone of the story, this sense of washing away and longing to preserve that which may not be able to be saved.

I was only able to read the first 59 pages through NetGalley but from what I did read I adored. The characters are realistic, and the plot is turbulent and refreshing. One thing I was very happy to see in this book was a warning page due to the topics included in the story, which are suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and detailed depictions of depression.

The cover of The Sea is Salt and So Am I is what really drew me in, it's quite eye-catching!

The sampler chapters are good, intriguing enough that I do want to know what happens in the book. It's written in such a way that's a bit confusing for me personally though. It's a book that I'll pick up simply to see what happens, but I don't know (at least based on the sample) that it'd end up being a story I'd be drawn back to re-read.


Thank you Roaring Brook Press for the extended sampler!

Firstly, I want to say that overall I think the book is fairly decent. I realized right off that it wasn't my cup of tea by any stretch and do want to tell you all that the tone seemed a bit sadder to me than what I was expecting, that being said, I think it is a good reflection on the author and how well she writes.

Thank you so much for giving me the chance to read a sampler of this mesmerizing story. I can't wait for the publication and I'll definitely buy a copy of this book.

The characters are complex and the writing style is unique--the type I want to have!