Rating: ★★
It’s been a while since I updated this blog. I haven’t been reading much since June. I did finish the third book of the Murderbot series, but I didn’t do a full review. I enjoyed it and gave it three stars.
The Salt Grows Heavy was recommended to me by a coworker, and they even brought their copy in for me to read. Even though it’s such a short book, it took me a while, about two months, to finish it. I picked it up for a bit, then stopped for a long while. I finished the last half in the past two or three days.
Without looking at a blurb, it’s hard for me to say exactly what this book was about. Maybe that’s my own fault because I went so long between starting and finishing. After looking it up, I’m reminded that this is a story of a mermaid and a plague doctor who become more-or-less trapped in a village of children and surgeons. The story is full of gore and mystery. There’s elements of fantasy and, I suppose, science-fiction, though nothing is fully explained.
I think my issue is with many novellas or short stories I read: the setup isn’t there. I’m not oriented enough when I begin the story, so I don’t understand how things work or where we are. However, I continue on, trying to enjoy it. By the end, the story felt flat, like the big flourish of an ending, or even a climax, wasn’t there. I left disappointed, because I did really enjoy the writing of this novella. It’s creepy and gory. The mythology of the mermaid here is terrifying, and the reader realizes it over time. That’s the novella’s strength. Everything else, though, seems like extras so the author could share this mythology.
The plot was uninteresting to me, and at the end something happens that seems completely out of left field. I don’t know if the author was building to it, if it’s not a spoiler, or if it’s obvious. I’m not going to say what it is just in case, but it seemed so awkward and wrong for the story. Suffice it to say, I didn’t like the ending.
I would definitely read other stories by Khaw because the writing was great. This was the first thing I’ve read from them, so of course I’d try again. Also, it has no bearing on anything, but this cover is absolutely stunning. I would hang this on my wall!
Tiny Leaf Books 