beanie_bob's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Thirst for Salt is like a synthesis of “The Glass Essay" by Anne Carson and "The Crane Wife" by CJ Hauser, mixed, horrifyingly, with the themes of my diary (and maybe the diaries of all introspective, sensitive girl-women).
This novel is about love and how it endures.
I thought the quotation-less dialogue was a well used device and that it forced me to accept the story through the memories of the narrator. It’s her account, her feeling, of how everything happened. I don’t think she’s an unreliable narrator, no more than anyone else remembering their life, but the world is tinted by her emotions and experiences.
Gorgeous writing. I was a little surprised to find out Sailor’s Beach isn’t a real place. Lucas writes of it as if she’s walked the wet sand, smelled the salt air, and passed the Old House all her life.
The end was really difficult for me to read through. Please heed the content warnings.
This novel is about love and how it endures.
I thought the quotation-less dialogue was a well used device and that it forced me to accept the story through the memories of the narrator. It’s her account, her feeling, of how everything happened. I don’t think she’s an unreliable narrator, no more than anyone else remembering their life, but the world is tinted by her emotions and experiences.
Gorgeous writing. I was a little surprised to find out Sailor’s Beach isn’t a real place. Lucas writes of it as if she’s walked the wet sand, smelled the salt air, and passed the Old House all her life.
The end was really difficult for me to read through. Please heed the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Abortion
Moderate: Alcohol and Animal death
melissa_b_67's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thirst for Salt is the story of the love affair between the 24 year old unnamed narrator and 42 year old Jude. The story begins with our narrator telling us that their relationship has already ended. An author who is able to grab our attention so that we continue to turn the pages, even though we know the outcome of the story from the onset, has a true talent indeed. The writing in this book is beautiful and poetic, but still accessible. Thirst for Salt is character-driven, literary fiction, and although only 272 pages, it is a story you can lose yourself in, in all the best ways. This book has a melancholic, dreamlike atmosphere which leaves the reader with a sense of nostalgia for that first great love.
Although this story does have the coming-of-age theme, which I am not drawn to these days, I was thoroughly invested in the timelessness of that deep fall into all-consuming first love. The characters were not especially lovable, but they weren't unlikable either. Again and again what drew me to this story was the author's ability to bring the fleetingness of a great love to the page, "As all lovers learn, when love ends, you lose the future as well as the past."
With the atmospheric Australian beach setting, sub-plots of mother-daughter bonds and the impact of childhood loss on adult relationships, the author's choice to keep the narrator unnamed, the absence of quotation marks, and the many nuances of the love affair, Thirst for Salt is a book you will want to both immerse yourself in and discuss with others.
I have to add that I am obsessed with the title of this book. Thirst for Salt conjures up so many thoughts and images, and the title is perfectly suited for this story.
Thirst for Salt was a 5 star read for me, but I also felt conflicted while reading it due to some unusual stylistic and character choices made by the author. I borrowed Thirst for Salt from Libby and read on my Kindle, but I think I might purchase a printed copy for my shelves. The writing is gorgeous and I'm certain I will want to go back and read certain passages again and again.
If you like an immersive love story, without a perfect storybook ending, leaving you with all the feels, you might want to give Thirst for Salt a try.
Although this story does have the coming-of-age theme, which I am not drawn to these days, I was thoroughly invested in the timelessness of that deep fall into all-consuming first love. The characters were not especially lovable, but they weren't unlikable either. Again and again what drew me to this story was the author's ability to bring the fleetingness of a great love to the page, "As all lovers learn, when love ends, you lose the future as well as the past."
With the atmospheric Australian beach setting, sub-plots of mother-daughter bonds and the impact of childhood loss on adult relationships, the author's choice to keep the narrator unnamed, the absence of quotation marks, and the many nuances of the love affair, Thirst for Salt is a book you will want to both immerse yourself in and discuss with others.
I have to add that I am obsessed with the title of this book. Thirst for Salt conjures up so many thoughts and images, and the title is perfectly suited for this story.
Thirst for Salt was a 5 star read for me, but I also felt conflicted while reading it due to some unusual stylistic and character choices made by the author. I borrowed Thirst for Salt from Libby and read on my Kindle, but I think I might purchase a printed copy for my shelves. The writing is gorgeous and I'm certain I will want to go back and read certain passages again and again.
If you like an immersive love story, without a perfect storybook ending, leaving you with all the feels, you might want to give Thirst for Salt a try.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Abortion
callmeamelia's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion and Animal death
rly's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abortion
apmcmullen's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thirst for Salt follows a 37-year-old woman recalling her 24th year as she gets entangled in a relationship with a 42-year-old man. I thought the ways this book navigated relationships--both romantic and parent-child--were beautifully done. It was understated, but packed a punch. I loved the descriptive writing and the ways places were painted on the page. This character-driven novel doesn't feel overly pretentious the way other books like this can feel. Everyone has their own flaws, but I didn't hate them. It was a lovely exploration of love--how our life experiences shape how we give, receive, and perceive it--and the ways that our main character handles her first "grown-up" relationship. This was also my first book in a long time that didn't have quotation marks, so that was a little weird. Lol.
At times, the book failed to hold my interest so that's why it only got four stars for me. But another book to add to the Sad Girl Lit Fit category! I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the eARC! This title publishes March 7, 2023.
At times, the book failed to hold my interest so that's why it only got four stars for me. But another book to add to the Sad Girl Lit Fit category! I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the eARC! This title publishes March 7, 2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Abortion, and Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
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