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snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Lesbophobia
cloreadsbooks1364's review against another edition
4.0
Salt Slow is a collection of nine short stories by Julia Armfield. I first discovered this author through the novel "Our Wives Under the Sea", which I read a few months ago. I still haven't reviewed it because it absolutely blew my mind away with its horrific beauty, but it is one of the best pieces of writing I have ever read. I was excited to pick up Salt Slow, and found it very thought-provoking and delightful to read. Below are short descriptions of each story, my opinions, and a rating out of ten.
1. Mantis- If this were a full novel, I'd read it. However, I think it was perfect as a short story with no explanations. Just a girl whose skin sheds to reveal a male-devouring mantis. I think that it was a good opening story, it sets the brutal atmosphere of the following stories. 9/10
2. The Great Awake- This confusing story is about people whose Sleep leaves them. They are forced to be awake 24/7, while the Sleeps cause havoc. I enjoyed this story, the pacing was a strange mixture between slow and fast. My main thought is about how large the electricity bills would be if you were awake all the time. And how bored I'd be. 7/10
3. The Collectables- The third story is about three friends who talk about dating men a lot, until one of them starts to literally create the "perfect man" after a breakup. It was weird and entertaining. 8/10
4. Formerly Feral- This story features a girl who remains with her father after her parents' divorce, only for his new wife to have a wolf as a daughter called Helen. Helen is treated like a child, and over time the narrator and Helen become very close. I immensely enjoyed this story, and would happily read at least a hundred more pages of the bond between girl and wolf. 9/10
5. Stop your women's ears with wax- This was my favourite story in the collection. It follows Mona, who is travelling with a band whose addictive (and probably magical) music drives their fans (all teenage girls) to commit violent acts against men. I immensely enjoyed the pacing, the plot, the perfectly underdescribed characters. 10/10
6. Granite- This story is about a woman, Maggie, who is in love with a man. He is the perfect partner for her, but unfortunately he turns to stone. I found this story to feel very lyrical, and felt a lot of sympathy for Maggie. 9/10
7. Smack- Here is a story about Nicola, a woman going through a divorce who locks herself inside her ex's beach house. I honestly had no clue what to think about this one. 6/10
8. Cassandra After- The penultimate story is about a woman whose dead girlfriend, Cassandra, comes back from the grave and acts as if everything is normal. Another confusing story with no explanations. 6.5/10
9. salt slow- The world is fully underwater, a couple are on a boat. The narrator, a woman, is pregnant with a non-human child. I liked how we were fed no world building, no information as to if the flooding was quick or if the waters rose over time. 7/10
My average rating of thise stories rounds to 8/10, which I consider an appropriate overall rating for this book. Once again, Armfield's gorgeous writing stole my heart, forcing me to read until I had finished, leaving me thoughtful and slightly confused.
1. Mantis- If this were a full novel, I'd read it. However, I think it was perfect as a short story with no explanations. Just a girl whose skin sheds to reveal a male-devouring mantis. I think that it was a good opening story, it sets the brutal atmosphere of the following stories. 9/10
2. The Great Awake- This confusing story is about people whose Sleep leaves them. They are forced to be awake 24/7, while the Sleeps cause havoc. I enjoyed this story, the pacing was a strange mixture between slow and fast. My main thought is about how large the electricity bills would be if you were awake all the time. And how bored I'd be. 7/10
3. The Collectables- The third story is about three friends who talk about dating men a lot, until one of them starts to literally create the "perfect man" after a breakup. It was weird and entertaining. 8/10
4. Formerly Feral- This story features a girl who remains with her father after her parents' divorce, only for his new wife to have a wolf as a daughter called Helen. Helen is treated like a child, and over time the narrator and Helen become very close. I immensely enjoyed this story, and would happily read at least a hundred more pages of the bond between girl and wolf. 9/10
5. Stop your women's ears with wax- This was my favourite story in the collection. It follows Mona, who is travelling with a band whose addictive (and probably magical) music drives their fans (all teenage girls) to commit violent acts against men. I immensely enjoyed the pacing, the plot, the perfectly underdescribed characters. 10/10
6. Granite- This story is about a woman, Maggie, who is in love with a man. He is the perfect partner for her, but unfortunately he turns to stone. I found this story to feel very lyrical, and felt a lot of sympathy for Maggie. 9/10
7. Smack- Here is a story about Nicola, a woman going through a divorce who locks herself inside her ex's beach house. I honestly had no clue what to think about this one. 6/10
8. Cassandra After- The penultimate story is about a woman whose dead girlfriend, Cassandra, comes back from the grave and acts as if everything is normal. Another confusing story with no explanations. 6.5/10
9. salt slow- The world is fully underwater, a couple are on a boat. The narrator, a woman, is pregnant with a non-human child. I liked how we were fed no world building, no information as to if the flooding was quick or if the waters rose over time. 7/10
My average rating of thise stories rounds to 8/10, which I consider an appropriate overall rating for this book. Once again, Armfield's gorgeous writing stole my heart, forcing me to read until I had finished, leaving me thoughtful and slightly confused.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
ecn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The description wasn’t wrong when they said you’d enjoy it if you were a fan of Carmen Maria Machado. This definitely read almost identically to some of the stories in Her Body and Other Parties. (If you want something exactly like it, read this).
Some stories were better than others but all were enjoyable and fun to pick apart for a ~deeper meaning~.
Would be a great book club book (especially if read alongside Her Body, and especially especially if read around Halloween. A fun event I’d sign up for).
Some stories were better than others but all were enjoyable and fun to pick apart for a ~deeper meaning~.
Would be a great book club book (especially if read alongside Her Body, and especially especially if read around Halloween. A fun event I’d sign up for).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Abandonment
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