Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

7 reviews

maddognews's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

The book was incredibly good but very gory. There were also topics that felt that the author didn’t stop to develop. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Toxic relationship, Torture, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Murder

booksthatburn's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

THE SALT GROWS HEAVY is technically the story of a plague doctor and a mermaid, a description which does not do nearly enough to imply how cool and weird this book is. The main character is not nameless, but her name is explicitly one that cannot be pronounced by humans, and so neither does the story render it in a form I could repeat. It deals with cycles of abuse, a religious cult, deprogramming, reclaiming agency, and the need to rescue someone in a bad situation like the one you yourself previously escaped. It’s also about a group of children worshiping a trio of surgeons who claim that death is not murder because they’ll be brought back to life. The children become more and more distorted, changing into a strange collection of remnants in the hands of those who would use and abuse them under claim of immortality.

Khaw's style has clearly developed more since HAMMERS ON BONE (also excellent), and this is less of a romp than THE ALL-CONSUMING WORLD. It has their willingness to just let a story be bleak without being depressing, finding hope interwoven with death, plus a strange interlude into cult deprogramming. It is specifically a follow up to one of the stories from the collection BREAKABLE THINGS, called "And in Our Daughters, We Find a Voice". That story is included in the back of THE SALT GROWS HEAVY for anyone who needs a refresher.

THE SALT GROWS HEAVY is a truly excellent piece of horror. I’m very glad I read it. I hope you like it too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Gore, Violence, Child abuse, Medical content, Child death, Death, Torture, Blood, Body horror, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Grief, Sexism, Vomit, Confinement, and Animal death

Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Miscarriage

"And in Our Daughters, We Find a Voice" - Graphic CW for blood, gore, death. Moderate CW for toxic relationship, confinement, pregnancy, miscarriage, violence, cannibalism.

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Kidnapping, Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Gore, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Medical trauma

msradiosilence's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Torture, and Toxic relationship

regans's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Toxic relationship, Death, Torture, Body horror, Medical trauma, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Miscarriage

mermaidsherbet's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Medical content, Child death, Death, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Miscarriage, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Rape, Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

'The Salt Grows Heavy' by Cassandra Khaw is a retelling/continuation of the classic Little Mermaid story but with a focus on horror. 
The story follows a mermaid who has recently been freed from the clutches of her husband and set out into the world with a plague doctor as her companion. When they come across a group of children playing a horrific game, they are pulled into the workings of a small community that will reveal more about each of their past experiences.
Khaw writes in a decadent, evocative voice that drips off the page. This is definitely a novella that is steeped in language and I know that probably won't be to everyone's taste. It was definitely to mine. Their word usage and descriptions brought me directly into the story, especially moments of body horror. It's important to go into this book knowing that it is full of gore with lots of body horror and a touch of close to cannibalism. Through their reworking of the classic Little Mermaid tale, Khaw explores the horrors behind being forced to give up a part of yourself and how to regain that later in life. I've had hit or miss experiences with Khaw's writing in the past but this is definitely a hit. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, and Child death