House of Salt and Sorrows - Book Review

 

House of Salt and Sorrows

by Erin A. Craig

What is it about:

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

What did I think of it:

This is a retelling of the fairytale The Twelve Dancing Princesses. 

I very much enjoyed this read, it was intriguing with a slight creep factor. In my opinion the author could have dialed up the creep a bit more. I saw a lot of potential as the house is by the sea, and the family crest is an octopus. This is used a bit, but I wanted more.

I also think the author should have included fantastical and supernatural elements more consistently. Now it felt a bit off, with the story being semi realistic in large parts of the book, and then suddenly fantastical at times the story needed it.

Those points aside I had a good time with this book. I liked the heroine and rooted for her. There was a bit of love triangly stuff going on and some instalove, but overall this was an engaging read that kept me reading.

I will keep an eye out for other books by this author.

Why should you read it:

It's an intriguing and entertaining YA Fairytale retelling.  

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