TW: attempted suicide, depression, death, injury
The Sea is Salt and So Am I is presented as YA contemporary fiction. It is a character driven novel, set in a small coastal town in Maine which is washing into the sea as a result climate change. The writing is beautiful and stunning, the characters complex. The three main characters are teenagers Harlow, and identical twins Ellis and Tommy. Harlow and Ellis are best friends. Ellis and Tommy are estranged and Harlow and Tommy hate each other. Harlow is trying to save her town from being washed away, Ellis is a bi amputee and a serious track athlete and Tommy is an artist suffering from clinical depression.
The story starts when Tommy goes into the frigid Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to commit suicide. Ellis and Harlow witness this and do nothing. Tommy's attempt is unsuccessful because he is rescued by a local lobster fisherman. Tommy is hospitalized for a week, and returns home to battle his depression. Harlow and Tommy start making out on the sly, and Ellis faces major challenges with his leg and how it negatively threatens his athletic future.
Almost all the characters in this novel are flawed - the adults as well as the teens. Harlow and Ellis are unlikeable and their relationship is bizarre, toxic and codependent. I had great empathy for Tommy especially since his faithful dog is diagnosed with cancer shortly after his suicide attempt. The depiction of his struggle with depression was one of the most important parts of the story. The parenting in this book is poor and/or absent, and the toxic relationship between Harlow and Ellis seems to have developed unchecked by the adults. The relationship between Tommy and Harlow is also unhealthy. Harlow and Ellis have mental health issues serious enough that they also need counselling. The choices made by these teens are heart-wrenching to watch.
I'm worried that some of the teen readers, to whom this book is marketed, might not be able to see how unhealthy these relationships are, and turn them into a "Team Ellis vs. Team Tommy" love triangle. In many ways, this book works as adult literary fiction and it would be advisable to read and discuss this book with your teenage children.
There is much to unpack here with the environmental issues and numerous side plots. Secrets that explain the characters' motivations and behaviors are kept hidden from the reader until near the end. At times the book could be slow moving and the ending is inconclusive, leaves a lot unresolved, but seems to fit with the complexity of the story.
In conclusion, and from the perspective of an adult, I really liked The Sea is Salt and So Am I, found it lyrically written and thought provoking. The coastal setting is atmospheric and beautifully depicted. Cassandra Hartt is definitely on my radar. #BookishFirst
The Sea is Salt and So Am I is presented as YA contemporary fiction. It is a character driven novel, set in a small coastal town in Maine which is washing into the sea as a result climate change. The writing is beautiful and stunning, the characters complex. The three main characters are teenagers Harlow, and identical twins Ellis and Tommy. Harlow and Ellis are best friends. Ellis and Tommy are estranged and Harlow and Tommy hate each other. Harlow is trying to save her town from being washed away, Ellis is a bi amputee and a serious track athlete and Tommy is an artist suffering from clinical depression.
The story starts when Tommy goes into the frigid Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to commit suicide. Ellis and Harlow witness this and do nothing. Tommy's attempt is unsuccessful because he is rescued by a local lobster fisherman. Tommy is hospitalized for a week, and returns home to battle his depression. Harlow and Tommy start making out on the sly, and Ellis faces major challenges with his leg and how it negatively threatens his athletic future.
Almost all the characters in this novel are flawed - the adults as well as the teens. Harlow and Ellis are unlikeable and their relationship is bizarre, toxic and codependent. I had great empathy for Tommy especially since his faithful dog is diagnosed with cancer shortly after his suicide attempt. The depiction of his struggle with depression was one of the most important parts of the story. The parenting in this book is poor and/or absent, and the toxic relationship between Harlow and Ellis seems to have developed unchecked by the adults. The relationship between Tommy and Harlow is also unhealthy. Harlow and Ellis have mental health issues serious enough that they also need counselling. The choices made by these teens are heart-wrenching to watch.
I'm worried that some of the teen readers, to whom this book is marketed, might not be able to see how unhealthy these relationships are, and turn them into a "Team Ellis vs. Team Tommy" love triangle. In many ways, this book works as adult literary fiction and it would be advisable to read and discuss this book with your teenage children.
There is much to unpack here with the environmental issues and numerous side plots. Secrets that explain the characters' motivations and behaviors are kept hidden from the reader until near the end. At times the book could be slow moving and the ending is inconclusive, leaves a lot unresolved, but seems to fit with the complexity of the story.
In conclusion, and from the perspective of an adult, I really liked The Sea is Salt and So Am I, found it lyrically written and thought provoking. The coastal setting is atmospheric and beautifully depicted. Cassandra Hartt is definitely on my radar. #BookishFirst