The Sea Is Salt and So Am I
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4.0 • 5 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
I’ll Give You the Sun meets Normal People in Cassandra Hartt's The Sea Is Salt and So Am I, a stunning YA contemporary debut that asks if the secrets we keep and the people we love can change who we are.
"Achingly beautiful.”—Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart
"Turbulent and tender, this deeply-felt debut will make your heart swell time and time again."—Julia Drake, author of The Last True Poets of the Sea
West Finch is one hurricane away from falling into the sea.
Yet sixteen-year-old Harlow Prout is determined to save her small Maine hometown. If only she could stop getting in her own way and find someone, anyone, willing to help. But her best friend Ellis MacQueen “fixes” problems by running away from them—including his broken relationship with his twin brother, Tommy. And Tommy’s depression has hit a new low, so he’s not up for fixing anything.
In the wake of the town’s latest devastating storm, Tommy goes out for a swim that he doesn’t intend to survive. It’s his unexpected return that sets into motion a sea change between these three teens. One that tests old loyalties, sparks new romance, and uncovers painful secrets. And nothing stays secret in West Finch for long.
Exquisitely honest and shimmering with emotion, The Sea is Salt and So Am I is a captivating multi-POV story that probes the depths of what it means to love and trust—both ourselves and others.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
White and 16, identical twins Tommy and Ellis, as well as Ellis's best friend Harlow, all live in the fictional town of West Finch, Maine, which is collapsing into the ocean—a metaphor for the precariousness of the teens' lives. After Tommy, who is depressed, attempts to drown himself in the same sea, Harlow's efforts to help him, despite their tense past, result in a romance that poisons Harlow's complex friendship with Ellis and reveals a history of toxic secrets. The first-person narration shifts indistinctly between Harlow, a violet-eyed teen with a drive to fix coastlines and people; Tommy, an artist who has lost his ability to draw ("Art happens in my head and my head is no longer a safe place to be"); and Ellis, a competitive runner who dates across the gender spectrum and, following a childhood accident, uses a prosthetic leg. Debut author Hartt portrays Tommy's depression persuasively, but temporal and physical details are less carefully rendered. The book opens with a trigger warning and concludes with an author's note that includes resources for LGBTQ youth and readers navigating mental illness. Ages 14–up.
Customer Reviews
It was ok
I absolutely loved this book! At the beginning its was quite boring and I wasn’t really able to concentrate, but after the kiss I was able to read it more! I personally loved it, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Very impressive for a first novel
Even as a middle-aged adult, I enjoyed this coming of age novel. It’s beautifully written and engaging.
Such a lovely read!
This was such a dreamy read! This story takes place in a small town in Maine named West Finch. 16 year old Harlow Prout sets out on an adventure.. looking for anyone and everyone willing to help save her small hometown from falling into the sea. Storms and hurricanes of years past have damaged her town little by little. The book is heartbreaking at times but in a really beautiful way. There is a warning at the beginning of the book that alerts the reader to potential triggers to suicide and depression. Those sensitive to those topics should maybe steer clear of this read. The way the author describes Harlow’s town makes it so alive! I almost felt like it was another character in the book. You could almost hear the seagulls and the waves crashing into the shore. She had a wonderful way of writing that really makes you FEEL like you dove head first into the book. I am recommending this to all my friends and I’m doing the same to you!