Annaleigh and her sisters are proud of their Salt nobility, raised to respect the waters of the sea. Once twelve, they are now seven, as one by one tragic accidents claim the lives of her mother and sisters, and it is rumored that their family is cursed.
Each death upends their family again and again, as well as their father's recent remarriage to a young second wife. Nightly balls distract the sisters from their sorrow, as nightmare, reality, and daydream blend together into a maddening fray where Annaleigh doesn't know who to trust, or what is real or just illusion.
A spellbinding and engrossing read that takes a familiar tale adding elements of seaside life and darker otherworldly elements. This is a strong debut, with defining attention to detail that made each of the seven sisters stay distinct in my head. This story was very good at keeping me guessing, with red herrings, blending mythology with the psychological. Annaleigh is a admirable young woman who never asked to be a heroine or bear her family's grief, she loves her family fiercely, and fights to bring them all together again.
A wonderfully told tale, with characters flawed in ways that brought them to life realistically. Powerful world building, mystery, intrigue, fantasy, and even romance, this book has a lot going for it. I really enjoyed the differing dynamics between the different sisters, as well as how they grieve and deal with the changes in their lives in their own ways. Even though there were some moments of more adult content, I felt like in the context of the story it was dealt with well in that it wasn't overly explicit. I stayed up way too late reading this one, so to say that it was gripping would not quite do it justice as I am a person who values good sleep. This surpassed my expectations, and I will definitely be on the lookout for future releases from Erin A. Craig. If you are a fan of YA fantasy with a fairy tale twist and don't mind them taking a darker turn than the original, then this one is for you!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book is considered Young Adult General/Romance/Fantasy Fiction.
Content to consider -- May contain spoilers: Elements of madness, supernatural hauntings that manifest themselves in very startlingly violent images of deceased loved ones. A couple is walked in on while in the midst of copulation, moans, the character is aware that they are unclothed--but we are spared explicit detail. There are underworldly beings that harass humans, striking shocking bargains. One character consummates a bargain with such a creature, and violently this happens again to that character's shocking demise.
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