Why Did I Listen To The Sea Is Salt And So Am I by Cassandra Hartt?
The Sea Is Salt And So Am I by Cassandra Hartt had a comparison to I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson. The comp title is one of the best books I’ve read, so of course that made me want to dive right into this. And so, I impulsively grabbed this off Netgalley on the literal last day it was available. Only, it was only available via Adobe. So, I popped onto Libby, saw the audiobook was available immediately and went for it. Good thing too, because the audiobook version is quite decent.
What’s The Story Here?
Cassandra Hartt’s debut features three teen main characters – Harlow Prout and twin brothers Ellis and Tommy MacQueen. Harlow is close friends with Ellis and kind of has this antagonistic relationship with Tommy. The three live in a coastal town called West Finch which is at risk because of hurricanes. One day, Tommy who is depressed takes a swim that he doesn’t expect to return from. Only, he survives, which puts into motion a chain of events and secrets between the three. Also important to the plot are protesters who descend upon West Finch and the piping plover.
What Did I Think Of The Sea Is Salt And So Am I?
The Sea Is Salt And So Am I is a bit more literary than I had expected. It reminded me a bit of John Corey Whaley’s books which is truly a compliment. Actually I want to go back in and read through the physical copy for stuff that I missed from the audiobook. I have a hold on the physical copy at the library. This book is really character driven. By the end though, I was just so invested in Harlow, Tommy, and Ellis. Tommy was my favorite of the three and I appreciated having a better understanding of him and his issues by the end. I think if you’re reading for plot and action, you won’t love this. BUT if you’re reading for literary merit and characterization, The Sea Is Salt And So Am I will be right up your alley.
How’s The Narration?
So, I won’t lie to you all, I listened to this audiobook at 2x speed, which was A CHOICE. But honestly, I’ve been feeling self imposed pressure to get through books quickly and onto the next one. That TBR pressure is so real. I will say that after listening to this book sped up, I decided to listen to my next audiobook at 1.5x speed which was a much better choice.
Anyways, The Sea Is Salt And So Am I has three narrators for each of the characters. The narrators are Lori Gardner, Nick Mills and Tom Picasso. I thought each narrator was superb — even sped up. I don’t think I absorbed all that I could have but that is purely my fault and not the fault of the audiobook. However, I did like it to the point where I do plan to come back to this book and give it a re-read.
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