Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Absorbing read mixes myth, fairytales, and Gothic horror.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS: SISTERS OF THE SALT, BOOK 1, the Thaumas family of Salann performs funeral rites in their crypt for the fifth time in six years. This time it's for eldest daughter/sister, Eulalie, who fell from a cliff. Her sister Annaleigh is the only one suspicious about what really happened -- and the only one still set on another long year of mourning to honor her. The rest of her sisters can't take it anymore, and when their stepmother, Morella, announces that she's pregnant, they have an easy excuse to burn years' worth of black shrouds and mourning attire on the front lawn. It's on to living life again and hosting the triplets' 16th birthday party. But excitement fizzles when no gentleman other than old friends will dance with them. They hear whispers that they're cursed and are worried that their family name will scare away all marriage prospects. That is, until they learn of a secret passage in the family crypt, one that magics them far away from gossiping Salann to all the best balls around the world.
Is It Any Good?
With notes of fairytale, mythology, family drama, and Gothic horror and romance, there's so much to pay attention to in this debut novel, and most of it is utterly absorbing. The elements don't always meld perfectly -- like the introduction of the mythology and the duke's hasty bet -- but they always add another delicious mystery for readers to solve and so many more questions to be answered. Who killed Annaleigh's sisters, and how many more will she lose? Why can only she and her youngest sister see them haunting the house? Will Annaleigh learn the truth, get kissed by the handsome son of a sea captain, wear out all her dancing slippers, or descend into madness first? The Gothic horror really kicks into high gear at the end, which may not be to everyone's taste, but your jaw will definitely drop open as the pages fly by. Another guarantee -- this author is building a fan base that will be swooning for more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Annaleigh's compassion toward her stepmother in House of Salt and Sorrows. Why do you think she has more to spare than her other sisters? What does that and her love of sea turtles tell us about Annaleigh's character?
There's a lot of death here, many in one family. What was the impact of so many deaths on your reading of the story? For example, did it turn you off, or were you more invested after each perplexing tragedy to get to the bottom of the mystery?
How does this story weave in a unique mythology of gods and goddesses and the fairytale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses? Which fantasy element interested you more?
What do you think is next for the Sisters of the Salt?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic , Fairy Tales ) , Arts , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Animals ( Ocean Creatures )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Delacorte Press
- Publication date : August 6, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 416
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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