Summer of Salt

The Fernweh women have passed down magical abilities through generations on their island home of By-the-Sea. Georgina Fernweh approaches her eighteenth birthday still waiting for her own powers to manifest, while her twin sister Mary has long since developed the ability to float. The island draws tourists each summer who come to spot a rare bird called Annabella's Woodpecker. This season brings both familiar seasonal visitors and new faces to By-the-Sea, including a girl named Prue who catches Georgina's attention. As summer progresses, strange events begin occurring on the island that threaten its peaceful nature and force Georgina to confront truths about her family's magic and herself. The appearance of the mysterious bird becomes intertwined with mounting tension among the island's residents and visitors. This contemporary young adult novel explores themes of identity, family legacy, and the transition between adolescence and adulthood. The story blends magical realism with questions about faith, belief, and the weight of inherited expectations.

Readers describe Summer of Salt as a quiet, atmospheric magical realism story with strong LGBTQ+ representation. Reviews highlight the lyrical writing style and evocative island setting. Liked: - Thoughtful handling of trauma and healing - Sister relationship dynamics - Queer romance elements - Atmospheric mood and sense of place - Magic system's subtle integration Disliked: - Slow pacing in first half - Plot twists felt predictable - Some found the ending rushed - Secondary characters needed more development "The writing transported me to the island" - Goodreads reviewer "Great representation but the story dragged" - Amazon reviewer Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (26,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (500+ ratings) BookishFirst: 4.1/5 (200+ ratings) The book resonates particularly with readers seeking LGBTQ+ coming-of-age stories and fans of magical realism, though some found the pacing uneven.

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🌊 Like the book's magical island setting, there are several real islands off the coast of Maine that have year-round populations of less than 100 people. 🦅 Author Katrina Leno was inspired to write about birds after learning about the extinction of the passenger pigeon, which went from being one of North America's most abundant birds to complete extinction in just a few decades. 🌙 The book's exploration of twin relationships reflects scientific studies showing that identical twins share a deeper emotional connection than other siblings, with many reporting telepathic-like experiences. 🏳️‍🌈 Summer of Salt was one of the first YA magical realism novels to feature an openly lesbian protagonist when it was published in 2018. 🔮 The magical elements in the story draw from the rich tradition of "kitchen magic" and "domestic witchcraft," practices historically passed down through generations of women, particularly in maritime communities.