Designer: Aurora Parlagreco / Artist: Jess Cruickshank
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THE SEA IS SALT AND SO AM I
Published June 8, 2021 by Roaring Brook Press 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. |
Praise for THE SEA IS SALT AND SO AM I
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"A breathtaking debut, filled with complicated characters and feelings that permeate the pages with their honesty. Achingly beautiful."--Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart
"Cassandra Hartt’s debut YA novel is a salt-sweet nor’easter heading right for the coast, so close you can feel the wind on your face. It will make your heart clench with anxiety and tender intimacy.
These deeply empathetic characters are constantly making ill-advised choices, navigating their stormy waters the only ways they can figure out. The complexities and intricacies of their relationships with each other and the world around them move at a breakneck speed so compelling I couldn’t put the book down. For fans of Nina LaCour, Celeste Ng, and Tillie Walden."--Cassie Duncanson, Wellesley Books "Literary YA lovers will find their next favorite read with The Sea is Salt and So Am I. Hartt has woven an incredible and delicate coming-of-age story of friendship, love, and what it's like to live with depression. Harlow, Ellis, and Tommy are so real, and it's clear that Hartt poured her soul into these characters and this story full of secrets kept, living with mental illness, and the tides of friendship. Fans of The Last True Poets of the Sea will love this book!"--Kelsy April, Bank Square Books
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"An achingly beautiful story of love, family and friendship with a coastal setting so richly drawn you can practically taste the salt spray. The three narrators are refreshingly raw and complex, and their lush and crackling voices had me hanging on every word. At once 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
"Fans of LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA will find another home on the Maine coast in this book. An unflinching look at the waves of depression, and how the riptides can carry our loved ones away with us, THE SEA IS SALT AND SO AM I is a must-read."--Abby Rice, The Briar Patch
"Amazing and nearly impossible to put down. It completely swept me off my feet and washed me up at a small town of coastal Maine that does not exist but still felt like home, with wildly imperfect characters that I grew to care for deeply and shall forever hold a piece of my heart. Hartt's writing gives unique yet surprisingly relatable voices to Harlow, Ellis, and Tommy with such raw and honest emotions that might help readers process and reflect on their personal struggles with mental health. This book provides a comforting notion that even when you feel like you are drowning, there can always be something to pull you back up for air."--Colleen Regan, An Unlikely Story
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"Hartt is uninterested in easy answers, unspooling mysteries and emotions that shift what we thought we knew about characters caught in realistically nonlinear growth. The points of view are specific and well realized, with belligerent, loving Harlow, a fixer unable to stop breaking things, being a particular standout. Tommy’s recovery proceeds in complicated fits and starts; his depression is portrayed with sensitivity...A melancholy and thoughtful debut."--Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will be swept away by Cassandra Hartt's lyrical writing in this fiercely moving tale of three teens facing the storms battering their coastal town and their hearts. Full of passion, grief, devastation, and resilience...perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun, Julia Drake's The Last True Poets of the Sea, and Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places."--Alyssa Raymond, Cooper Dog Books
"An unflinchingly raw look at depression...Told by all three main characters, their honesty with having depression or how they relate to someone with it is refreshing and adds a layer of story that stings like salt."--Nichole Cousins, Yankee Bookshop
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Content Warnings
If you notice any content warnings / trigger warnings that are missing, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll update this list.
Attempted suicide and suicidal ideation
Detailed depictions of depression
Off-the-page character death
Vomiting
Sick pet (cancer)
Grief
Car accident
Toxic relationship
Minor self-harm
Attempted suicide and suicidal ideation
Detailed depictions of depression
Off-the-page character death
Vomiting
Sick pet (cancer)
Grief
Car accident
Toxic relationship
Minor self-harm
Discussion Guide
| sea_is_salt_discussion_guide.pdf |