The Sweetness of Salt

Nov 03, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love the tag line on the cover of this book: “Two sisters. One Secret. And the summer that brings them together.” That is the line that made me pick up the book.

Julia and Sophie couldn’t be more different when it comes to being sisters. Julia is the good-girl, does-what-her-parents-want type of person; whereas, Sophie has always been the rebel daughter. Julia has always felt that her relationship with her sister is strained, but she doesn’t know why until the summer after she graduates from hi...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, young-adult-fiction, sisters, siblings, secrets, lies, families, parenting, parents, death-of-a-sibling, self-discovery, baking, friendship, first-love, summer, vermont, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 09, 2011 Jodi rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Sweetness of Salt was one of those books that grabbed my attention based on it's book cover. I thought that it was going to be a cute, fun read. I was surprised to find that it was actually a serious book about a dysfunctional family and there long-harbored secrets.

I wish that there was a rating somewhere in between "It was OK" and "I liked it." If I could develop my own rating scale, I would give this one a "It had potential."

The Sweetness of Salt focuses on Julia, a girl who by every pill...more The Sweetness of Salt was one of those books that grabbed my attention based on it's book cover. I thought that it was going to be a cute, fun read. I was surprised to find that it was actually a serious book about a dysfunctional family and there long-harbored secrets.

I wish that there was a rating somewhere in between "It was OK" and "I liked it." If I could develop my own rating scale, I would give this one a "It had potential."

The Sweetness of Salt focuses on Julia, a girl who by every pillar of example, seems perfect. She is graduating from high school as the class Valedictorian, she has her future all planned out, seemingly gets on very well with her parents, and is an all around good girl. However, things take a turn for the worst when her older sister, Sophie, makes an appearance for her graduation and decides to stir some things up. Apparently, Julia's family has been hiding a lot of important secrets from her and Sophie thinks that it's time these secrets come to light.

The story truly begins when Julia decides to break out of her mold and drive from Ohio to Vermont to confront her sister. She knows that Sophie is her only chance at learning the truth. Julia then spends the summer helping her sister fix up her future house/home bakery and learning a little about how imperfect her family really is. It turns out that there are some other secrets along the way that were pretty predictable. In fact, it would get a little annoying waiting for the author to reveal them when I had already figured it out awhile back.

To me, this book lacked a little bit of oomph. There were times when I felt so bored while reading it and found myself dangerously close to skimming. However, I plugged through to get to the ending, which ended with the inevitable, "... and they lived happily ever after," manner. I also found that there were many situations when the author used way too many metaphors and overly-described certain parts. I felt like I was being beaten over the head with whatever point she was trying to make. I also found a few errors which are always irritating.

I think that that this would be a good book to recommend to readers of the tween age. I just don't think that there was enough excitement to really engage the YA set. The innocence of the story, and the protagonist, will definitely appeal to future YA readers who are ready to start reading the "older" fiction.
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Feb 16, 2011 Reading Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family, realistic, ya, teens

Julia has never really understood her moody (and much older) sister Sophie. She dreads Sophie's return for her high school graduation, and the experience lives up to her fears. Julia is underachiever Sophie's opposite in every way and has her whole life mapped out in front of her. Before Sophie leaves in as much of a whirlwind as she came in she gives Julia two gifts: a car and a place to drive the car. Sophie wants Julia to come up to visit her in the house she's renovating in Vermont (which wi...more Julia has never really understood her moody (and much older) sister Sophie. She dreads Sophie's return for her high school graduation, and the experience lives up to her fears. Julia is underachiever Sophie's opposite in every way and has her whole life mapped out in front of her. Before Sophie leaves in as much of a whirlwind as she came in she gives Julia two gifts: a car and a place to drive the car. Sophie wants Julia to come up to visit her in the house she's renovating in Vermont (which will also be a bakery.) Julia refuses, of course, until she finds out her parents and sister had been keeping a secret from her for her entire life.

The rest of the story is about Julia's time in Vermont with Sophie helping her fix up the old house/bakery and her burgeoning but different relationships with two guys. Revelations and drastic personality/life shifts become almost common place in the last 1/4th of the book.

The writing is heavy handed. (Way way way too many metaphors serving as plot points and pretending to be character development. Please, you don't need to hit me over the head with your literary devices.) To be fair, the author knew what she wanted to do with the metaphors she chooses. The main problem is that very early on, I did too.

At the same time, it was an engrossing read. I wanted to know more about this family secret and more about the thinly developed romance between Julia and the boy across the street. Many times I found Julia to be an obnoxious and bratty narrator, but the methodically paced out revelations saved her from being unbearable. Julia is not the only one with character development problems. The parents in this book do some really loathsome and detrimental things to both daughters, especially Sophie. All of which is glossed over and given a shine during the unnecessary epilogue.

Who should read this book?
Realistic fiction readers who like a some drama and a hint of romance will enjoy this book. Despite my criticisms this book would be popular with anyone who has a difficult sibling relationship to work through. What sibling relationship isn’t at least a little difficult at times? It also really was a very well paced and plotted novel with some lovely descriptions.
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Jan 23, 2011 Jodi Papazian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reads

The Sweetness of Salt was one of those books that grabbed my attention based on it's book cover. I thought that it was going to be a cute, fun read. I was surprised to find that it was actually a serious book about a dysfunctional family and there long-harbored secrets.

I wish that there was a rating somewhere in between "It was OK" and "I liked it." If I could develop my own rating scale, I would give this one a "It had potential."

The Sweetness of Salt focuses on Julia, a girl who by every pill...more The Sweetness of Salt was one of those books that grabbed my attention based on it's book cover. I thought that it was going to be a cute, fun read. I was surprised to find that it was actually a serious book about a dysfunctional family and there long-harbored secrets.

I wish that there was a rating somewhere in between "It was OK" and "I liked it." If I could develop my own rating scale, I would give this one a "It had potential."

The Sweetness of Salt focuses on Julia, a girl who by every pillar of example, seems perfect. She is graduating from high school as the class Valedictorian, she has her future all planned out, seemingly gets on very well with her parents, and is an all around good girl. However, things take a turn for the worst when her older sister, Sophie, makes an appearance for her graduation and decides to stir some things up. Apparently, Julia's family has been hiding a lot of important secrets from her and Sophie thinks that it's time these secrets come to light.

The story truly begins when Julia decides to break out of her mold and drive from Ohio to Vermont to confront her sister. She knows that Sophie is her only chance at learning the truth. Julia then spends the summer helping her sister fix up her future house/home bakery and learning a little about how imperfect her family really is. It turns out that there are some other secrets along the way that were pretty predictable. In fact, it would get a little annoying waiting for the author to reveal them when I had already figured it out awhile back.

To me, this book lacked a little bit of oomph. There were times when I felt so bored while reading it and found myself dangerously close to skimming. However, I plugged through to get to the ending, which ended with the inevitable, "... and they lived happily ever after," manner. I also found that there were many situations when the author used way too many metaphors and overly-described certain parts. I felt like I was being beaten over the head with whatever point she was trying to make. I also found a few errors which are always irritating.

I think that that this would be a good book to recommend to readers of the tween age. I just don't think that there was enough excitement to really engage the YA set. The innocence of the story, and the protagonist, will definitely appeal to future YA readers who are ready to start reading the "older" fiction.(less)

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Dec 21, 2010 Page Turners Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Sweetness of Salt is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. Julia has her life planned out, she has just graduated at the top of her class, will spend the summer interning for a federal judge, before heading off to college. In her eyes, her life is almost perfect - she just needs to get the boy next door come to his senses.

Cecilia Galante did an excellent job writing these characters - they are complex, with deep emotional ties to the past. This is Julia's story, but her sister Sophie shine...more The Sweetness of Salt is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. Julia has her life planned out, she has just graduated at the top of her class, will spend the summer interning for a federal judge, before heading off to college. In her eyes, her life is almost perfect - she just needs to get the boy next door come to his senses.

Cecilia Galante did an excellent job writing these characters - they are complex, with deep emotional ties to the past. This is Julia's story, but her sister Sophie shines through.

When Julia's estranged sister comes home for her graduation, the family dinner turns into fighting ring. This isn't unusual; it's what usually happens when Sophie comes home. She is always stuck on something in the past, something that happened before Julia was born. This time though, Julia wants to know what happen - her parents tell her a huge family secret, which turns her life upside down. She runs to Sophie, but learns from her, that her parents lied about the family secret, but Sophie isn't ready to tell Julia the truth either.

In a rash decision, Julia decides to forgo the internship to stay with Sophie, hoping over time, she will share the truth that is tearing their family apart. During the weeks that Julia is helping her sister she learns a lot about herself. She is naive and sheltered because that's the way her parents wanted it - she sort of rebels and task risk she never dreamed about taking before. Her absence at home is noticed and the boy next door starts calling. I loved that there was a boy, but that, her love life, wasn't a main focal point in the story.

Slowly, the main secret is revealed, but through the process Julia learns her families past is more entangled than she imagined. Struggling to cope with all this new information, will let her break free from her parents reign and find out who she truly is.

The Sweetness of Salt was a great story that kept me intrigued all the way to the end. I would have never guessed the problems with in this family were as complex as they are- and I will never understand the parents choices. Why would they want to keep something a secret when it was hurting their other daughter? I loved how the title fits the story(less)

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Dec 12, 2010 NovelReaction added it

In The Sweetness Of Salt by Cecilia Galante, Julia’s life is exactly where she wants it to be. She just graduated at the top of her class, has an internship at a law firm, and got into her first choice of colleges. In order for her plans to unfold all she needs is to get through the dreaded family dinner. Sophie, Julia’s older sister is in town to visit and has brought all the family drama with her. In the middle of dinner Sophie begins to tell a dark family secret which turns Julia’s plans upsi...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Jen Bigheart (I Read Banned Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Julia thought she had everything worked out after graduating high school. She would start her internship at a law firm over the summer then go to Pittsburgh with plans of being a lawyer just like her father. When Julia's older sister Sophie comes back home to celebrate, arguments ensue (like they always do when Sophie arrives), and a family secret begins to reveal itself. Julia’s perfectly planned world is turned upside down and she decides to do the unthinkable. Put her life and potential caree...more Julia thought she had everything worked out after graduating high school. She would start her internship at a law firm over the summer then go to Pittsburgh with plans of being a lawyer just like her father. When Julia's older sister Sophie comes back home to celebrate, arguments ensue (like they always do when Sophie arrives), and a family secret begins to reveal itself. Julia’s perfectly planned world is turned upside down and she decides to do the unthinkable. Put her life and potential career on hold, and follow her sister Sophie back to Vermont where she is opening a bakery. Julia needs answers - why does Sophie always bring up the times when her family lived in Milford before Julia was born? Why is Sophie angry and hateful to everyone? Sophie left home when she was in middle school. They barely have anything in common, but somehow Julia knows that her sister needs her. And something tells Julia that she needs Sophie too. Julia threw away her summer internship in an attempt to find answers and salvage her relationship with her sister. What else is she willing to sacrifice to find herself?
The Sweetness of Salt is a perfect example of how secrets can tear a family apart. People try to sweep the ugliness under the rug, and just when you think it’s good and gone, the secret starts to creep its way back to the surface. Julia and Sophie’s relationship is rocky. They have never been close - partly due to the age difference, but mostly because of Sophie’s anger. The mystery surrounding the secret and Sophie’s anger are slow to develop, but perfectly timed. Gradually we learn about Sophie’s past. Meanwhile, Julia starts to question her future and meets a young man, Aiden, who is coming to grips with his own loss. To my surprise, this is an honest friendship and not a love interest. How refreshing! The relationship between the sisters begins to mend. Actually, I would say form because they never really had a solid relationship to start. I would love for high school girls to read this book. It deals with guilt and shame, and the consequences of carrying those feelings around for too long. Not easy to put down….

4 out of 5 stars!
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Aug 11, 2010 Erika Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had been overdosing on the paranormal recently so I jumped at the chance to read The Sweetness of Salt which was wonderfully contemporary. It wasn’t a book I had heard much buzz about but I jumped in and found myself in a wonderful real world with well-rounded characters and a ton of crazy family secrets.

Galante does a great job in this novel of really creating layered, deep characters and showing how complicated family relationships can be. I loved Julia, who has lived an incredibly sheltered...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Hope rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another book from my local library; I’ve never read anything by this author so did not know what to expect. When I read the description of this book it sounded interesting. Also for some reason I thought that magic played a role in this book. But as I kept reading I thought to myself when was magic going to happen. I think it took me half a book to realise that this was not about magic or anything like that. I being little bit slow, oh well. But even though there was no magic involved, this was...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Khornberger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Julia is a valedictorian who is heading to law school. Her absent older sister surprises her with a graduation visit, and gives her a car and a key to her apartment as a gift. Overwhelmed, Julia is grateful but doesn't know how to respond since her sister has been consistently terrible to her entire family and continues to be on her graduation night claiming it will be her last visit home forever.

Julia tries to ignore the drama, but later asks her parents about a part of the conversation that h...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Liralen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction, reviewed, ya

The lasting impression that I had with this book was that the author was trying to do too much.

It seems to be de rigueur these days for YA novels - at least, those targeted at girls - to include a romance (usually tinged with some kind of Obstacle or Misunderstanding that prevents the main character from being with her One True Love), but Julia's romantic story added very little here. The real story was the one with her family, and that was...weird.

The author seems to have tied the hands of the...more

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Feb 14, 2011 Joni Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, teen, young-adult, reviewed

One of the most touching books I have ever read. Julia has just graduated as valedictorian of her senior class and is preparing for her summer internship at the courthouse to prepare her for her future career as a lawyer when her older sister Sophie shows and up just like that, everything is changed. Sophie drops a bombshell that makes Julia question everything about her family. So when her sister goes home to Vermont, Julia follows her, making the trip from Ohio to Vermont in one long dark nigh...more

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May 01, 2012 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like realistic family drama

Julia and Sophie are sisters, but they aren't close. Julia is the younger "perfect" sister while Sophie is the older...um...mess. This book tells the story of how they come to terms with their relationship (or lack thereof) and the secret that has been kept from Julia her whole life. There is a road trip made, a romance blossoming, and a summer of discoveries for Julia as the whole story behind the family secret is slowly revealed. The relationship between Julia and Sophie is realistically drawn...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Christina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: stand-alone-books, contemporary

I had a really hard time even giving this read two stars. The premise was good- although a bit generic- but fell short on execution. The characters were a slow build, and didn't really seem to have much development(or as much as a reader would expect to have with a completed story and for a non-series) at all in the end. Once again, I was stung by a pretty cover with not a great deal of substance inside. =(

Also, I don't know whether to feel giddy that I spotted them (I'm a nerd who loves to find...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Chelleyreads (Michelle&Leslie's Book Picks) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-december-2010

Julia just graduated from high school and in a couple of weeks she's going to start her internship with a federal judge. In the fall, she's going to attend the University of Pittsburgh on a full ride scholarship and eventually become a lawyer like her father. But all of Julia's plans were shot to hell when her much older sister Sophie came to visit. Sophie and Julia were never close, partly due to their age difference but mostly because Sophie's anger and hateful attitude--every time she comes t...more Julia just graduated from high school and in a couple of weeks she's going to start her internship with a federal judge. In the fall, she's going to attend the University of Pittsburgh on a full ride scholarship and eventually become a lawyer like her father. But all of Julia's plans were shot to hell when her much older sister Sophie came to visit. Sophie and Julia were never close, partly due to their age difference but mostly because Sophie's anger and hateful attitude--every time she comes to visit, arguments and fights always ensued between Sophie and their parents. This time was no different except Sophie was determined to reveal long-held family secrets. Intent on learning what Sophie and her parents were keeping from her, Julia decided to follow Sophie to Poultney, Vermont. But what began as a weekend stay with a sister Julia didn't really know became a summer of learning about each other, family relationships, friendship, revelations and eventually understanding.

I absolutely loved everything about this book, from the title and the simple cover to characters and plot. This book surprised me--I was expecting a scandalous secret and for the plot to go another way. Instead, I was treated to an emotional yet ultimately heartwarming story about two sisters and the journey they went through in understanding each other and themselves. Julia was a very likable narrator and I think there's some aspect to her that many girls can relate to. But my favorite character was Sophie because for the longest time in the book, like Julia, I couldn't figure her out. You're not sure whether to like her or be wary of her. In Julia's flashbacks, Sophie was very dark and angry and in the present you can tell she has this deep pain that's consuming her psychologically, emotionally and physically. I really felt for her. There was fantastic character development in this book as both Julia and Sophie were well-rounded and complex.

I also really liked many of the secondary characters like Aidan, a boy Julia befriends and who was getting over a family tragedy himself. Julia and Aidan formed a genuine friendship with nothing romantic whatsoever between them, which I thought was a welcome change. I just really liked the mood of this book and how it flowed--it was an emotional read but not so much that you get bogged down by all that was happening. This book was just a great contemporary read with wonderfully complex characters, a great small town setting and a plot that sucks you in and keeps you reading. If you're in the mood for a book about sisters and family secrets, I highly recommend The Sweetness of Salt.(less)

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Apr 23, 2013 Christen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a unique and interesting story that I definitely enjoyed. Julia graduates high school and spends the summer with her older sister Sophia. While she is there she begins to uncover a family secret that has been hidden her whole life. Julia not only learns about her family, but she spends the summer learning a lot about herself too.

I thought this was a great book because even though the big "family secret" is the draw in the book description, I actually enjoyed how Julia learned a lot abou...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Kirsten rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was *nice* enough, but ultimately unsatisfying. The main girl is learning to find her passion and her dreams while uncovering family secrets - all well and good. But too much time is spent on the process of discovery - and then the book skips several months over to a neatly-packaged all-tied-up finale. The aftermath of the discovery - facing and confronting all the emotions and the reasons why - should have been the heart of the book, and instead it was glossed over. I really really wanted...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Pixie/PageTurners(Amber) C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Sweetness of Salt is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. Julia has her life planned out, she has just graduated at the top of her class, will spend the summer interning for a federal judge, before heading off to college. In her eyes, her life is almost perfect - she just needs to get the boy next door come to his senses.

Cecilia Galante did an excellent job writing these characters - they are complex, with deep emotional ties to the past. This is Julia's story, but her sister Sophie shin...more
The Sweetness of Salt is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. Julia has her life planned out, she has just graduated at the top of her class, will spend the summer interning for a federal judge, before heading off to college. In her eyes, her life is almost perfect - she just needs to get the boy next door come to his senses.

Cecilia Galante did an excellent job writing these characters - they are complex, with deep emotional ties to the past. This is Julia's story, but her sister Sophie shines through.

When Julia's estranged sister comes home for her graduation, the family dinner turns into fighting ring. This isn't unusual; it's what usually happens when Sophie comes home. She is always stuck on something in the past, something that happened before Julia was born. This time though, Julia wants to know what happen - her parents tell her a huge family secret, which turns her life upside down. She runs to Sophie, but learns from her, that her parents lied about the family secret, but Sophie isn't ready to tell Julia the truth either.

In a rash decision, Julia decides to forgo the internship to stay with Sophie, hoping over time, she will share the truth that is tearing their family apart. During the weeks that Julia is helping her sister she learns a lot about herself. She is naive and sheltered because that's the way her parents wanted it - she sort of rebels and task risk she never dreamed about taking before. Her absence at home is noticed and the boy next door starts calling. I loved that there was a boy, but that, her love life, wasn't a main focal point in the story.

Slowly, the main secret is revealed, but through the process Julia learns her families past is more entangled than she imagined. Struggling to cope with all this new information, will let her break free from her parents reign and find out who she truly is.

The Sweetness of Salt was a great story that kept me intrigued all the way to the end. I would have never guessed the problems with in this family were as complex as they are- and I will never understand the parents choices. Why would they want to keep something a secret when it was hurting their other daughter? I loved how the title fits the story. (less)

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Oct 25, 2010 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit, 2010

This book was available at ALA as an Advance Reading Copy. It was a fine, but not fantastic, young adult read. Julia and her parents are perfect in practically every way. Sophie, Julia's elder sister, comes home to celebrate Julia's graduation from high school, argues with her parents, and demands that Julia be told the family secrets. Julia and Sophie are upset and confused as they help each other understand not just their family's tragedy but also themselves. My biggest complaint is that some...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Sherri A rated it 3 of 5 stars

What a great book! I have to be honest, I originally chose to check out the book because of the cover (I know, I know, never judge a book by its cover...); I needed a good "beach read" for my spring break trip. And, having read this book in under two hours (it was that good), I definitely got what I wanted! This book may be a little difficult to be engaged in at first, but I grew to love it, and found myself in the back of our family minivan, cheering for the main character as we drove through A...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Stephanie A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya, girl-protagonists, sisters

Why can't valedictorian heroines ever just spend their summers being AWESOME, instead of lamely deciding their academically driven high school life is their parents' dream instead of theirs, and changing their outlook on life accordingly? She was irritating. And her sister was 100% unlikable from start to finish, while her parents were clearly amazing. HOWEVER: there was a lot of potential shimmering in this story, and because the author's a good writer I kept forgetting how annoying the sisters...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Emily Nygren rated it 1 of 5 stars

I had a hard time getting through this book. I thought that the overall premise of this book was good, but it wasn't executed well. The book moved very slowly. There was a lot of unnecessary over description in odd places and I found myself skimming over most of it. I did not like the characters. I didn't like their actions and reactions to many things throughout the story. They were very one dimensional and underdeveloped. I didn't think certain aspect of the story really made sense, such as (v ...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) added it

I got about 50 pages in, when Julia had the big family 'secret' finally told to her. I just couldn't bring myself to care about it because I didn't care about HER. I wanted to like this book and maybe I'll finish it someday with a different opinion. Maybe someone else will like it more than me, and I want them to give it a chance - hence the missing star rating. I don't knowhow I'd feel at end so I have no right to judge. But it was NOT the right book for me. May the next reader have more luck w...more

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Jan 15, 2011 The Library Lady rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books

What gets me about this book is that the author's tale of her flash drive in the afterword is the thing that got to me the most. That says something right there.

There's a little too much melodrama here and the ending is a bit too picture perfect. Yet, there was lots to enjoy and I wish every teen, every adult who is struggling could read and take this to heart:

"What you draw will probably never be perfect. But the biggest mistake people make isn't how well they draw this line or crimp that crust...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Makayla Brown rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-reviews

This book was ok, the meaning of what happened and how it effected the characters was hard to figure out. Julia was the main character, she just graduated high school and was trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life, she thought she wanted to be a lawyer. Zoe is her best-friend who supports her decisions that she makes. Milo is Zoe's brother and the guy who Julia likes. Sophie is Julia's sister and she does not get along with her and Julia's parents at all! Then there is the tabl...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Zippazap rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would rate 4 and 1/2 stars if I could. This book had the right amount of tense and dramatic scenes, with a pinch of romance. If you could get past the parts where Sophie admitted a memory and then people would stop talking, then you might really enjoy this read! It is basically about two sisters Sophie and Julia. Julia is a senior in High School and is graduating as the Valedictorian. Sophie is 8 years older than her and has a child named Goober. When Julia finds out about a secret from when S...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Jean V. Naggar Literary rated it 5 of 5 stars

“This is a quiet but powerful story, and the gradual revelations of family secrets make it an absorbing read. Both Julia and Sophia are complex, believable characters, and the slow development and strengthening of their relationship is one of the highlights of the book. Readers of Laurie Halse Anderson's CATALYST and Megan Frazer's SECRETS OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY will appreciate this story, as will Sarah Dessen fans.” --School Library Journal

"Like salt brings out sweetness, the drama draws out the s...more

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Dec 27, 2010 Daria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-book, young-adult

I'm actually leaning towards a 4.5 for this book. I initially picked the book up because I liked the cover and thought it looked light a light, fun read with a little drama and a lot of romance. But, I would say that (like one of the reader response journal assignments I give) the cover doesn't "tell the truth" about the book. It's not a fluffy book at all and there were twists and turns in the plot that were totally unexpected. This is a book about loss, secrets, family, truth, and finding your...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Kenya Liggons rated it 4 of 5 stars

I find this book very interesting! I think this book had some niches, but it doesn't deserve 5 stars. The story starts off with this teenage girl, named Julia, she has just gotten out of high school, and now she planning the rest of her life as far as college, and job. Julia made the highest ranking at the top of her class, I think it's called Valid Victorian. Anyway as the story goes on, Julia has to sit down at dinner with her family, and as they are talking about what is going on in everyone'...more I find this book very interesting! I think this book had some niches, but it doesn't deserve 5 stars. The story starts off with this teenage girl, named Julia, she has just gotten out of high school, and now she planning the rest of her life as far as college, and job. Julia made the highest ranking at the top of her class, I think it's called Valid Victorian. Anyway as the story goes on, Julia has to sit down at dinner with her family, and as they are talking about what is going on in everyone's lives, they are dropped by a bombshell, because Julia's sister Sophie had told everyone this secret and Julia felt like her families morals and values aren't worshiped, she felt like her world was turning upside down, and she couldn't grasp onto what her sister has told her. Julia's life was going as planned, until Sophie decided to drop this ball on her, but once the secret came out, Julia didn't know who she was anymore... She felt like her life was a complete lie, she didn't even know who she was, because of that whole secret. Do you think Julia will eventually find herself, and continue on with her great life she was planning to live? or Is Julia gonna completely change, and throw everything all away?

"My anxiety, which was already on a steady incline, shot up as I caught sight of my reflection in the rear view mirror A gold graduation cap was set neatly on a head of straight brown hair, parted in the middle, and tied back in a ponytail." -Pg 11 That was my favorite quote, because I feel like when I graduate soon, that is already how I'm feeling, but I will feel even more anxiety when I get to high school. I felt like the emotions throughout the book was incredible, I mean I could really feel Julia's emotion when she found out the whole secret. This book was hilarious.... I think Julia was so caught up with not finding herself... She actually reminded me of one of my friends who is trying to find themselves right now... I feel like the author did a good job with making the real emotion come out... At some points in time I felt like the worry and the emotion was getting ridiculous. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to find yourself, and I think it's a great way to connect with the characters. Great Read!(less)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8001810-the-sweetness-of-salt?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312049585l/8001810.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8001810-the-sweetness-of-salt?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Sweetness of Salt by Cecilia Galante[/url]

The Sweetness of Salt

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