The Salt Grows Heavy

This novella could be considered 4.5 stars, it was a banger. Most people who have read "Nothing But Blackened Teeth" said it was not as good as this one, and I can see that. I still enjoyed "Nothing But Blackened Teeth," more so than the average reviewer, but I can concede that I might have been slightly disappointed if I read this first and then "Nothing But Blackened Teeth."

So what made this novella so good? I think there are a couple of reasons that Khaw stands out as an author and really has a voice of her own. I think that she has an incredible vocabulary, I found myself googling words every couple of paragraphs at times, and I liked that aspect. I like learning new words and there was an abundance of them in this story. Next, almost coupled with the last point, is the imagery that Khaw is able to give you because of how diverse her word choice is. Imagery is a huge part of the reading experience for me, as I assume it is with most readers, and Khaw gives you some very vibrant, disturbing, and above all unique imaging. Lastly, I really like the plot, I love the unconventional romance aspect of this book. The ending is sweet in a novella that you don't expect to be in the least bit.

I like what Khaw is doing to the horror genre.