Tag Archives: Oklahoma

Review: Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,
Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock cover shows a twelve-year-old girl in a white dress riding a dark gray horse. A woman's face appears in the background as if she's part of the clouds.

Salt Magic
Hope Larson
Illustrated by Rebecca Mock
Margaret Ferguson Books
Published October 12, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Salt Magic

When a jealous witch curses her family’s well, it’s up to Vonceil to set things right in an epic journey that will leave her changed forever.

When Vonceil’s older brother, Elber, comes home to their family’s Oklahoma farm after serving on the front lines of World War I, things aren’t what she expects. His experiences have changed him into a serious and responsible man who doesn’t have time for Vonceil anymore. He even marries the girl he had left behind.

Then, a mysterious and captivating woman shows up at the farm and confronts Elber for leaving her in France. When he refuses to leave his wife, she puts a curse on the family well, turning the entire town’s water supply into saltwater. Who is this lady dressed all in white, what has she done to the farm, and what does Vonceil’s old Uncle Dell know about her?

To find out, Vonceil will have to strike out on her own and delve deep into the world of witchcraft, confronting dangerous relatives, shapeshifting animals, a capricious Sugar Witch, and the Lady in White herself–the foreboding Salt Witch. The journey will change Vonceil, but along the way, she’ll learn a lot about love and what it means to grow up.

My Review

I’ve had this book on my radar for some time. The idea of a fantasy set in 1919 Oklahoma definitely intrigued me, and I couldn’t wait to get into the story to see what it was all about.

Honestly, I thought the setting and fantasy elements really complemented one another. I liked the way they were connected and how they impacted the characters’ stories. I loved Vonceil as a character, and especially enjoyed the author’s choice to tell the story from the perspective of a young girl rather than telling the story from Elber’s point-of-view, which might also have made sense.

The color palette in the book was really engaging, too. I liked the way different pages had very different color schemes, and how only a few pages pulled all the colors together to create these vibrant, impactful scenes. I thought that was really cool.

SALT MAGIC is another book that I’d looked into thinking about my nephew and niece, and I think it will be one I recommend to them. I have a feeling the fantasy elements and unique setting will appeal to at least one of them. If the words “western fantasy” excite you at all, definitely check out this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Major characters are white living in Oklahoma.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to romance between men and women as minor characters. Vonceil does not have a romantic arc to her story.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic.

Violent Content
References to domestic violence and abuse of an elderly person. Vonceil sees the scars her brother carries from when he was shot in Europe as a soldier in World War I. Vonceil hears about a weird situation in which animals attacked someone en masse.

Drug Content
Vonceil stumbles onto a moonshine still in a barn.

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Review: Bricks by John Davidson

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Bricks
John Davidson
Anaiah Press
Published February 3, 2015

Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When an EF5 tornado rips through sixteen year-old Cori’s neighborhood, more than her house is reduced to rubble. Shocking truths about her family emerge in the aftermath. Her nemesis suffers amnesia and Cori can’t seem to get rid of her. Her best friend Slim becomes angry and reclusive. Everything is out of order, and for not-precisely-OCD Cori, this is a huge problem.

As a character, Cori is absolutely the believable high school princess. Davidson does a great job crafting this selfish yet somehow endearing heroine. Cori’s friends are great foils for her, too, often much more noble than she herself can be.

The story bears some cute references to The Wizard of Oz. Cori nicknames the tornado “the witch.” Her friends include Toni “Toto,” Leo (her cowardly lion) and Slim (her scarecrow and courageous buddy.)

Entertaining dialogue fills the scenes between Cori and her friends. Parental figures remain a bit awkward. There were a couple of places where issues between Cori and her parents were left hanging. She lies to them and later discovers they knew the truth, but there’s no confrontation about it at any point. Even when Cori finds out that they were aware of her deceit, it doesn’t seem to register with her. She also avoids contact with them to get money to pay an important debt, but seems to have no problem getting money for a prom dress immediately afterward. Not a big deal, but it definitely felt off.

I really enjoyed the way the author pulled threads from The Wizard of Oz into the story without trying to make it a retelling or getting carried away with the references. There were just enough to add zest. Like Dorothy, Cori learns the value of community and that family doesn’t always look the way one expects.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
One brief kiss.

Spiritual Content
One of Cori’s neighbors is a devout Christian and prays openly in addition to telling Cori that she prays for her.

Violence
The immediate aftermath of the tornado is a bit intense. Much of Cori’s neighborhood is destroyed, and many people are injured. Damage and injuries are briefly described.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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