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Side by Side Book Reviews: SALTBLOOD by T. C. Parker

 

SALTBLOOD by T.C. Parker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, I love the premise of Saltblood. It could totally be a Black Mirror episode. In fact, do you remember the episode where society has developed a rating system for every person? You would go to a party and have an interaction with an old friend and as the two of you part ways, you score the interaction. People with high scores are afforded certain luxuries and low-scoring individuals are treated poorly; like second-class citizens.
Saltblood is similar in that there is a rating system but it is only used in a punitive sense. If you say or do something socially unacceptable--especially to the point of making headlines, you're shipped off to an isolated island somewhere off the coast of Scottland.
The main character/narrator, Robin is being sent to Salt Rock so, through her eyes, we get to experience what life is like once the general population has judged you to be unfit for society. It's a very clever plot and Parker does an amazing job setting it up. The pages really do fly as Robin becomes adjusted to her new life.
Of course, as soon as she starts to get settled, Robin encounters some strange activities going on and this opens her up to secrets and mysteries that the islanders are either trying to keep buried or also trying to work on uncovering the truth.
There was one element to the story that didn't quite work for me--I liked all the 'human monster' story developments better and thought that the more mythological aspects made me unable to suspend disbelief--pulling me out of the story a little.
This author has writing chops and I will be reading more of her work for sure. (I already dove into SALVATION SPRING and enjoyed that)

 


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