Salt Lick

I love good dystopian novels, so I had high expectations for this one, on the long list for the Women's Prize for Fiction. The addition of a cow chorus further whetted my interest.

The novel is set in England after a pandemic and after severe flooding of a big part of the island. Most people have moved to London, where the majority of the resources are concentrated, especially after the huge population loss of the pandemic. The story follows Jesse, a young boy growing up in a village at the start of the novel, and Isolde, a young woman who grows up in London in a children's home after her mother is killed in a bombing. When Isolde visits the man responsible for the bombing in prison, she discovers she doesn't know the whole story and show more leaves London in search of answers.

The novel started slow for me, and I didn't really see what the cows added to the book. But Allison writes beautifully, and her bleak view of the world is compelling. There are also some big surprises as we read. One of her descriptions of a deserted village: "But the absence of people hangs uncomfortably, like the unhinged and broken doors a few feet into the trees. This place is home to new souls the little lives of birds and rodents who don't feel alarm at the sightless squares of dark windows. They don't feel the absence of the people behind the broken glass, or the memories that drift, indestructible, fragile waste, like tattered plastic bags in trees." Her descriptions are wonderful and give us a vivid view of the world.

In the end, I loved this novel, even if the cows were a little disappointing. show less

Speculative fiction set in a near future England. There is massive flooding due to climate change, and two pandemics have ravaged the population. London has attracted many due to availability of resources and food is almost exclusively imported. As the story opens, Jesse is a child living with his parents in a rural village that tries to sustain itself by growing its own food. Isolde is a young woman living in London. Her mother was killed in a bombing when she was a child. Isolde tries to find out more about her mother’s death and travels to the country to discover answers. Her travels eventually lead to an agrarian community.

The plotline moves back and forth among the characters to reveal the ways they are interconnected. It is show more beautifully written (in present tense). The author depicts many poignant scenes of emotional impact. Her descriptive writing is strong. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Jesse and his dog. I should probably mention the Greek Chorus of cows (not quite sure what to make of the cows but they provide a creative diversion.) I think the first half is more powerful than the second. The characters are well crafted, and I became invested in finding out what would happen to them. I am generally a fan of speculative fiction, and I think this one is a solid contribution to the category. I would definitely read another book by this author. show less

Speculative fiction set in a near future England. There is massive flooding due to climate change, and two pandemics have ravaged the population. London has attracted many due to availability of resources and food is almost exclusively imported. As the story opens, Jesse is a child living with his parents in a rural village that tries to sustain itself by growing its own food. Isolde is a young woman living in London. Her mother was killed in a bombing when she was a child. Isolde tries to find out more about her mother’s death and travels to the country to discover answers. Her travels eventually lead to an agrarian community.

The plotline moves back and forth among the characters to reveal the ways they are interconnected. It is show more beautifully written (in present tense). The author depicts many poignant scenes of emotional impact. Her descriptive writing is strong. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Jesse and his dog. I should probably mention the Greek Chorus of cows (not quite sure what to make of the cows but they provide a creative diversion.) I think the first half is more powerful than the second. The characters are well crafted, and I became invested in finding out what would happen to them. I am generally a fan of speculative fiction, and I think this one is a solid contribution to the category. I would definitely read another book by this author. show less

What a fun book! An interesting look at so many issues currently flaring in our own lives right now and a few really good plot twists I totally wasn't expecting. The cow chorus was very poetic and some of them were hauntingly beautiful, but others were too "in your face," as in did you, the reader, get my point? Ah well. They didn't ruin anything and I loved the book. 4.0

DNF notes
Oh dear. I think I picked this for the odd gimmick, and already it's not working for me; I don't feel like it's adding anything. That leaves me with a near-future dystopia that is maybe just too close to all the things I worry about. I think perhaps this story is just reminding me (in small bits and pieces) of a different book I deeply disliked. Is this developing into a book of ideas? I like a book of ideas, but I'm not vibing with this story-telling. The jumping POV, the greek chorus, a preachy vibe maybe, I just don't feel like the chorus works. Sorry, was that a herd pun? Oh I think I'm done. This is a good idea with good points, just very much not for me.