Review: Salt and Storm by Kendall Kulper

Title: Salt & Storm

Author: Kendall Kulper
Genre: Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Source: Novl
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
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Summary: 

You don't know what you must give up to become a witch. 

Avery Roe wants only to claim her birthright as the witch of Prince Island and to make the charms that have kept the island's sailors safe at sea for generations, but instead she is held prisoner by her mother in a magic-free life of proper manners and respectability.
Avery thinks escape is just a matter of time, but when she has a harrowing nightmare, she can see what it means: She will be killed. She will be murdered. And she's never been wrong before. 

Desperate to change her future, Avery finds a surprising ally in Tane—a tattooed harpoon boy with magic of his own, who moves her in ways she never expected. But as time runs out to unlock her magic and save herself, Avery discovers that becoming a witch requires unimaginable sacrifice. 

Avery walks the knife's edge between choice and destiny in Kendall Kulper's sweeping debut: the story of one girl's fight to survive the rising storm of first love and family secrets.

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From the summary I expected, tons of romance and actual witchcraft. Instead this book just fell short of what I was expecting. The whole book to me was just...meh. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it but I am still disappointed. I tried.

I struggled to like Avery. She was pushy and rude and just mean at times! I am under the impression that Avery thought she was all that because she was suppose to be the next Roe witch. But in reality she was useless until she would get her powers anyway. Then she acquires the help of a beautiful harpoon by to help her and all she does is tell him was that his magic was terrible and useless. I'm sorry Avery, but I wouldn't have helped you if you treated me like that. She also accidentally collapses the roof of her house in on her sleeping mother and doesn't show a single ounce of remorse. Huh? Okay then. 

I expected Tane to walk away from her half the time. Yeah, I knew he was the love interest from the moment he came into the novel but Avery treated him horribly. Then suddenly they are in a relationship! Then I felt like the romance was skimmed on. I expected more romance then was actually handed to you in the novel. 

I loved the Roe history, and the island. The Roe magic, how it is activated, where is came from and how it is preformed was interesting to read. I wish it went into more detail though and wasn't all thrown at you at once. There were aspects of Salt and Storm that I loved and then parts that I disliked. Overall though it had an interesting idea and lots of promise, a long with an ending that will leave you with tears in your eyes. 

RATING: ★★