Salt (The Salt Trilogy, 1)

Hari's father, Tarl, has been captured and is sent to work in the mines of Deep Salt. No one ever returns from Deep Salt, and those that are found have died from a terrible sickness, alone in the vast caverns. Nobody knows what they harvest in those caves. Hari vows to rescue his father and sets out across the vast land. Though just a young boy from the poor area, Hari has a special weapon. He can talk to others silently and control their thoughts and actions. Pearl, daughter of a wealthy family, is fleeing with her maid, Tealeaf, from an arranged marriage that she does not want. Pearl, like Hari, has the gift of silent speaking. Pearl has learned this talent from Tealeaf, a mysterious woman who knows many things. Along the journey, Pearl and Hari meet. They set off together to find Tarl and to discover the terrible secrets of Deep Salt. What is being harvested there? What happens to the miners in Deep Salt? They must answer these questions before their world is destroyed by those who are hungry for power and willing to use Deep Salt's secrets for the worst. SALT is unlike any book I've ever read. It is filled with such a deep darkness, one that can only be described as twisted. Hari and Pearl were interesting characters, each with their own motives. Their journey was enthralling and terrifying. Tealeaf was a wonderful secondary character who had what seemed to be an unlimited amount of knowledge about unusual things. The writing style was rather odd and took some getting used to. I enjoyed the general idea of the book, but the writing made it hard to get into at times. Reviewed by: McKenzie Tritt

Maurice Gee starts off a wonderful tale here, something I'm a little irked about considering the wait until the next book comes out. The book is quite reminiscent of standard high school novel "The Chrysalids" by John Wyndham and "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore. All are novels with intricately drawn worlds, making you feel as if you can see and hear the characters surroundings. Also, all feature several characters with powers or ability that make them different than the angry, harsh mobs of people that surround them. I zoomed through "Salt", captivated by the characters. Pearl, the female lead, was a fairly typical spoiled girl, but the male protagonist, Hari, was better characterized. He was a little too bitter and rough to relate to at the beginning but the gradual roughening of Pearl and the softening of Hari as the two bond throughout the novel is the best part of the book. Though it contains violence and some implied sexuality, the book is aimed towards a younger teen audience. It's definitely worth a read.