~ Book Review: Salt (Salt #1) by Danielle Ellison ~

Title: Salt
Author: Danielle Ellison
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Pages: 266
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Penelope is a witch, part of a secret society protecting humans from demon attacks. But when she was a child, a demon killed her parents—and stole her magic. Since then, she’s been pretending to be something she’s not, using her sister’s magic to hide her own loss, to prevent being sent away.

When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find "her" demon. To take back what was stolen.

Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own.

Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.

(4.0)

When I read the synopsis of this book my first thought was that this was just another book about witches and warlocks with some deeply hidden family mystery. Well, I was right, but what I didn’t know was that I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did. I loved the characters, I loved the writing style, and more importantly, I loved the story.

Penelope is not just your run-of-the-mill witch. She’s a witch without powers that can only perform magic when her family is around her to let her “borrow” it. She lost her power when she was very little and attacked by a demon who stole her powers from her. This event in her life, along with the tragic loss of her parents, becomes a very strong motivator for her to become an enforcer (an elite group of witches that fight to protect humans from demons). The problem with this scenario is that she must prove herself worthy of this title by completing a series of tests, the last of which includes performing magic, a task she cannot complete unless she has her sister (or someone from her family) very nearby.

This greatly complicates things for her, until she meets Carter, whom she discovers she can also borrow magic from, although she has no idea why. The magic she borrows from Carter is not like the magic she borrows from her family, it is way more powerful and dangerous than she realizes. She grows very close to Carter and he is very interested in her, but the skeletons in her family’s closet inhibit her from being completely open with him and she suspects he’s not being completely honest with her either.

The premise of this book is not one I had read about before which immediately caught my attention. Not only is the main character different, but she’s also very funny, opinionated, determined, and sarcastic. I guess I’m a fan of snark because I’m a fan of Penelope and she has lots of it. There’s a lot of funny remarks, demon-fighting action, and swoony moments. It’s the full package. I am definitely happy I picked up this book.