Salt for Air by M.C. Frank

Salt for Air by M.C. Frank is a touching story about bullying, mermen and the beauty of friendship that will stay with you for a long time. I love this book so much, it was such an amazing, beautiful, gripping, emotional and heartfelt read!

Salt for Air is a story about a bullied girl, who writes fanfiction to escape her miserable reality. Having been bullied myself, I can relate (almost a little too much) to the living hell that is Ellie’s everyday life and what the bullying does to her. M.C. Frank describes this so spot on, you can really feel that the story is based on her own experiences. She does a remarkable job describing how anyone can be bullied for no particular reason (in this story Ellie used to be overweight, but even though she no longer is, the bullying still goes on) and what it does to a person. Some of these thoughts were manifested via chapters from Ellie’s blog on ‘Rule for surviving Bullies’, which was such a great take!

Did you know that when someone is bullied, they’re forced to become a different person than they would have if they hadn’t been bullied? When you bully someone, you’re basically robbing them of their future true self.

When reading this book, my heart immediately went out for Ellie. I also loved her fanfiction writing (once again, I can SO relate!!!) and the amazing twist when she found herself rescued by the merman in her own stories; Ky, the emerald-eyed merman and exiled prince. M.C. Frank takes the popular Greek mythology and revitalizes it in a completely new and unique way. She also revitalizes the trope of the nerdy girl being rescued by the swoon-worthy hottie and turns it around. (Can’t explain too much, to risk making any spoilers, but all I can say is that Ellie is such a strong and fierce character.) I also loved the addictive writing style. The writing is so wonderful, fast-paced and captivating. And sassy! I loved Ellie’s snarky comments, for example when she hilariously refers to Ky as “fish boy”, and all the bickering going on between the two main characters.

You mean, that you thought you’d kiss me and I’d decide it’s ok to die for you?”
“It was a pretty good kiss,” he says.

Obviously, I loved the two main characters, but the supporting characters were just as amazing. I adored both Lorelei and Maia, who were both such strong and fierce warriors, looking out for Ky and Ellie.

But most of all I loved the way Ellie found the strength to believe in herself again, to be both the person she was before the bullying changed her and a new different, stronger one.

I recommend this book with all my heart. It is an amazing and emotional fairytale with such an important underlying message. It’s a book that you will not easily forget.

Find out more about the book and the author here: M.C. Frank  ​​