Summer of Salt Review

So I gave this book a second chance and read it the whole way through! What did I think of it?

Summer of Salt by Katrino Leno is a YA contemporary fiction novel set on a small island called By-the-Sea. The MC Georgina comes from the Fernweh family, where all the women are witches with supernatural powers, but she hasn't discovered her powers yet. Her twin sister, Mary, can fly (actually float), and their mother can make potions (actually regular drinks like teas and coffees with healing herbs in them). The family owns an inn on the island that is popular with bird enthusiasts, because everyone who visits the island come to see a redbird named Annabella lay her eggs every year. Annabella is rumored to be a Fernweh woman who turned herself into a bird for mysterious reasons. 

One of these visitors is a girl named Prue and her older brother, Harrison. Georgina and Prue end up becoming close and even become girlfriends, but their joy is ruined when someone mysterious kills Annabella. Even worse: a lot of people think Georgina's sister Mary did it, because she started to act weird after the incident, and happened to be near the scene of the crime when it happened. Then everyone starts avoiding the Fernwehs.

Georgina then tries to figure out who really killed Annabella, and figure out the reason why her sister started acting so strange all of a sudden. 

This book was not what I expected! It was an interesting mix of a lighthearted summer romance on a cozy little island with some magic that quickly turns serious. The answer to the mysteries were surprisingly dark, too. 

I gave it 4 stars, but that's just because I felt that Georgina and Prue's relationship was a bit rushed. I also wish we could've seen them spend more time together! Personally, I think Georgina has more chemistry with her best friend, Vira. I kind of wanted them to end up together instead.