Lulu Allison – Salt Lick

‘Salt Lick’ by Lulu Allison is a novel that made me curious. An author I was not aware of before the invitation to this blog tour with a synopsis that made me wonder what this book was about. I joined the tour to fulfil my own curiosity.

Britain is awash, the sea creeps into the land, brambles and forest swamp derelict towns. Food production has moved overseas and people are forced to move to the cities for work. The countryside is empty. A chorus, the herd voice of feral cows, wander this newly wildland watching over changing times, speaking with love and exasperation.

Jesse and his puppy Mister Maliks roam the woods until his family are forced to leave for London. Lee runs from the terrible restrictions of the White Town where he grew up. Isolde leaves London on foot, walking the abandoned A12 in search of the truth about her mother.

A story set in the near future or maybe an alternative future of the UK. This future reminds me of our world now. Post-Brexit. The shortages of labour and even food with pandemics as well sent a shiver down my spine due to the eerie feeling I got from this book. Told in such a beautiful way, this powerful novel brings us a world that during the bad times, communities come together to help each other and pool their resources. This was heartwarming to read.

Each of the characters tell their own story and I enjoyed getting to know them properly, with their history’s too. This really gave me the feeling I knew them. I thought it was so skillfully woven with the different plots seamlessly coming together.

A book that does deal with serious issues that some readers may find triggering, including racism, self-harm, death and assault.

Thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and Lulu Allison and Unbound for the copy of the book.