Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood, #2)

by Victoria Scott

How far would you go to survive?

In FIRE & FLOOD, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and a terrifying march across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't stop - and in SALT & STONE, Tella will have to face the unseen dangers of the ocean, the breathless cold of a mountain, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the beginning of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the fourth and final part of the race, just forty-one are left . . . and only one can win.

Victoria Scott's stunning thriller will leave readers' hearts racing!

• ISBN13: 9780545537483
• Publish Date: 24 February 2015
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Imprint: Scholastic Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[bookishzelda]

I have read every one of Victoria Scott’s published books and I think that Salt & Stone might be one of my favorites. I loved Fire & Flood because there were so many unique things about it, especially the main character Tella. I love Salt & Stone because of the way the plot unfolds.

The thing that is so amazingly awesome about Salt & Stone is there is always something going on. I would put the book down and then pick it back up and be right into the next crazy thing. I loved it. So addicting. Although after I finished reading it I wanted to stare at the wall for a while. Digest what I read and then I desperately wanted to talk about it but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else. The best thing to do with this book is go in blind. It is action packed like I said but there are also some seriously emotional moments. Like oh my god that just happened, even though you know that it could happen. Anything can happen really.

I was having mixed feelings about Tella in this book. I understood her frustration with the way Guy is overly protective of her but she’s a strong girl. I felt like her need for approval was actually making her weak. I kept thinking she needed to pull a page from Harper’s book. Knowing she’s fierce and not needing anyone to tell her so. As we progress through the third and fourth portions of the race she really starts to develop and by the end I really liked her again. She learned along the way and managed to find balance.

I love the group that Tella travels with. It’s an interesting dynamic and you find yourself getting attached to the characters. They come and go for different reasons. It is a race to save a loved one.

That ending. Geez. Once again I want to talk about so much of it!! Ahhh!

If you enjoyed Fire and Flood, I think you will be blown away by Salt and Stone. I’m still wrapping my head around it.

[shannonmiz]

4.5

If you thought things in the Brimstone Bleed were bad before, well... you haven't seen anything yet.

I will admit, I was a wee bit lost when I started the book, and it did take me a few chapters to remember who everyone was and what had happened in the last book. Really, if you can afford the time, a reread of F&F would probably be best. But I certainly remembered our lovely protagonist, Tella. Tella is one of the most unique heroines I've encountered, and that is mostly good. It's easy to relate to Tella because she is not really the typical "badass" heroine (especially at first!) who knows she is strong and willing to fight and such. No, Tella is a regular girl who misses the everyday conveniences from home. My one small complaint with Tella is this: There is a time and place to worry about your nails, or Starbucks, but the middle of a potentially fatal mission isn't the time. Focus, girl. In downtime, it's charming, but in the heart of the action, it's distracting.

Obviously, the lovely folks who organize the Brimstone Bleed aren't exactly Santa Claus, but in this book, they are a whole new brand of awful. Some of the stuff that happens in this book.... well let's just say that Victoria Scott has a very creative mind. Some of the events in the Brimstone Bleed were just plain messed up. I have no eloquent words, just... yikes. Of course, there were a lot of twists in the competition. There were a few things that I saw coming, but none of the big stuff, and I am still dying to find out answers to all the questions behind this "race".

It was an incredibly fast paced book, and I read it so quickly because I didn't want to put it down. The fast pace was fine, but there were a lot of characters to keep track of, since there is a lot of reference to characters from Fire & Flood, a lot of mention of characters from home, and a lot of characters who are just all over the race and are mentioned.  I did get a bit confused a few times, but there were also a lot of great characters to care about too.

A few more things I Loved:

• Pandoras Can I have one? Please? I don't want to say too much about the Pandoras, because it would give away stuff from the first book too, but if you don't adore them, maybe we can't be friends.


• Character Growth Tella absolutely transforms and shines in this book. No, she is not always sure of herself, but she is getting a lot closer. The choices she makes aren't even always the best ones, but at least she is making them. Guy transforms too, though his seems to be more of a "two steps forward one step back" situation. But hey, progress! Even the more minor characters go through some pretty amazing transformations during this book.


• The Unknowns There are still so many questions left to unravel! Yes, there are answers, so I was satisfied. But always new twists that bring new questions, and basically kept me on my toes the whole book.


• The Race Now, I know I said it was twisted, and it is. But it is also really exciting, and I love reading about stuff like that.

My only real qualm? I seriously have no idea if there'll be a third book. If there's not, well... some of those things I loved can end up being things that drive me insane for the rest of time. So in my own lovely mind, there will be a third book, even though it seems that the universe hasn't decided that yet. Basically, I need more Pandoras, more Tella, and more of this series! 
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight

[lizarodz]

I’m a big fan Victoria Scott’s Dante Walker series and Fire & Flood was a definite favorite read last year.  It’s a winning combination of a fast passed and dangerous game (not as lethal though) with Pokémon like companions thrown in.

Salt & Stone contains the next two legs of the Brimstone Bleed.  This time our heroine and friends are expected to be in the ocean (thus “salt”) and in the freezing mountains (thus “stone”).  Whomever gets there first, wins the cure for the virus that plagues the contender’s family members.  We also know from the previous book that the top five contenders will be offered jobs at the Company – creators of the contest and the virus.  The plan is for Guy and Tella to be in the first five so they can work to bring the Company down.

New characters get added to our group that previously consisted of Tella, Guy, Harper, Jaxon, Olivia, and Braun. Of course, we have to count their adorable Pandoras: Madox the fox, a lion, an elephant, a bear and a pig.  During the next leg of the game other new characters and Pandoras join them, Mr. Larson, Cotton, and Willow.  As you can expect, we lose some of them as well.  I have to confess that I cried a bit, because it was so unexpected.

Tella acts by herself and confides in some of the other contenders in their group, even though Guy as firmly opposed to the idea.  Together they contrive and make plans, they protect each other, although Tella has the protective instincts of a mama bear.  Tella is still an amazing and complex as a character, but it’s hard how she gets in her head that she needs to be self-sufficient, independent and take leadership.  Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but it creates tension and a power struggle with Guy.

“Tella, when I ask you to stay behind, it’s because I think it’s safest.”

My brows furrow. “ I can think of my own without getting hurt, you know.” …

“Of course you can,” Guy says, but his lack of conviction is like a punch to the heart."

The setting this time matches the read of the Brimstone Bleed.  Boats, water, tropical islands, snow, cold, mountains, Pandora fighting arena, and ice caves.  This is one action packed story for sure.  I really like Scott’s writing, it’s straightforward, funny, sarcastic and emotive.  The plot is always complicated, full of surprises and not all of them good.

“You cut yourself so that we could fish?” Jaxon’s eyebrows nearly touch his hairline. “That’s so Rambo, dude.”

I laugh, because I don’t know what else to do.

“So if we catch a fish and eat it, does that mean we’ll be eating a piece of you, too?” Braun poses.

Olivia recoils. “Disgusting.”

I have a BIG issue with the ending.  It was not an ending? It definitely has the “flavor” of a second book instead of the ending to the series (it’s was supposed to be a duology!)  Another thing that I dislike was the “romance” if we can call it that.  There is definite interest and affection between Tella and Guy, but it was way more what was left unsaid that what they actually did or said. The readers knows they love each other, even they know it, but talking to Guy is like pulling teeth. Very infuriating.

“You didn’t take into account that I would hold you in my mind. That I would focus so wholly on the feel of your skin against mine, that it was as if my body moved through the water on its own.”

Overall, I loved the series, BUT I seriously hope that this is not the end, because otherwise that sucks!  This is from Victoria Scott’s website:



About the cover:  I so wish that these books kept the original covers.  I like them much better than these new ones with the eye.This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC

[Angie]

4.5★

Salt & Stone is a pretty darn great sequel, but it didn't quite measure up to Fire & Flood. Almost though. It picks up immediately where the first book left off. Tella is safely at the rest camp after the second leg of the race. After a week of rejuvenation, it's time to find out where they'll be going next. Tella and the rest of the remaining contenders wake up on a ship in the middle of the ocean, and as always, they have two weeks to reach base camp, or die trying. At this point, Tella and the rest of her group have a plan, and that plan is is going to be tested as they brave the raging ocean. Then after that, the snow covered mountains.

Salt & Stone had the possibility to fall into the repetitive trap simply based on the nature of the plot. Thankfully, it didn't! Of course, the set up remains the same: people thrown into harsh conditions and must survive, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and then do it again somewhere else. But each ecosystem brings its own challenges, both physical and mental. Tella has grown use to working as part of a group, but she's also constantly reminding herself that this is a race and she must be able to think about what's best for her too.

I really liked how Tella has grown and changed since the first book. There are times where the girl who packed purple nail polish for the race comes out to say hi, but for the most part, she's an all new Tella. However, she hasn't let the race steal her humanity or sanity. She's still the one who tries to find a way to help others and their Pandoras instead of just herself. Of course, she knows at the end, it's everyone for themselves, but it's mutually beneficial to stick together until that point. I can't even tell you how many times these people would have died if not for one of their team mates or their trusty animal companion.

Speaking of the animals, the Pandoras continue to be my favorite part of this series! Madox is even more adorable than ever, and there were a few times when I wanted to cry because of what was happening to him. Then there were other times where I had to laugh out loud, because that little fox has a huge personality! We're introduced to some other fun animals, and get to learn more about the ones we've already met. However, there were two chapters I had to skip, because I just couldn't handle it. I understand why they were there, but it's just not what I want to read.

Salt & Stone was really great! But that ending! What?! Why?! Did he really?! But that can't mean what I think it means?! Poor Tella! But now that the race is over, I wonder what's going to happen in the next book. I worry it's going to turn into the typical trying to take down the system type of Dystopian. I mean, I know that's kind of what it's been building to, but the race gave it this extra excitement. I just hope the author works her magic and makes the finale stand out!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.