Saltcrop: Book Review

Today, we will be reviewing Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei, a sci-fi adventure novel that takes place in the near future. Find out if you should read this novel about two sisters who said across the ocean to find their older sister. Keep reading to read our full review and why it we can’t stop talking about it!

Saltcrop Summary

Skipper is worried about her older sister Nora after not hearing from her for months. And she has decided to sail across the the ocean to find her and rescue. Carmen, the middle sister, knows she cannot let Skipper go alone. They are determined to save Nora no matter where she is.

That leads them to away from home and in places that are hostile. To save Nora, they will need to get out of their comfort zone. Encounters with strangers good and bad that may lead them to Nora. Their bonds of sisterhood will be tested as they travel across a dying world.

Commentary

Saltcrop was released in 2025 and is the third novel by Yume Kitasei. She writes sci-fi novels and I have become a fan of hers over the past year. Her novel Stardust was a fun space heist novel with a likable protagonist. Kitasei is bringing a new angle to sci-fi novels and I am here for it.

I really enjoyed Saltcrop a lot and loved the world building as well as the characters. The three protagonists, three sisters, make this a novel about family, siblings, and growing up in each other’s shadow. Each off them has to discover what it means to be siblings in a world that is dying and cruel.

I have read a bunch of novels about ships and journeys across the ocean. But this one felt a lot different in a good way. It is hard to describe the serene feeling you feel while reading this novel. Skipper is easily my favorite protagonist and her journey is powerful and one that many can relate to.

She carries a heavy burden as the youngest one living in the shadow of two gifted older siblings. Skipper is also the one that has stayed behind to take care of their grandmother. She wants to go back to the good days of their childhood when all three of them were sailing together.

But now, she must break out of her shelf and save their older sister. Skipper knows she can’t do it alone but will if she has to. Carmen wouldn’t ever let Skipper go alone and drops everything and decides to accompany her sister. There are a million of small gestures of love that only someone that grew up with siblings would know.

Conclusion

I would love to read another novel that includes these characters and expands this eerie world. There is a lot more in this fictional world that I want to know about. And I want to see how each sister grows after this novel. Hopefully Kitasei decides to revisit this world and gives us another book in the future.

Novels like these are why I love sci-fi books. There is so much variety and when written by an author that is good at character writing and storytelling, then you are in for a treat. If you love a good sci-fi adventure novel, then this should be your next book to read. Until next time, happy reading!

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