Book Review: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowly

Title: Words in Deep Blue
Author: Cath Crowly
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary 

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, June 6th 2017

Language: English

 

Deep. Raw. Emotional.

 

That's how I would describe Words in Deep Blue. And I think I found another book for my "one of my favorites" shelf. 

 

"Sometimes science isn't enough. Sometimes you need the poets," he says, and it's in moments, that exact moment, that I fall in love with him again. 

 

Rachel has been crushing on her best friend, Henry, since in Year 9, when she decided to confess through a letter that was inserted between the pages of Henry's favorite book. That was ago. because Henry failed to read it.

 

Rachel returns to the city after years of residing on the Sea Ridge beach. She finds escape from the loss of her brother and struggles with her education as a young adult herself. Staying with her aunt, she had no choice but to accept working in a second-hand bookshop that Henry's family owns.

 

Henry is a goofy, bookworm who loves second hand books. His future looks not too good. His girlfriend dumped him, their second-hand bookstore is starting to waver, and his family is one by one breaking apart.

 

Rachel returning to the City make Henry questioned of what happened to thuer friendship. Why did Rachel cut him off? Why did she become so different, rude and grumpy? What happened to Rachel?

  

What makes this book interesting is that it's not just about childhood friends becoming lovers. It's beyond the surface. Words in Deep Blue is written from both Rachel and Henry's points of view and includes pieces of exchanged letters, which were sweet and endearing.

 

Rachel is an interesting character. She's a great representation of how grief or loss of a loved one affects someone. Henry is a goody-good guy, exploring his youthful life, love, and family.

 

The characters were fleshed out well, with natural and raw edges. Even the secondary characters are present as well, which makes this book solid. Their story added to this book was well-written and did not cause a conflict with the main themes and characters.

 

The title refers to a lot of things in the book, like George's blue strip of hair, blue stonewalls, the blue velbet daybed, and more.

 

The past is with me; the future is unmapped and unchangeable. Ours for the imagining, spreading out before us. Sunlight-filled, deep blue, and the darkness.

I highly recommend reading "Words in Deep Blue." It explores the lives of young adults, grief and loss, young love, and letters. This book is so relatable, which makes it unique and different. It definitely stands out from the rest of the young adult books I've read.

 

Cath has a way with words and emotions, and she understands how the world works in the context of this book. It is a mix of flavors and personalities. Her writing is smooth and marvelous.

It has a bookshop as its setting, with sweet exchanges of love letters about the blue ocean, books, poetries, and poets. And more poetic topics like the past, present, and future, soul transmigration. Though these given topics were not much emphasised, they are the things that contributed to my love for this book. 

 "Words matter, in fact. They're not pointless, as you've suggested. If they were pointless, then they couldn't start a revolution and they wouldn't change history. If they were just words, we wouldn't write songs or listen to them. We wouldn't beg to be read to as kids. If they were just words, then stories wouldn't be around since before we could write. We wouldn't have learned to write. If they were just words, people wouldn't fall in love because of them, feel bad because of them, ache because of them, and stop aching because of them. " 

If you like childhood friends to lovers, young adults, letters, and a deep and raw book to spend your days away, I highly recommend Cathy's book, Words in Deep Blue!

 

 RATE
★★★★★
 I rate Words in Deep Blue five out of five stars!