It is one of a few books I’ve read this year that made me cry and not just once. Written in such relatable and beautiful way, it is a must-read for any contemporary lover!

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PICK UP THIS BOOK:

1 - First and very important point is lyrical writing. Cath Crowley doesn’t write for YA audience, she just writes. The passages are so beautiful that you cannot stop underlining quote after quote.

What I usually find in YA books is an “overly simplified sentences and words”. While some books can get away with it, the majority turns out to be plain and dry. This book, on the contrary, will make you think, will make you fall in love with deep discussions held by the characters, will make you want to be a part of it!

2 - The main characters are Rachel and Henry, two old friends who lost each other and then meet again, but they are not the only ones who are important for the plot and who you eventually grow to love. There are many different characters, some we love, some we hate, but they are all different with their unique traits and personalities that formed a colourful array as the story progresses.

3 - This point is just as important as the previous ones, this book is not just a love story. It’s a story of friendship, it’s a story of forgiveness. It’s a story of grief and loss, and the beautiful things in the world that move us forward when there seems to be no future.

But most importantly, it’s a story of words. And who understands better than us, bookworms, how powerful words can be?!

4 - We all know how well-written books make us feel. It’s that feeling of absolute happiness, even if just for a few minutes or seconds, that we always seek. Cath Crowley and «Words in Deep Blue» will make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, with a few moments of deep sorrow and understanding the complexity behind human’s emotions.

5 - And finally, don’t you want to know what «Words in Deep Blue» actually mean? Well, guess what! You need to read it to know what the title refers to!

Besides these five reasons, there is also a bookshop, letters and notes left in books, book discussions, unexplainable and all-consuming love for books! (Maybe that is what I should have started with…)

OK, so I’m not a big fan of entire plots resting on people not being truthful. Sometimes that’s OK - in comedies, it can be hilarious. In mysteries, it can help the plot do its twisty-turns. Dramatic irony can be a powerful storytelling tool.

And then there are the times when its just frustrating. Where you sit there and want to tear your hair out and say: “Just talk to each other, goddamn it!”

Words in Deep Blue is narrated by two protagonists: Rachel who, after her brother died, isolated herself and watched her life fall apart. She failed out of grade 12, so she’s moving back home to the Melbourne suburbs to get a job.

Our other narrator is Henry, Rachel’s childhood best friend, whose family owns a used bookstore that sounds like a teeny-tiny mom n’ pop version of Powell’s. Rachel was madly in love with Henry (boys and girls can’t be platonic best friends in fictionland), but, rather than telling him outright before she moved away, Rachel decided to do play a madcap gambit: put a letter confessing her love to Henry in one of his books.

Rather than, you know, telling him to his face. Because Henry doesn’t get that letter, because that was not a great idea. Rather than acknowledging that it was a bad idea, Rachel blames Henry for not responding to a letter that he never actually received, and their friendship falls apart…

All things which could’ve been solved with a phone call. Or via text. Or with an actual face-to-face conversation.

Not communicating is a reoccurring problem in this book. Pretty much all of Rachel’s problems would be solved by one simple phrase: hey, did you get the note I left you in the T.S. Eliot book?“ Come on, that’s not hard. Instead, she chooses to believe all manner of awful things about someone who was/is supposedly her best friend. Perhaps best friends are different in Australia, but here in America, if I want to be sure a good friend of mine got a note, I’d send a follow-up. Like, ”…hey, you get that note I left for ya? No? Well, go and check the Prufrock and call me back.“

Or, you know…there’s always telling someone how you feel about them. Straight up. Yeah, that’s hard, but if you’re going to move away right after, why the hell not?

Bah, people do not make sense to me. I don’t understand why Rachel wouldn’t want to tell other people, especially the guy who is supposedly her best friend that her brother fricking died. That is the sort of information you have to share with people, especially when they start going "so how’s your brother been, haven’t heard from him in a while..” Jesus Christ, the whole time I was frustrated with Rachel for not just telling people her brother had died. It’s not fair to her brother’s memory or her family, or to Henry’s sister, George. This can’t be an Australian thing. You’d think Australians would be better at discussing death because nearly all the flora and fauna can cause you to die.

Overall, this was a nice YA contemporary romance. I am super excited to see so many YA books from Australia making their way to America - I definitely want more Australian YA. And some YA from New Zealand, too. But I’d like that YA not to let the plot depend entirely on people not talking. Perhaps teens today are more tolerant of the whole “not talking” thing.

I remember hating that kind of behavior as a teen. But then again, when I was a teenager I spent all my spare time at the library, so…

RECOMMENDED FOR:

Teens, YA Romance Fans, people who don’t believe in effective communication, people who think the ‘silent treatment’ is a good idea, people looking for Australian YA.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR:

Non YA-Romance fans, people who believe in being blunt and straightforward, people who hate it when other people aren’t straight with them.

Read this one for the writing more than for the plot. It's beautifully engaging. There is grief - for people, for dreams, for the way life changes when we want nothing more than to freeze it as it is right now. There is the love of books in every form. Not just classics, but all literature that makes us feel. I defy any reader to finish this book and not want to go make notes in a novel, to spread thoughts and feelings through the universe. Read this book and enjoy each moment. Just let it be what it is without justification or explanation.

It's been a while since I read Cath Crowley's "Graffiti Moon," so when I was approved for her newest title, I was more than a little excited. Upon finishing it. I can honestly say it was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. In fact, I thought it was actually better than "Graffiti Moon" (Shhhhhh .... dont' tell anyone I said that!). The whole concept of this book was undeniably charming and then add on well developed characters and a tragedy that is so well conceived, thoughtful, and, well, tragic, you have a recipe for a novel that readers won't soon forget. To say I'm impressed by Crowley's latest would be an understatement and this is certainly a novel that I'm not only thrilled to add to the collection but I can't wait to share it with everyone I know - both avid and reluctant readers.

This book was so unexpectedly cute! I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. I absolutely loved it!

This book approaches themes like loss, love, friendship and grief. These are such deep themes and yet the book is really light and a very quick read. I found it beautiful the way the book proceeded and the messages were really well explored and delivered.

And to top that off, I really enjoyed the characters too. At first, I wasn’t really being able to connect, because I never really experienced such grief as Rachel has, but after some time I started feeling connected with everyone and I would love to live in this book and be friends with these people!

There’s a lot of mentions of other books because Henry’s family owns a bookshop with a lot of secondhand books and they all love to read, and we see what they think about some books and so on. I loved how they valued the books and the memories they contain.

This book made me cry my heart out. It was breathtaking. It’s such a beautiful idea and such a meaningful book! The author also surprised me in a tiny part, and I can’t tell you why, but I would really recommend this book if you love reading deep contemporary books like I do. Actually, if you like contemporary in general just read this!

This book is beautiful.

It’s haunting and aching, gut-wrenching and bittersweet. Full of hope, loss, and memories.

This book will make you laugh. It will also make you cry. But more importantly, it will make you feel.

I finished this book over an hour ago and I’m still reeling. It’s the kind of book that sticks and leaves an impression. That makes you feel inspired. Those are the best kind. I’ve never felt so compelled to write in the margins. To explore a used bookshop. To confess everything I’ve ever felt about everything to a stranger.

This book is about what’s lost and what you find when you lose someone and about how you find yourself again when you feel like you’ve been ripped in half. The emotions are poignant, honest, and raw. If you’ve ever lost someone, you will understand this on a soul level.

This book is beautiful not only for content, but for the words.

It’s a love letter to books. To words. To how words make you feel and the journey taken on the wings of a story. It’s poetry. The descriptions, the casual and offhand way that things are written about in an entirely new way. You might find yourself seeing the world differently.

Slowly falling in love. Rachel and Henry. The passion. The friendship. The angst. It’s a sweet and funny realization that happens in a blink for one, and has been building for the other.

There are so many things in this book that are important and cathartic. That will bring comfort to those who are numb or bleeding or lost in memory.

But mostly, the love just pours off these pages. Those of you who follow my reviews know that I am not a fan of contemporary, but this book makes my heart happy.

My only, only critique is the pacing. Occasionally the plot is a little slow for my taste and Henry’s obsession with Amy makes you want to shake him. I mean come on, that vapid twit. But he’s mooning, he’s in lust, and it’s incredibly believable.

I didn’t know how much I needed this book and I can only imagine how much others will appreciate this. So thank you, Cath Crowley. Your letter moved me. Your book is fantastic.

Easily one of my best reads for 2017! I still don't know what it is about Aussie YA, but I'm just glad these books and authors exist, and that I have access to them. Cath Crowley, whose works ( A Little Wanting Song and Graffiti Moon ) I enjoyed, makes a comeback in my shelf this year, and with a story that's sweeter and wiser than I ever imagined it to be. The writing is impeccable, and so are the characterization and plot and use of alternating POVs. I loved how books and reading play a central part in this story, and that the way it was used was not something corny or too contrived. Emotions were so real~ I highly, highly recommend. This is a book you'll remember for quite a long time, because it speaks so much, and that you wish every other contemporary YA book out there is like this, too.

Great Love story! This was so cute and realistic, which is why I liked it so much. Things that you can imagine happening to yourself.....ahhhhh swooon

This beautiful tale, told in the alternating POVs of former friends Rachel and Henry, was simply EVERYTHING I could have hoped for. I wept through the majority of it and by the end, I was simply in love with the book.

Words in Deep Blue is a love story, but it's also about loss and grief. It's about family and time. It's about all the things we might not appreciate enough while we have them. And it's a story that will have you falling in love with books all over again. There are countless references to classics as well as contemporary fiction. I am a person who always keeps her books in meticulous condition, but this made me want to write in the margins, underline quotes I saw myself in and write letters to strangers. The fact that it's written not only in prose, but that we also get to see some of the letters and notes that are exchanged and where they are left is something I simply adored.

It was so easy to connect to the characters, even the secondary ones. They are not perfect, sometimes even flawed to a point where I would call them immature, but they are incredibly real. Their feelings were all out there and you were with them each step of the way. I just wanted to hug them, comfort them, cry with them or point them in the right direction.

In addition to everything I've already mentioned, the secondhand-bookstore setting is the perfect place for every bookworm out there. It almost felt like a character in itself, because it had so much life in itself. So much history. I would gladly pick up any future book Cath Crowley will write and for the record, I really want a Letter Library in my most frequented bookstores.

Fazit: 5/5 stars! I just want to buy this book a dozen times, write letters and leave them for strangers to be found.

Words In Deep Blue has the most gorgeous cover and is a YA contemporary romance story that partly takes place in a bookshop. The bookshop isn't just a setting though; both the store and the books play a significant role in the story. I love the idea behind the Letter Library and people being able to communicate through letters left in those books. These letters being included in between chapters were a really nice touch and made Words In Deep Blue that much more unique. It isn't just another love story either as more serious themes as death, grief and loss are included as well. The characters are well developed and it's interesting to see how they evolve, although I do have to say I wasn't completely charmed by them. It's probably because of the multiple love triangles, but some of their behavior could get a little annoying after a while. Though it might just be me being allergic to love triangles; I'm sure contemporary romance fans will not be bothered be it. This was also the only negative thing I could find about this story and it didn't prevent me from flying through the pages and finishing it in less than a day. A very enjoyable read for sure and I loved the bookish references! It's without doubt a little gem.

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads for 2017 -- how could it not be when it was described as a love story for everyone who loves books? I love books and the premise of this sung to me. While it didn't live up to my high expectations, it was still enjoyable and had moments of brilliance. What I liked - the characters, the bookstore, some of the language. What I didn't like - the amount of time it took to get to the heart of the matter. Something about the conflict avoidance in this book felt off to me - the missteps, the letters that weren't read, the facts that weren't disclosed. There was a lot going on and I think this book would have benefited from a bit of restraint. I have very mixed emotions about this book because it had such potential but I wish it wouldn't have veered off in so many directions.

Words in Deep Blue comes out next month on June 6, 2017 and you can purchase HERE. I definitely recommend this one for contemporary YA fans!

But I do believe we have choices--how we love and how much, what we read, where we travel. How we live after the person we love has died or left us. Whether or not we decide to take the risk and live again.

But what is the point? I imagine you asking. For me it is this. On a night when I could hear the ocean coming in through the window of my room, a woman I would marry and have a child with told me she loved me. Our son just a hint on our skins. The stars were milk on the darkness. I did not think about losing her. I thought only that she loved me, and we were happy.

I feel it would be impossible to read this book and not be moved. Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Children's, for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The best compliment I can give this book is that I will be standing in a bookstore on June 6th, 2017, to purchase my own "real" copy of the book along with everyone I recommend it to.

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley is a YA novel. There is no dystopian story, no adventure, no exciting mystery or even a teen runaway story. Words of Deep Blue is a contemporary novel of a teen age girl who tries to overcome her grief over the death of her brother, and learn to carry on with her life; it is also a story of how words and books can play a large part of lives.

Rachel Sweetie returns to the town she left 3 years before, where her friends Lola and Henry still live. Rachel left town with her family, having left a love letter in a book for Henry to find; but he never saw the letter and Rachel assumed he wasn’t interested. So when she returns home, she hides her grief over the drowning death of her brother Cal, and tells no one of his death.

She takes a job working at the Howling Book store, where Henry helps his father run the story. Henry always considered Rachel his best friend, but could never understand why she stopped writing to him during those three years. I enjoyed Rachel’s character; her grief and pain made her a better and stronger person, and in time she accepts what happened and opens up to her friends. Rachel also knows that Henry will never get over his spoiled self centered girlfriend, Amy. I did not like Henry, as he was so blind as to always thinking Amy cares about him, even when she dumps him, and does not even see that Rachel is not only his friend, but someone who truly loves him.

What follows is a slow built rekindling of a friendship that was lost. It was nice that Henry and Rachel would spend so much time together in the book store, many times spending the night reading and looking at letters left behind by others. The words spoken were what slowly brings them together, at first as friends, and later when Henry finally realizes that everything he always wanted was right in front him. As the story unfolds, Rachel comes to terms with Cal’s death, shares her grief with her friends and family, which also brings her closer to Henry. There were some other background stories, especially Henry’s sister, George, who leaves letters to an unknown suitor; which later is a surprise.

Words in Deep Blue was a different type of read for a YA novel, but it is truly is for everyone. This book was emotional, uplifting, touching and at times humorous. Rachel, and even Henry were well developed characters, as well as many of the secondary characters. This was a nice story well written by Cath Crowley.

Words in Deep Blue is a book that I've been looking forward to for what seems like the longest time. I don't know if it was all the hype that made this book less amazing that what I was expecting or what, but unfortunately this book wasn't my favorite.

One of the things that rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning was Amy. She was such a horrible person and Henry's obsession with all things Amy just irritated me to no end. I just couldn't handle it.

The best thing about this book, at least to me, was the Letter Library and the letters between George and mystery guy. Those letters and that relationship gave me so many feels and the whole revelation with the guy behind the letters was so heartbreaking and I just can't even express how much it hurt my heart.

I feel like I would've loved this book if it had been more focused on the Letter Library and George rather than Henry's obsession with Amy and Rachel's feelings for Henry. The whole girl likes boy who is obsessed with someone else concept just didn't work for me. Although, it seems like I'm the black sheep when it comes to this book so if it sounds like something you'd enjoy then you should definitely pick it up.

I really did enjoy this book. Amazing character development. You felt Rachel's pain through all of it, and also you could see her hope.

I am a book lover and therefore I loved this book about books and the power of words. Henry and Rachel are both intriguing for different reasons; time has kept them apart and they have both changed since they were together, but when life puts them back in the same bookstore (owned by Henry's family), they begin to realize things about themselves and each other. Rachel is still broken from the death of her brother and Henry is dealing with the death of his relationship. Through the sharing of letters in books, this story is told in a delightful lovely way. It deals with secrets, grief, broken hearts and families, but it also leaves the reader with hope for the power of love. Well written, I enjoyed this story and look forward to more!

I really struggled with this book. It was slow at the beginning and hard to follow. I wanted to love it so much because I have had read so many great reviews of this book. The Letter Library was a beautiful concept but the romance part between Henry and Rachel annoyed me.

Personal Thoughts: Thank you so much to Random House for providing me with a copy of Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley in exchange for an honest review. Cath Crowley is an Australian author who has been on my radar for some time but until Words in Deep Blue, I hadn’t experienced how amazing her writing is firsthand! First of all, I was completely sold on this book based on the cover alone (look at all those beautiful, beautiful books! *heart eyes*). Then when I read the plot and found out that the story is set in an old bookshop, and it has an epistolary element to it, I knew I would instantly fall in love.

Plot Summary: Words in Deep Blue follows two teenagers, Rachel, a girl who’s been harboring a crush on her best friend, Henry, and she finally gets the courage to pour her heart out to him in a love letter left in his favorite book the day before she moves away. Henry on the other hand, spent Rachel’s last night in town with Amy, the girl he’s been lusting after and ever since, their friendship has fallen apart. When Rachel returns to town, a shell of her old self after the passing of her brother, her aunt gets her a job in Henry’s family’s bookshop and she’s forced to confront the things she’s been unable to face since she left.

Critique: Words in Deep Blue is an absolute must-read for book lovers of all ages. It’s written more in the vein of literary fiction rather than that of your typical contemporary YA novel. Henry and Rachel are both very mature for their age and their deepest conversations, written via letters left in books, explore the topics of love, loss, grief and the meaning of life (and they’re not the only characters to communicate through books!). Reading about Henry and Rachel reconnecting and rebuilding their trust in one another, Henry in Rachel after she started ignoring his letters during her time away, and Rachel in Henry after him ignoring the most important letter she ever wrote, is heartwarming. If you’re an avid reader, you’re sure to appreciate the references to other books and you’ll also be wishing you were part of Henry’s family who eats dinner together every Friday at Shanghai Dumplings and discusses the books they’ve read throughout the week. It was so nice to read about people who’s lives are as dependent upon reading as mine has always been. I particularly loved Henry’s younger sister George who is an outsider at her school. George is strong-minded and unafraid to voice her opinions. She’s the victim of bullying but she’d rather spend her time with books and her family anyway. There were times when I was reading when I wanted to shake Henry and tell him to wake up and see things clearly, but I appreciated the realistic portrayal of his relationship with the awful Amy who is not even close to good enough for him. I can already tell that this is a story that will stick with me in the long run and I definitely plan on revisiting it in the future.

Do I Recommend?: I definitely do. Words in Deep Blue is beautifully written, the story is compelling and the characters are true to life. I love all of the different emotions I felt while reading and I especially love the inclusion of the bookstore, the stories and the letters.

Henry représente cette partie de vous qui aime tant lire, qui aime les livres et qui ne se lasse pas d’en être entouré. Il ne fait pas que travailler dans sa librairie. Il y vit. Pour lui, ce n’est même pas un travail. Il est heureux au milieu de tous les poètes qui l’entourent. C’est un doux rêveur qui accomplit notre rêve à nous, lecteurs et lectrices.

Alors, lorsqu’il retrouve Rachel après tant d’années, le contraste est saisissant car elle est devenue cynique. Elle ne trouve pas la beauté dans les mots comme lui le fait. Elle a besoin de retrouver cette magie.

Words in deep blue est une ode au pouvoir des mots. Ce thème éclipse même la romance, pour moi car elle n’est finalement, que très peu mise en avant. Words in deep blue restera donc une belle histoire sur le pouvoir des mots. Elle vous fera réfléchir sur la vie, sur ces instants de grâce où vous réalisez que vous êtes heureux et sur ces autres moments charnière qui vous construisent, consciemment ou non.