I tried really hard to get into this book! Usually YA is my go-to genre but I had the hardest time connecting with the characters..

This is probably one of the most beautiful books I've read in 2019 and a fantastic re-telling of my favorite Shakespeare comedy's. Drake does an exceptional job of creating characters who are not only complex but also ones that readers will instantly connect with and root for. Themes of self-discovery, family dynamics & history, suicide, sexuality, and so much more are so thoughtfully explored that teens will easily be able to find pieces of themselves within the pages. A necessary purchase for ALL YA collections and one to add to personal collections as well.

I absolutely loved this book, and I know it'll hit favorites of the year. To be honest, it's an emotional roller coaster and there were times I had to set it down and sit in my feelings.

I will say I wish with the inclusion of having a character in a mental health facility, I wish that had been considered more important. There's a moment where it was kind of washed away and never dealt with again and I wish there had been a bit more emphasis on that.

Overall, I highly recommend.

Trigger warnings:
suicide, suicidal ideation, drug and alcohol abuse, invalidation from characters for their LGBTQIA rep.

I absolutely adored this book. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, but I was hooked from page 1. I saw a younger version of myself in these pages, and I saw so many kids I've known in these pages. And for all those versions of myself and all the others who will need it, I am grateful that this book exists.

It's hard to find the words to describe why this book was so important to me.

Coping looks different for everyone. Pain looks different for everyone. And it's easy to see pain for what it is when it looks a certain way. An obvious way. A crying in the room, or hiding from the world, or screaming at the top of your lungs kind of way. However, pain isn't always that obvious. Especially for teens. And often acting out, engaging in high risk behaviors, and engaging in self-sabotage... Well, those are reactions to pain. Reactions to pain that get overlooked simply because they get categorized as "problematic" or as behaviors that need to be stopped, as opposed to pain that needs to be healed.

It takes a long time for our MC to realize this. It takes a loving relative, a group of friends, a brother who needs healing himself, and open communication. It takes facing her fears, and a willingness to forgive those around her as well as herself.

Add to this a shipwreck, cute yet imperfect love interests, an aquarium, a lighthouse, and the entire ocean.

Be sure to read this one with tissues nearby. Tears are guaranteed.

I unfortunately didn’t like this book. It’s not that it was bad. I just couldn’t stay engaged. Violet is a girl searching for answers about her family. Along the way she learns more about her relationships with others. There is lesbian representation in here if that’s something you look forward to. Trigger warnings for suicide. All in all this sounded like a contemporary I’d love but it just want it for me.

I'm shocked with the beauty of this story. The cover is eye-catching, that's for sure, but the story is even more lovely. The characters are wonderfully flawed and realistic. The setting feels real and pure and wholesome which makes sense why Disney is the publisher then. I was originally drawn to the history aspect of the characters' exploration, but I ended up loving everything else in the book too. You start off interested in the mystery like the teens are, but then the reader ends up falling in love with the characters instead. The plot becomes second-hand because the characters are so memorable. The Liv love story was such an important and amazing plot line. Although I felt bad for Orion, I was happy for Liv. I'm low key hoping for a sequel with more adventures!

Having these books fall into my hands was a godsend given that we are looking to add more contemporary books with many themes to the library collection. It is so hard to find books that are written well in character development, plot, and whimsical-ness. The character design in this book is and was exquisite. I enjoyed reading all the descriptions, development, and love put into the characters from the very beginning. Many of the characters have not found their way in the world that is so important to that character that I can’t help but love them—many students that read these books are at this stage in life and it is so hard finding characters who are THEM. The many characters are battling through very realistic situations such as depression, self-respect, heartache, anxiety, self-destructive behavior. This is exactly what we need to teach and work with, with our students so this book just hits every cord you need it to.

There are many other themes and ideas that come into this novel such as family, history, grief, and more. I really loved delving into the world that the author created as it is such a magnificent creature in and of itself. The many traditions and customs that she created was great and I really enjoyed seeing that in a book—we don’t see that written so great often. The little small town in Maine has seen a tragedy that not many other towns can say—and it shows. The characters in this book caught my attention so much and I believe that students would be able to connect to the different characters as well (there is someone for everyone). This can be utilized for many grades and many different groups of people—it would be a great book club book.

I enjoyed the fighting the characters do to get out of the lives they are in and the very way they live their own history. There is a lot of backstory that can help you understand what is happening cover to cover. I would suggest this book for a book club or even independent reading as it is not a difficult read and definitely has the high interest aspect to it that all students can get with. It is such a riveting story that even I think about it days, and months now, after I have read the book. It is a MUST have in every library but be gentle with it and suggest it to the right student. Maybe you will be the best person alive or you gave them the saddest book they could imagine—and they’ll hate it. But… it is an amazing necessary evil.

I am so grateful to have received an E-ARC via Netgalley. I may be reviewing it after the publication date, but I am nonetheless so honored to have been able to receive a copy. 

There's something so wonderful about this book that's difficult to put into words. Julia Drake is a debut author, yet this book seems like one produced by a weathered author. It reads so personally, like Violet is telling this story after the fact really, not like it's someone dictating her story for her.

I'll be honest, stories where a girl who does something stupid and is sent to live with her estranged relative in some beach town is a concept that is both tired and tedious to me. However, this flips most of the tropes expected of this story on its head. The boy she meets so suddenly and "cutely"? Not her love-interest. The uncle she's estranged from? Not so difficult for her to get to know. The family who sent her away? Not so unsympathetic. 

I felt so much for Violet, even if I have never been anywhere near her shoes. She is grappling with her brother's suicide attempt by not speaking with him and by pushing her family away. She is grappling with her own irresponsible behavior (yet the narrative never shames her for being relatively promiscuous the year prior) and embarrassment. She is faced with her own demons and comes out stronger and I just love her so much. She reads so realistically, like she could walk up to me right now and ask me if I loved her story. (I did.)

The side characters have so much depth, but the focus is on Liv and Orion. Liv's family situation was delicately handled. Orion's heartbreak was palpable. I wanted to wrap them both up in my arms and hold them.

Violet's brother, while I cannot speak for the mental illness representation, was beautifully written. And her love for him so wonderful, even if mostly unsaid.

I love that Drake showed so much more than told us this story. There were wonderful poignant lines that told so much more than if we had been spoon-fed the important details. I just...I love her writing. I will probably read everything she writes in the future just because of this. 

This isn't a happy story. While it has happy bits, it's a heavy novel about a family falling apart (and coming back together) because of a suicide attempt and mental health problems. It's about finding yourself and your family, but coming to terms with the fact that searching for answers won't always solve your problems; the past will always stay past. 

I hope everyone reading this decides to pick up this novel. You will not regret it, I don't believe. 

-Book Hugger

I really enjoyed this one and I loved the discussion on mental health and how everyone is on their own unique journey with mental health. Also, I'm always going to be here for f/f relationship and stop brother and sister bonds!

Lyrical and lovely. It's fun to see a Shakespeare adaptation that is more loosely based, rather than feeling forced into the structure of the original work. Drake's prose is evocative and emotional, and Violet's story is one that I think will resonate with a lot of teens, though it will also be an emotionally difficult read for many. Great representation of bisexuality and mental illness.

THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA by Julia Drake has a beautiful cover, doesn't it? This young adult novel introduces the story of Sam, who has tried to kill himself, but it focuses primarily on Violet, his sister who feels guilt, remorse, anger. Well actually, she is not sure what she feels or how to react when she is sent to live with her Uncle Toby for the summer in a small, coastal town named Lyric, Maine. Violet meets new friends (Orion, Liv, Mariah, and Felix) and develops a romantic relationship as she struggles to repair her ties with her brother (under treatment in Vermont) and parents (working in New York City). Drake explores bisexuality in this coming of age novel that also has an element of suspense and family history due to a long ago shipwreck. I thought that THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA started well and was quite engaging, but it also slowed a bit in the middle (too much angst over boyfriends and girlfriends?) before resolving many of the issues ("no one thing could fix us, because no one thing was wrong. The fixing would be in keeping going, in trying.") and chronicling some of the healing. Drake writes beautifully: "I felt the weight of my brother's sadness in my own chest. He was a jellyfish being asked to float on land." Loosely evoking Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA received a number of starred reviews, including ones from Booklist (grades 10+), Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Connection, and School Library Journal (grades 8+).
4.5 stars

"The Last True Poets of the Sea" refers to ship-wreck divers who comb the depths of the ocean in search of the remnants of lives past. In the book it refers to the "Lyric" - the wrecked boat that brought Violet's ancestor to the shores of Maine, where she married a doctor and founded the town named after the boat. Back to the 21st century where sixteen year old Violet is returning to Lyric to live with her uncle, while her little brother Sam recovers from attempted suicide and her parents regroup.

Violet ends up working with a gorgeous guy at the Aquarium founded by her ancestors, and makes friends quickly with Orion and his pals, including the intriguing Liv, who lost her brother to a car accident years before. Sounds like a typical teen romance but this book is anything but. In the years leading up to Sam's suicide attempt, Violet's parents worked long hours away from their New York apartment. Violet discovered drugs and sex and almost went off the rails like her brother, who was too sensitive to noise, lights, smells, and everything to live in a city like New York. Violet feels responsible for Sam's suicide attempt, having ignored the signs and not wanting to be bothered hanging out with her odd little brother. Fortunately, the slower paced life in Maine, her new friends, and her uncle help Violet work through her guilt and shame. She is held accountable for her actions and begins to take her responsibilities at the Aquarium, her house and with her new friends seriously.
She begins working with Liv on uncovering the truth about her ancestral founders of Lyric and seizes upon the idea of discovering where the wreck lies to have something adventurous to share with Sam and bring their lives back in to focus.

Julia Drake did such a good job with Violet, and Sam and the rest of the characters that parts of this book were difficult to read, such as Violet's spiral in to drugs and Liv's parents dealing with the aftermath of their son's death. Drake treats the mental illness, sex and drugs with honesty and clarity, as she did Violet's journey back to a healthier lifestyle. There were some mild descriptions of Violet's sexual encounters - well-written, but maybe not for very young readers. I think Young Adults will love this book and respond well to it. Hopefully this will help them realize they are not alone in their pain and maybe open up some lines of communication. It was also a great story with a great setting and a compelling read and there was a lot of humor mixed in to lighten the pace..

The Last True Poets of the Sea is a young adult contemporary novel that's loosely based on Shakespeare's Tweflth Night.

Violet's family is falling apart. Her brother Sam attempted suicide, and now he's in a treatment facility and she's been sent to stay with her uncle in the small Maine town of Lyric, where her mother grew up. Her brother's mental health issues are long standing, and Violet has been dealing with her fractured family for the past year with partying and sex.

In Lyric, Violet befriends some local kids, including Orion and the beguiling Liv. Lyric is a quirky place, and Violet’s family has a long history with the town, which was founded by her ancestors Ransom and Fidelia. Fidelia was the sole survivor of a shipwreck that’s never been located. Liv is obsessed with the town’s legends, and she and Violet bond as they search for the shipwreck. 

I really enjoyed the family dynamics that are explored in the book. Sam’s mental health issues have been the family’s focus, and Violet has found ways of acting out. She feels banished to Lyric and guilty that she wasn’t there for her brother. It’s an interesting look at the ripple effects of mental health issues. 

I loved the depiction of Lyric. It’s a quirky place with quirky people, and it’s a good place for Violet to heal. I was really interested in her family’s role in the town history, and I wish there had been a bit more of that in the book. 

Overall, this was a moving look at a girl whose family is in crisis, and it has a very sweet queer romance. I recommend it for anyone who likes their contemporary YA on the whimsical side.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Author: Julia Drake

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Main is bisexual, one of the female characters is straight but then goes into a F/F relationship

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 17+ (TW suicide mentioning and possible food control/anorexia/bullimia)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 400

Amazon Link

Synopsis: The Larkin family isn't just lucky—they persevere. At least that's what Violet and her younger brother, Sam, were always told. When the Lyric sank off the coast of Maine, their great-great-great-grandmother didn't drown like the rest of the passengers. No, Fidelia swam to shore, fell in love, and founded Lyric, Maine, the town Violet and Sam returned to every summer.

But wrecks seem to run in the family. Tall, funny, musical Violet can't stop partying with the wrong people. And, one beautiful summer day, brilliant, sensitive Sam attempts to take his own life.

Shipped back to Lyric while Sam is in treatment, Violet is haunted by her family's missing piece - the lost shipwreck she and Sam dreamed of discovering when they were children. Desperate to make amends, Violet embarks on a wildly ambitious mission: locate the Lyric, lain hidden in a watery grave for over a century.

She finds a fellow wreck hunter in Liv Stone, an amateur local historian whose sparkling intelligence and guarded gray eyes make Violet ache in an exhilarating new way. Whether or not they find the Lyric, the journey Violet takes-and the bridges she builds along the way-may be the start of something like survival.

Review: I am so perplexed by this book. I loved the writing, I loved the character development, and I loved how the author made something so complex but simple at the same time. I love the world building and the relationships between the family members.

However, I feel like the plot of the story isn't there? Like it felt like a lot of the story was circular and the pacing was super slow and nothing really happened, but yet I liked it and I felt like we were getting somewhere? I don't know, this was a trip lol.

Verdict: I definitely believe this is worth the read.

3.5 Stars

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake is an interesting retelling of Twelfth Night. There are strong themes of family and friendship in the story. However, there is more focus on romance in the novel than I would have preferred.

It has been a while since I have read Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, but the connections that Drake makes in The Last True Poets of the Sea are intriguing. The characters are loosely similar, and the plot line of Viola (Violet) and Olivia is one that is quite prominent in this reimagined story. Also, the search for the shipwreck adds a layer of mystery to the book that is really entertaining to read about.

❀ THEMES OF FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP

Themes of family and friendship are always ones that are enjoyable in contemporary fiction. The relationships that Violet has with her family are strained, but there is a strong connection that is pulling her back to them. It is also refreshing to see Violet let down some of her walls and forge friendships with some of the teens in the small town of Lyric.

❀ TOO MUCH ROMANCE

While I enjoy a great romance novel, this is one book that could have focused less on the love story. Without giving away too much of the plot, there is a love triangle that is a bit disappointing in my opinion. If this had been handled differently, the book would definitely be that much more interesting.

If you love a Shakespeare retelling, and books that feature families and friendships, this is one to check out. The story is enjoyable, but there is a bit more romance than necessary. The Last True Poets of the Sea is a great addition to a fall TBR.

I love this book I love this book Ilovethisbook I LOVE THIS BOOK! It hits every single emotional note you can think of. Absolutely fantastic. I"m blown away. Everyone needs to read this one. Everyone. Amazing.

This is, what seems on the surface, a book about a girl sent away to think about her year of partying and right her ways while her brother is away for treatment. But this story is deeper than that. Violet spends her summer on the coast where her long ago ancestor was the lone survivor of shipwreck. She believes this shipwreck has caused a gene in her family where things end in disaster. Eager to fix her family, undo her wrongs, and apologize to her brother, she begins to search for the holes in her family history and find the wreck of a ship that has never before been found.
Along the way, Violet finds things she never expected: friends and love.
This is a poetic story that kept me entranced, eager to see where Violet would end up with next and whether or not her shipwreck could be found. I loved the characters, with all their quirks and habits; they felt fleshed out and like people I could know myself.
This makes it into my top 10 books of 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the ARC of The Last True Poets of the Sea, by Julia Drake. Violet is just your average fun-loving teen until her younger brother, Sam, who suffers an eating disorder, tries to take his life. Violet is having more fun than her parents can handle during this unsettling time, so they send her to live with her uncle in Lyric, Maine, named after a shipwreck from which her grandmother had survived and swam to shore, settling and naming the town Lyric. Violet, who is extremely tall for her age, shaves her head, and thus begins her summer journey to discovering herself. She volunteers in the local museum where she and Sam spent many memorable summers. She meets a handsome boy and a mesmerizing girl, who take her on a journey of self-awareness and discovery of what is really important in life.

What a fantastic debut! This book was a beautiful retelling of The Twelfth Night. The main characters were fascinating, the writing was beautiful and I really loved the setting. I can’t wait to read more from Julia Drake.

Oh, this was such a beautiful book. Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, the words have the loveliest sense of calm, and I finished feeling .... better.

It's not particularly plot-centric, but the cast of characters make it oh-so-readable. Violet, our MC, is reeling after the shock of her brother's attempted suicide and her own self-titled Year of Wild. She's intensely relatable, flawed, and complex, and I loved her dearly. I loved all of them -- Liv 'Professor' Stone, Orion Lewis the lobster singer, Felix the amateur psychic, Mariah, Sam, Toby ... all were achingly real and deep. They're knitted together by the mystery of a lost shipwreck, although it quickly becomes clear that the story isn't really about that.

What can I say? Gorgeous prose, wonderfully complicated romance, both realistic and lyrical and hitting all the right emotional notes. I'm usually more of a speculative sff kinda girl, but this book was *kisses fingers* perfect. Highly recommend for fans of contemporary, heart-tugging YA (bonus points if you love nautical themes!) 4.5/5