Words in Deep Blue
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4.6 • 108 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
“One of the loveliest, most exquisitely beautiful books I’ve read in a very long time. . . . I didn’t just read the pages, I lived in them.” —Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places
A beautiful love story for fans of Jandy Nelson and Nicola Yoon: two teens find their way back to each other in a bookstore full of secrets and crushes, grief and hope—and letters hidden between the pages.
Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came.
Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore.
As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A gorgeously written tribute to books, love letters, and those who hold words dear to their hearts, Words in Deep Blue looks at the rekindled friendship of bookavore Henry Jones—whose romanticism sometimes blinds him to reality—and brooding realist Rachel Sweetie, who’s flailing after a year where she failed school and lost her brother. Cath Crowley’s pitch-perfect portrayal of two literature lovers who can’t seem to find the words to describe how they feel about each other is heartbreaking and wry. Bonus: it offers a vast reading list for those who want to dive even deeper into fine prose.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eighteen-year-old Rachel, still traumatized by the death of her brother, wants to be far from the ocean where he drowned; she decides to move back to suburban Melbourne, where she grew up, to live with her aunt. Meanwhile, Henry, Rachel's former best friend in Gracetown, is also confronting loss: his girlfriend just broke up with him, and his parents have decided to sell their bookstore, his place of refuge. In this novel set in Australia, mostly at the bookstore, Crowley (Graffiti Moon) effectively conveys the complexities of love, death, and time through Rachel and Henry's alternating narratives, as well as letters and notes pulled from the pages of old books. It's only after Rachel takes a job at the store that she begins to heal, coming to terms with her failures, Cal's death, and her rekindled love for Henry, who is wrapped up getting his girlfriend back. Filled with soul searching and philosophical quips, this book is for thinkers and lovers of literature who, like Rachel and Henry, are passionate about ideas and searching for answers. Ages 14 up.
Customer Reviews
Words in Deep Blue - Cath Crowley
Well..
I. CRIED.
Okay first off, lets start off with the character and the setting. I found the main characters to be very likable and enjoyable, but the side characters, made me even more happier! I never really pay attention that much to side characters but ohmygod I loved these guys! This book also has a bookstore which is one of the main settings, and I am in LOVE. I want to visit this store! Also Henry works here.. (Boy who likes books and works at a bookstore?? SWOON) Next, the cover, okay so I bought the paperback version and love it! I think it fits well with the story and caught my eye.
Okay now the story, the book wasn’t long, a short read for me 200 something pages I think, but wow. I laughed, I cried, I smiled so hard, I got mad with the characters. I didn’t think I’d enjoy this as much as I thought I would, I bought it on a whim just to buy something (Bad I know) But I am so glad I did!
I would SO recommend this to anyone who likes contemporaries! It will definitely be one of my all time favorites!
Beautiful
Very well written and entertaining. Puts grief into a warmer perspective. Also I loved the slow burn aspect of Rachel and Henry’s love.
Amazing, beautifully written
I read this book in a day because I had forgotten to pack the other book I was reading. As soon as I started it I couldn’t put it down. It made me rethink a lot of things I believed about the nature of life and time and the universe. Definitely one of my favorites.