Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley – a Review

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Description:
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

Review:

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.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher