Words in Deep Blue
Words in Deep Blue
By: Cath Crowley
Book Quote:
"I don't believe that the future gives us signs.I think that we look back and read the past with the present in our eyes."
Library Cat Rating: 😻 😻 😻 😻
Review:
A year ago the two things Rachel Sweetie cared most about were her younger brother Cal and the ocean. When Cal drowns in the ocean, Rachel's world falls apart and she becomes untethered as both her family and future is shattered. Unable to find solace in the ocean or from her mother, Rachel is sent to live with her aunt in Gracetown. Gracetown, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, was Rachel's home for most of her life until the family moved to Sea Ridge to be with her Grandma three years ago. Returning to Gracetown means confronting old friends, including Henry Jones, Rachel's former best friend and the boy she left a note for confessing her love before leaving town. When her aunt gets her a job at Henry's family bookstore, Howling Books, Rachel thinks the change of scene may not be worth the forced proximity to Henry. However, as she begins cataloguing the Letter Library of Howling Books, a special section where customers can leave letters in the books, she finds herself reconnecting with not only Henry, but Cal who left behind a series of notes.
VERDICT is that this is a moving book that will leave teen and adult readers laughing and crying. When we first meet Rachel she is all sharp edges and grief, stuck and unable to move forward following her brother's death. Love and friendship help soften the sharp edges and the grief. Rachel learns to live with grief while also allowing herself to make changes and move forward. This is a beautiful book I think will stick with readers for a long time.A year ago the two things Rachel Sweetie cared most about were her younger brother Cal and the ocean. When Cal drowns in the ocean, Rachel's world falls apart and she becomes untethered as both her family and future is shattered. Unable to find solace in the ocean or from her mother, Rachel is sent to live with her aunt in Gracetown. Gracetown, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, was Rachel's home for most of her life until the family moved to Sea Ridge to be with her Grandma three years ago. Returning to Gracetown means confronting old friends, including Henry Jones, Rachel's former best friend and the boy she left a note for confessing her love before leaving town. When her aunt gets her a job at Henry's family bookstore, Howling Books, Rachel thinks the change of scene may not be worth the forced proximity to Henry. However, as she begins cataloguing the Letter Library of Howling Books, a special section where customers can leave letters in the books, she finds herself reconnecting with not only Henry, but Cal who left behind a series of notes.
Awards:
Children's Book Council of Australia Award Nominee for Older Readers (2017), Prime Minister's Literary Awards for Young Adult Fiction Winner (2017), Queensland Literary Awards for Griffith University Young Adult Book (2017), The Inky Awards Shortlist for Gold Inky (2017)
Citation:
Crowley, Cath. (2017). Words in Deep Blue. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
Annotation:
In the last year since Rachel Sweetie's younger brother has passed away her life has fallen apart. The day her brother drowned in the ocean she not only lost him but herself. In order to reclaim her future, Rachel will first have to confront old friends and fears from the past.
Crowley, Cath. (2017). Words in Deep Blue. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
Annotation:
In the last year since Rachel Sweetie's younger brother has passed away her life has fallen apart. The day her brother drowned in the ocean she not only lost him but herself. In order to reclaim her future, Rachel will first have to confront old friends and fears from the past.
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Extras:
Learn more about author Cath Crowley and the other books she has written on here website here.
Cath Crowley's acceptance of the 2017 Gold Inky Award
for Words in Deep Blue.
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