Book Review: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Words in Deep Blue
by Cath Crowley
Published August 30th 2016
Published by Pan Australia
Purchase: Pan MacMillan Australia

Summary:

This is a love story.

It's the story of Howling Books, where readers write letters to strangers, to lovers, to poets.

It's the story of Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie. They were best friends once, before Rachel moved to the sea.

Now, she's back, working at the bookstore, grieving for her brother Cal and looking for the future in the books people love, and the words they leave behind.

Review:

Cath Crowley doesn't disappoint with her beautiful writing. And oh, the story of best friends turned lovers in a bookstore romance is probably every bookworm's dream. Love, love, love this book a lot and I love Cath Crowley a lot. Her Graffiti Moon will forever be one of my most favorite books in the universe but while I can't say the same for Words in Deep Blue, it's still the kind of book that I'll be recommending to friends in the years to come. It's sweet and tragic and beautiful all at the same time.

It has been months since I've read a YA book because I've been focused on reading classics and books about religion, science and morality, and the reason for that was because I lost interest in YA. I couldn't finish the YA books I was reading at the time. It felt like everything I read, I've already a thousand times and characters were just unbearable. I honestly feared that I have already outgrown YA but turns out, I was just reading the wrong books.

Thank you Cath Crowley for returning my faith to YA. Henry and Rachel are lovable characters. Henry is an idiot but extremely adorable and Rachel is a difficult character but nevertheless understandable. And I love them both to pieces. And oh goodlords, George and Martin! They are both funny and their interactions were to die for! And mygods, Cal too! It was so difficult to read Cal's letters - literally - because my tears would just flow spontaneously everytime and it was hard to read through tears!

The only downside of this book is Amy. Cath didn't even try to make her likable. She was already repulsive the moment she was introduced. If anything, I felt sorry for Amy that she was made into a plot device who has no character development whatsoever but in the big scheme of things, so to speak, her role in the book works really well for someone like me who abhors love triangles because this would've been more heartbreaking to read than it already is.

I've adored Cath Crowley for a long time and I'm so happy that she finally has a new release and that I got a hold of this book. it's really difficult for me to get physical books published only in Australia and I'm hoping that Knopf moves the US release sooner so that more people can read the beauty that is Words in Deep Blue in the soonest time possible!

Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

Book Review: Graffiti Moon

Graffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Hardcover, 224 pages
Expected publication: February 14th 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers (first published August 1st 2010)
Source: NetGalley

Summary:

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

Review:

I've been looking forward to reading Graffiti Moon ever since it was published in Australia last year. That's why I just about died when I found out that this was made available on NetGalley by the awesome Knopf Books for Young Readers. And what's even more awesome than that is, this book lived up to my super high expectations!

The summary absolutely doesn't do justice to how awesome this book is. It sounds cliched, predictable and bland. But wait! There's actually more to Graffiti Moon than those. What I like about this book is that the readers know from the start that Ed and Shadow are the same person, unlike what the summary seems to imply.

This is told in alternating POV's of Lucy and Ed with Leo's poems (those beautiful, beautiful poems) before some chapters. Ed dropped out of school in year 10 and has been working at a paint store until the owner who he view as his own father died and he was left jobless. Lucy has been obsessing over meeting the elusive graffiti artist, Shadow, feeling as if an artist like him is the only one who could understand what the artist in her truly feels. Leo is Ed's best friend and works with Ed on writing poems on his graffitis. Jazz is the resident psychic. Daisy is Dylan's girlfriend, and he is the only one who knows who Shadow and Poet are.

Crowley's characters are distinctive and very well-crafted. They are very fun to read and are extremely likable. Though there were also times that I'd find myself tearing up at some parts of the story. Most of which are from Ed's flashbacks. His father left his mom when she got pregnant at 16. His mom is still attending nursing school and also, he couldn't read.

Crowley's Graffiti Moon is one beautiful story I would love to read a hundred more times. Crowley's writing is eloquent. The dialogues, descriptions and poems were simply divine! I absolutely, totally, highly recommend  this book to all readers out there! Believe me, you will not be disappointed!

Rating: 5/5 stars!

Disclosure: This e-galley was received from the publisher (Knopf Books for Young Readers via NetGalley) for free in exchange for an honest review.