Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Narrated by Hamish R. Johnson & 

Chelsea Bruland

Synopsis (via Goodreads): 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. 

“The bookstore is a building, but it's not only the building. It is the books inside. People are not only their bodies. And if there is no hope of saving the things we love in their original form, we must save them however we can.”

It was incredibly difficult to choose just one quote for this review. I loved so many of the things said within the pages of this book; however, I was listening to an audiobook... this means I had to keep rewinding my favorite phrases so I could write them down by hand. I've already ordered a physical copy for my shelves, and I cannot wait to read it again just so I can underline, highlight, and dog-ear all of my favorite parts. I'm sure a lot of you are cringing right now, but I actually think Words in Deep Blue would appreciate my attempt at sharing my love for it with the world. Maybe I'll end up donating my marked-up copy so someone else can see how much I enjoyed this book.

“Second hand books have a way of travelling, sure. But what travels forward can come back.” 

I could sit here and type, "I loved this!" over and over again, but it wouldn't really encompass everything this book made me feel. This is the kind of book you want to leave lying around the city so strangers can pick it up and enjoy something you loved. It's a book you want to shout from the rooftops about. Words in Deep Blue is a book you want to read again and again until the cover is so worn you can barely make out the words on the cover.

I think the idea of a Letter Library is brilliant. Where can I find one? It's an area of the bookshop where people can read books and leave notes in the margins. They can circle words or highlight phrases, and even leave letters for loved ones or random people to find. These books cannot be bought, and they live within the Letter Library forever. One of the characters said that these books tell the story of people, and I absolutely love the concept. 

Words in Deep Blue was a beautiful story about friendship and family, love and loss, and most importantly--hope. The hope of a better tomorrow, and the hope of a future. The present is constantly changing, and there's not much we can do about the past, but the future is full of endless possibilities. 

“The past is with me; the present is here. The future is unmapped and changeable. Ours for the imagining: spreading out before us. Sunlight filled, deep blue, and the darkness.” 

I devoured this book from beginning to end. Truthfully, I could have started back at page one as soon as I'd finished. I'm still processing everything that's happened, and all the things said at the end, but every part of me is ready to dive right back in and start over. Words in Deep Blue is a book that will stay with me forever... it's left a mark on my soul.

"I’m naked and duck taped to a pole. That’s what I am. That’s an accurate description of my feelings."

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