Submerged in Words in Deep Blue

*Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review- but the “omgs I loved this” you’re about to see is all me*

Oh. My. God. This. Book. Was. So. Good. Really, I’ve been struggling to find the words to review it ever since I read it. From the outset, Words in Deep Blue set off my waterworks and broke my heart over and over again. I spent most of this book crying, because this is such an authentic portrayal of grief. The main character, Rachel, has lost her brother a year earlier and the agony of that falls in waves upon the reader throughout the narrative. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a simple story of loss however- it is a haunting portrayal of all the little heartbreaks that come with being parted from a loved one and at the same time is a life affirming reflection on the impact an individual can have on the world.

Me, the whole way through this book

Exploring the subject of transmigration with some striking plotting, the book is more than a little profound. Crowley set up the theory subtly from the start and by the end circles back to the idea. It is incredibly well thought out: the subject is reflected in every facet of the book and seeing the full picture at the end gave me tingles. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I could not get over how cleverly the book plays with time, returning to the beginning at the novel’s conclusion in a way that can only be described as a stroke of genius. And WOW- those last few lines summarised how I felt about the whole book.

The writing is, in no uncertain terms, wonderful. I very much enjoyed having the words wash over me. A lot of this took place in a bookshop and not only did the setting allow for some interesting visitors into the story, I also appreciated the connection this created with wider literature. There were some cool interlocking moments to other books and great references. Plus, this added to the already significant message of inter-connectivity.

That, in turn, made the dual perspectives work particularly well here. The overlap between the two narratives blended together beautifully and helped enhance the romantic elements. Of course, the miscommunication between the characters also made me pretty emotional (I did say I spent most of the book crying 😉 ) and I was crazy invested in their relationship. The characters were so brilliantly drawn that I easily connected with each of their voices. Rachel was tremendously empathetic and on the other end of the spectrum Henry provided some much needed laugh out loud comic relief at times. Plus, it wasn’t just about the main characters here- the side characters were equally vivid. I became just as invested in the character arc for Henry’s sister. In fact, it added layers to the trauma of the narrative, even though I knew where it was going all along.

Overall, this was a gorgeous, worthwhile read. I had some idea from Kat’s *fantastic* review (which prompted me to request it) that this was going to be something special… and yet I still couldn’t have predicted how much this would touch me. If you have ever experienced grief, you must read it. If you ever expect to go through something like this, you must read it. So that’s everyone: YOU MUST READ IT.

Rating: 5/5 bananas

So have you read this? What did you think of it? And do you plan to read it? Let me know in the comments!