Crowley’s novel perfectly captured this aesthetic, allowing readers to be transported to Howling Books and fall seamlessly into the narrative itself.

If you’ve ever been into a used book store, you’ll be able to identify with the strange wistfulness that comes with the smell of old paper, the feeling of safety produced by those tall shelves overflowing with books with yellowed pages and nothing but the soft sound of pages turning, a silent world forming in the reader’s mind. One of the things I loved most about Words in Deep Blue was the entrancing atmosphere. The writing fluctuated between being exceptionally poetic and heart-wrenchingly raw Cath Crowley seamlessly wove together captivating descriptions and honest, realistic dialogue to form a truly unforgettable story from one of the finest Australian voices of our time.

While I was expecting to enjoy it, I really didn’t expect for it to make such a deep and lasting impression on me in the way that it did. I was lucky to receive an ARC of Words in Deep Blue so I had my hands on a copy before anyone else. I think one of the most beautiful things about picking up a new book you haven’t heard much about is that it gives the book the freedom to completely win you over in ways you could never have expected and sear itself on your heart before other reviewers have had the chance to formulate your opinions before you’ve even turned the first page. Not only is Crowley’s novel one that’s already been read and adored by innumerable Aussie book-lovers, but I believe that Words in Deep Blue will be passed on from the initial readers to everyone they know, breaking through the ‘Young Adults Only’ stereotype and becoming one of the most powerful novels in #LoveOzYA history - a position that other novelists will aspire to attain.

It’s hard to find the right words to describe how much I loved reading Words in Deep Blue because this stunning piece of prose is something that, I feel, transcends the label of ‘Aussie YA fiction’ because I think it stretches far beyond that. You know when you just love a book so much that you’re hesitant to start writing your review because you’re afraid that you wouldn’t be able to capture the pure beauty and eloquence of the novel you’re writing about? Well that’s what I’m feeling right now.

Words in deep blue review