Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Words in Deep Blue  By  cover art

Words in Deep Blue

By: Cath Crowley
Narrated by: Hamish R. Johnson,Chelsea Bruland
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

Editors Select, June 2017

I inhaled this book. Its many themes - coming of age, grief, love, and, of course, love of literature - blend together in such a cohesive and lyrical way that I simply couldn’t put it down. After losing her brother and failing senior year, Rachel decides to return to her hometown and live with her aunt for a while. Rachel gets a job at her former best friend’s bookstore - the same best friend who (unknowingly) broke her heart years earlier. The bookstore has a letter library, where people can come and leave notes for each other in the margins of their favorite books, and it is within the pages of the letter library that Rachel can finally start to heal. I loved these characters, I mourned with these characters, and I learned to move on with these characters. This is a journey I will willingly take again. —Katie, Audible Editor

Publisher's summary

A beautiful love story for fans of Jandy Nelson and Nicola Yoon: Two teens find their way back to each other in a bookstore full of secrets and crushes, grief and hope - and letters hidden between the pages.

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.

©2017 Cath Crowley (P)2017 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"One of the loveliest, most exquisitely beautiful books I've read in a very long time...I didn't just read the pages, I lived in them." (Jennifer Niven, New York Times best-selling author of All the Bright Places)
"Original, wise, and essential.... This love story is an ode to words and life." ( Kirkus Reviews)
"Reading Words in Deep Blue feels a little bit like a slow dance, or falling in love, or swimming in the ocean on a rainy day. It's a stunning reminder of the power of words and books and stories that will leave your heart full and heavy and hungry for more. Cath Crowley is magic." (Krystal Sutherland, author of Our Chemical Hearts)

More from the same

What listeners say about Words in Deep Blue

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    138
  • 4 Stars
    71
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    133
  • 4 Stars
    63
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    119
  • 4 Stars
    71
  • 3 Stars
    21
  • 2 Stars
    18
  • 1 Stars
    6

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sweet yet Sorrowful Story

Any additional comments?

Achingly heartbreaking book, but the characters begin to learn how to move on by the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I Adored This Book About Books!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely!

Any additional comments?

I'll admit I'm a sucker for books centered around books. However, this book is absolutely amazing.

I now want to create a letter library in our home but I'll need to get over my aversion to writing and highlighting books. In the interests of my conscience, we'll be using pre-owned books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Did not finish

There was a lot of whispering and or raspiness back and forth. I had to stop. Reading the book might be better. Not worth my credit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful writing & wonderfully developed characte

I adored this book. The imagery was unreal and characters stunningly portrayed. loved loved loved it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Absolutely AMAZING.

From the start till the end and absolutely amazing book. Well worth the time and money definitely. An amazing read!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

what a sad book - better read than listened to

Giving this 3.75 stars. This is a very sad book. Some parts are beautiful, but I think it will be more appreciated in ebook than audio. The male narrator tends to eat the words while the female narrator can be monotonous. In fine, tears factor aside, the writing is good but there's something missing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Word lovers unite!

I’m a word lover so I get this story. I enjoyed their accents. Made me sad when they lost the book shop. I liked their solution though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!