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mallorypen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was an unexpected delight. I found this book as a free download on audible, and wasn’t expecting much. The first few chapters were a little on the slow side, but the narration was really well done and the story just intriguing enough that I kept going. Boy, am I glad that I did!
The wave this book told the story from the perspective of a teenager was incredibly well done. Violet is such a relatable character, even though our life experiences are wildly different. The author was able to encapsulate the feelings of uncertainty, self-doubt, self hatred, defensiveness, young love, queerness, self-discovery, confusion, and pain in such a way that was beautifully and lyrically done. The story made me remember my teenage years, and all of the emotions, change, and overwhelming feelings that came during that time period of life.
The story itself is complex, but told in such a way that feels very straightforward until you get deeper into the story and realize all the different layers coming together. The way the author structures the story lets you learn along with violets friends all the things that have gone on in her life. Violet is showing us her life story, through her lived experiences and her thoughts about what’s going on in the present but taking the reader backwards in time in such a way where I don’t feel like I was being info-dumped upon but rather things were coming to light as they related to the experiences she was having in the moment.
The cast of characters in the story was also incredibly three-dimensional and well flushed out. The love triangle was handled in such a way where I honestly did not know where the story was going to go until we were almost at its conclusion. The romance was so heartbreakingly teenager, but also so much bigger and deeper in a way that felt really special.
I also felt like the author treated the suicide attempt in such an understanding and kind way. Violet struggled to know how to even talk to her brother let alone what to say felt so real and when she got to the point where she could talk to her brother about it and share how she felt about him and his life, it was such a triumph for the reader and for the character.
The overarching story plot of finding the Lyric was such an interesting device. I also really liked the idea of the shipwreck gene; were some members of Violet‘s family saw their heritage as a source of strength, Violet saw it almost like a curse. And then, in the end, when she was able to come to terms with the idea of a curse not necessarily being a bad thing, but a promise … that was just very cool from a storytelling perspective.
There is this triumphant moment when they think they found the Lyric; it’s very contemplative where it almost doesn’t matter whether or not the ship is actually there. I thought that was going to be a climax in and of itself, but the way that the author was able to up the tension with the kayak and going out to sea was unexpected but thrilling. It also made a lot of sense for Sam‘s character to do something reckless but also so very alive; and the hint of mysticism with the voice that urged them to swim up and not really understanding whether or not the wreck was there beneath them was a satisfying conclusion will still leaving things open ended and not neatly tied up in a narrative bow.
Over all this was such an unexpectedly poetic, beautiful and intriguing plot with a lovable cast of characters you wanted to root for. What a surprise and delight!
The wave this book told the story from the perspective of a teenager was incredibly well done. Violet is such a relatable character, even though our life experiences are wildly different. The author was able to encapsulate the feelings of uncertainty, self-doubt, self hatred, defensiveness, young love, queerness, self-discovery, confusion, and pain in such a way that was beautifully and lyrically done. The story made me remember my teenage years, and all of the emotions, change, and overwhelming feelings that came during that time period of life.
The story itself is complex, but told in such a way that feels very straightforward until you get deeper into the story and realize all the different layers coming together. The way the author structures the story lets you learn along with violets friends all the things that have gone on in her life. Violet is showing us her life story, through her lived experiences and her thoughts about what’s going on in the present but taking the reader backwards in time in such a way where I don’t feel like I was being info-dumped upon but rather things were coming to light as they related to the experiences she was having in the moment.
The cast of characters in the story was also incredibly three-dimensional and well flushed out. The love triangle was handled in such a way where I honestly did not know where the story was going to go until we were almost at its conclusion. The romance was so heartbreakingly teenager, but also so much bigger and deeper in a way that felt really special.
The overarching story plot of finding the Lyric was such an interesting device. I also really liked the idea of the shipwreck gene; were some members of Violet‘s family saw their heritage as a source of strength, Violet saw it almost like a curse. And then, in the end, when she was able to come to terms with the idea of a curse not necessarily being a bad thing, but a promise … that was just very cool from a storytelling perspective.
There is this triumphant moment when they think they found the Lyric; it’s very contemplative where it almost doesn’t matter whether or not the ship is actually there. I thought that was going to be a climax in and of itself, but the way that the author was able to up the tension with the kayak and going out to sea was unexpected but thrilling. It also made a lot of sense for Sam‘s character to do something reckless but also so very alive; and the hint of mysticism with the voice that urged them to swim up and not really understanding whether or not the wreck was there beneath them was a satisfying conclusion will still leaving things open ended and not neatly tied up in a narrative bow.
Over all this was such an unexpectedly poetic, beautiful and intriguing plot with a lovable cast of characters you wanted to root for. What a surprise and delight!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death
mariah_poulin's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
jenmaysiereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 out of 5 stars
Threads of mystery thrum through ‘The Last True Poets of the Sea’, interweaving with the unkempt messiness of heartache, sorrow, grief and hope, tugging the cast of characters through their journey of wreck-hunting.
‘The Last True Poets of the Sea’ follows Violet Larkin after her Year of Wild is cut dramatically short by her younger brother Sam’s (thankfully) failed attempt to end his life. In a bid to keep their daughter out of trouble and focus on helping their son, Violet’s parents parents ship her off to Lyric, Maine, to live with her uncle.
There, wrecked ships and cursed emeralds and whale song weave their way into Violet’s heart. In the aftermath of her brother’s suicide attempt, Violet is desperate to disappear. Once the focal point of every room, the centre of all attention, she craves nothing more than to sink in on herself and vanish into the violent, quiet crush of Lyric.
However, it’s only a matter of time before she resolves to find the lost shipwreck of her family’s tangled past—desperate to make amends with her own and prove to herself and her brother that their lives meant something. Desperate to heal the notorious shipwreck gene that drags at their heals, sinking them deeper and deeper into sorrow.
The best books, in my opinion, contain an unnameable, unfathomable magical quality which lifts the prose from the page. The best books make you feel as you’re stood, toes wriggling into the sand and the cool water of the ocean pooling around your ankles, right alongside the protagonists.
And that’s precisely what ‘the Last True Poets of the Sea’ feels like.
This book is heavy with the scent of warm summer nights and saltwater tides; the smell of campfire sweet s’mores and cigarette ash clings to your fingertips as you turn the page. There is a finality and honesty that grants the book this bittersweet goodbye; it’s a tribute to lost shipwrecks and lost girls and the hope that they can be found once more.
Julia Drake plays with form, tense and perspective in a whimsical and soul-crushing way that I really admired. The lyricism of her prose coupled with the innovative way she utilised narrative structure made for a spell-binding read.
Moreover, ‘The Last True Poets of the Sea’ snags on the haunting nature of family, mapping out the bruising brilliance that such relationships can have on your heart. It’s magical and beautiful and agonising all at once, and Julia Drake manages to convey that complexity perfectly here.
While Sam’s suicide attempt is the catalyst for their family’s fallout, it is nevertheless treated with the utmost care and dignity within the narrative. The portrayal of mental illness within the novel overall is nothing short of wonderfully nuanced and respectful; the experience of the characters is never tokenised, used for cheap drama or conflict and is always, always treated with kindness.
Violet’s attempts to grapple with her self-loathing is heartbreaking—her sorrow runs bone deep, deep enough to swallow you wholly and fully. ‘The Last True Poets of the Sea’ captures so well some of the most vulnerable parts of my heart; the weight of isolation and the twisting, poisoned blade of self-hatred and the fear that, no matter how hard I try, how much I want to be better; I will never be good enough.
It’s hard to bare those aspects of your soul to someone, harder still to see them reflected back at you on paper.
This is truly a beautiful book and I highly, highly recommend picking up this absolute work of brilliance. What a magical read.
(Notable content warnings for ‘The Last True Poets of the Sea’: suicide, suicide ideation, discussions of suicide, disordered eating, loss of a loved one, panic attacks, underage drug/alcohol use.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Drug use, and Alcohol
brookey8888's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I just don’t think this book was for me. I can see why a lot of people like this and I did like the topics discussed, but that being said I didn’t love it. I thought the characters were honestly annoying and the “quirky” style of character was too much for me. As for the romance I thought it was cute, but I honestly didn’t like how they tried their friend(also violet totally had feeling for him, but that just disappeared). I also wish that we got to see more of Sam and violet and their relationship develop and grow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Outing, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Suicide attempt
imstephtacular's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Medical content, Self harm, Blood, Ableism, Alcohol, Biphobia, Classism, and Cursing
softwindflower's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Eating disorder
Minor: Death
silver_lining_in_a_book's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, and Death
Minor: Car accident
drowningskudiklier's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The writing in this was beautiful, and I love the bi/pan rep!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Biphobia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Homophobia, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Cursing, Death, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child death, Outing, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Infidelity
Drowningzoe_werdy's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't tend to like YA that much and this was very cringey in places but I wanted a wlw romance and this was recommended on tiktok so I tried it. I enjoyed the romance but I also liked that it wasn't the focus, really this was a book about family, feeling like you've let people down, survival, inheritance and trying to become a better person. There were some proper adult themes which I appreciate in a book about teenagers because teenagers experience adult things too. It made me reflect on my own experiences and the shipwreck genes I've inherited. I know the feeling of trying to look to your family tree for answers and finding the real answers a lot closer to home.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Death
lipstickitotheman's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Death, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, and Adult/minor relationship