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delightful_reading's review
4.0
Words Composed of Sea & Sky is a tale of two girls; one from the present and one from the past connected through poetry and Captain Benjamin Churchill (the man, the myth, the legend).
In the present, Michaela is trying to find the man underneath the legend, so that she can write a poem for a contest that will help pave the way for her acceptance into her dream college, She finds her inspiration in a forgotten diary of a poet form the past: Leta Townsend.
In the past, Leta is falling for the man she made up: Captain Benjamin Townsend. Leta went to school with him, and once he was presumed dead, decided to use his name to get her poems published. However, he returns and Leta finds herself confused at the man she's starting to fall for: is it the man she created from words composed of sea and sky or the sea captain behind her poetry.
I loved how interconnected the author made Leta's past with Michaela's present and the role Pearce boys play in their lives. (Finn from the present and Elijah from the past stole the show)
All in all, this was a lovely tale of two girls finding their place through poetry and words composed of sea and sky, I am extremely thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
In the present, Michaela is trying to find the man underneath the legend, so that she can write a poem for a contest that will help pave the way for her acceptance into her dream college, She finds her inspiration in a forgotten diary of a poet form the past: Leta Townsend.
In the past, Leta is falling for the man she made up: Captain Benjamin Townsend. Leta went to school with him, and once he was presumed dead, decided to use his name to get her poems published. However, he returns and Leta finds herself confused at the man she's starting to fall for: is it the man she created from words composed of sea and sky or the sea captain behind her poetry.
I loved how interconnected the author made Leta's past with Michaela's present and the role Pearce boys play in their lives. (Finn from the present and Elijah from the past stole the show)
All in all, this was a lovely tale of two girls finding their place through poetry and words composed of sea and sky, I am extremely thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
andraebutler25's review
3.0
Thank you Net Galley for providing me a digital arc of this book!
I know a three star rating doesn’t look that great but I was actually really pleasantly surprised by this.
I really really really enjoyed it.
This did a lot of things well. The characters that were created in this story were amazing. I really connected with them even though I could not relate to them personally. I have been feeling disconnected with a lot of the books I have been reading recently so it was refreshing to feel absorbed into a story again. I really thought that Erica created a great group of main characters that kept me entertained throughout the novel.
The concept of this book was unique. I did not think that it was going to work for me because I don’t like contemporary or historical fiction but something about this story just clicked. I found the whaling aspect of the story so original and interesting, not many YA novels have written about that time in history that I know of. The dual timeline was done so well, both of our protagonists’ voices were very distinct and the two stories wove together very nicely.
The problems that I had with this were all pretty mediocre. It was very clear that this was a debut novel, some of the writing I felt was subpar at times and I wish that the ending packed a bit more of an emotional punch than it ended up having. However, I think that there is a lot of potential here and I am excited to read more of Erica George’s work in the future.
I also felt like the tropes in this book were maybe one too many. They weren’t as obnoxious and in your face as I have seen in other books but two love triangles... cmon... ANY trope but that one. I HATE LOVE TRIANGLES. Another one that showed up a bit too often for my liking was the damsel in distress... but again it wasn’t too obnoxious I just think that Michaela could have handled some of her situations by herself. :)
The last issue that I had with this book and it is the biggest turn off for me was that Ben Churchill was SO toxic and it was never addressed. (minor spoilers) He was idolized straight up until the last page and he was not a good person. He was very stuck up and snobby and bullied an 8 year old as a 19ish year old man. Never mind the fact that he treated Leta like shit and was very possessive. (also, Elijah is too good for her) It did not sit right with me at all. We did have Caleb on the other hand whose situation I thought was handled extremely well and I thought spread a very important message about toxic and abusive human beings and how we can deal with them appropriately.
That’s all I really gotta say, I feel like I talked about a lot of negatives but I really did enjoy this and I encourage people to pick it up. I just think that in the future this story will end up being forgettable for me.
I know a three star rating doesn’t look that great but I was actually really pleasantly surprised by this.
I really really really enjoyed it.
This did a lot of things well. The characters that were created in this story were amazing. I really connected with them even though I could not relate to them personally. I have been feeling disconnected with a lot of the books I have been reading recently so it was refreshing to feel absorbed into a story again. I really thought that Erica created a great group of main characters that kept me entertained throughout the novel.
The concept of this book was unique. I did not think that it was going to work for me because I don’t like contemporary or historical fiction but something about this story just clicked. I found the whaling aspect of the story so original and interesting, not many YA novels have written about that time in history that I know of. The dual timeline was done so well, both of our protagonists’ voices were very distinct and the two stories wove together very nicely.
The problems that I had with this were all pretty mediocre. It was very clear that this was a debut novel, some of the writing I felt was subpar at times and I wish that the ending packed a bit more of an emotional punch than it ended up having. However, I think that there is a lot of potential here and I am excited to read more of Erica George’s work in the future.
I also felt like the tropes in this book were maybe one too many. They weren’t as obnoxious and in your face as I have seen in other books but two love triangles... cmon... ANY trope but that one. I HATE LOVE TRIANGLES. Another one that showed up a bit too often for my liking was the damsel in distress... but again it wasn’t too obnoxious I just think that Michaela could have handled some of her situations by herself. :)
The last issue that I had with this book and it is the biggest turn off for me was that Ben Churchill was SO toxic and it was never addressed. (minor spoilers) He was idolized straight up until the last page and he was not a good person. He was very stuck up and snobby and bullied an 8 year old as a 19ish year old man. Never mind the fact that he treated Leta like shit and was very possessive. (also, Elijah is too good for her) It did not sit right with me at all. We did have Caleb on the other hand whose situation I thought was handled extremely well and I thought spread a very important message about toxic and abusive human beings and how we can deal with them appropriately.
That’s all I really gotta say, I feel like I talked about a lot of negatives but I really did enjoy this and I encourage people to pick it up. I just think that in the future this story will end up being forgettable for me.
always_reading_a_novel's review
3.0
I really liked that this is a time-slip novel! I believe this is only the second YA time-slip novel I have read, but I hope to find more!
Things I liked:
- The cover and the title are gorgeous!
- The past and present are woven seamlessly together, and I enjoyed reading from both Michaela’s and Leta’s perspectives.
- I liked how both Michaela and Leta had to learn about themselves and what they want in life.
- The poetry in the book was beautifully written!
- The setting was gorgeous and now I want to go to the beach!
Things I didn’t enjoy as much:
- There were several times where Michaela or Leta didn’t treat their friends well.
- I didn’t really care for Leta’s romance, though I did like Michaela’s once things were figured out.
I think I would have liked this book more if I had connected better with Michaela and Leta; I did really like reading about them, but I didn’t like some of the choices they made regarding their friends. I liked the ending for both girls and the book was well-written!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content:
Strong curse words scattered throughout the book.
One fade to black intimate scene.
Things I liked:
- The cover and the title are gorgeous!
- The past and present are woven seamlessly together, and I enjoyed reading from both Michaela’s and Leta’s perspectives.
- I liked how both Michaela and Leta had to learn about themselves and what they want in life.
- The poetry in the book was beautifully written!
- The setting was gorgeous and now I want to go to the beach!
Things I didn’t enjoy as much:
- There were several times where Michaela or Leta didn’t treat their friends well.
- I didn’t really care for Leta’s romance, though I did like Michaela’s once things were figured out.
I think I would have liked this book more if I had connected better with Michaela and Leta; I did really like reading about them, but I didn’t like some of the choices they made regarding their friends. I liked the ending for both girls and the book was well-written!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content:
Strong curse words scattered throughout the book.
One fade to black intimate scene.
rbookish's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
boring af
wingsandfables's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
5.0
Some books have magic in them. A special thing that touches pieces of your soul in a way you can't describe. This is one of them.
I felt so many emotions while reading this book and I loved every single minute of it. With a story that weaves two very different time periods together, George truly brought to life some of the most endearing characters I've ever read. I was so completely invested in both the present and the 1862 storyline that I had difficulty putting the book down for any amount of time. And the paralleled storylines are weaved so effortlessly together that I never felt frustrated or sad when we switched time periods to spend some time with the various characters of the book. I adored the way the storylines gave hints to each other, allowing the reader to slowly come to the right conclusions about the mystery surrounding the book while painting a plot that kept the reader engaged. It had the perfect balance.
The characters were so relatable in so many ways. From Michaela's struggle with her stepfather to Leta's rejection of doing exactly what was expected of her by her parents to Elijah's longing and Benjamin's need to listen to his heart. There is something that every reader can find in the characters that speaks to them. The romances in the book were so, so sweet, and I loved the bittersweet twist to some of them. I have to admit I cried a few times while reading this.
Lastly, I adored George's writing style and voice. With a book centered around characters who love poetry, her lyrical prose was the perfect finishing touch to the pages. I also loved the poems that were placed throughout the book. They never read cheesy and brought an even more endearing level to the storyline for me. Also, as someone who has never even been near Cape Cod, I really felt like I was there while reading. The writing was just so immersive and I truly got lost in it so many times.
As a fan of both contemporary and historical fiction, this book really hit such a sweet spot for me. And even though I teared up so many times while reading, I loved this book with every single part of my being. It was such an enchanting read and I'm definitely marking George down as a writer to anticipate future novels from. I truly feel privileged to have gotten to read an ARC of this book and get to experience the magic sooner. Thank you so much to Running Press Kids!
I felt so many emotions while reading this book and I loved every single minute of it. With a story that weaves two very different time periods together, George truly brought to life some of the most endearing characters I've ever read. I was so completely invested in both the present and the 1862 storyline that I had difficulty putting the book down for any amount of time. And the paralleled storylines are weaved so effortlessly together that I never felt frustrated or sad when we switched time periods to spend some time with the various characters of the book. I adored the way the storylines gave hints to each other, allowing the reader to slowly come to the right conclusions about the mystery surrounding the book while painting a plot that kept the reader engaged. It had the perfect balance.
The characters were so relatable in so many ways. From Michaela's struggle with her stepfather to Leta's rejection of doing exactly what was expected of her by her parents to Elijah's longing and Benjamin's need to listen to his heart. There is something that every reader can find in the characters that speaks to them. The romances in the book were so, so sweet, and I loved the bittersweet twist to some of them. I have to admit I cried a few times while reading this.
Lastly, I adored George's writing style and voice. With a book centered around characters who love poetry, her lyrical prose was the perfect finishing touch to the pages. I also loved the poems that were placed throughout the book. They never read cheesy and brought an even more endearing level to the storyline for me. Also, as someone who has never even been near Cape Cod, I really felt like I was there while reading. The writing was just so immersive and I truly got lost in it so many times.
As a fan of both contemporary and historical fiction, this book really hit such a sweet spot for me. And even though I teared up so many times while reading, I loved this book with every single part of my being. It was such an enchanting read and I'm definitely marking George down as a writer to anticipate future novels from. I truly feel privileged to have gotten to read an ARC of this book and get to experience the magic sooner. Thank you so much to Running Press Kids!
fearsparks's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc of the book in exchange of an honest review **
This is partly contemporary fiction, partly historical fiction. The book follows two teenage girls, Mack (Michaela) from present day and Leta from 1862. Both girls write poetry and both girls have a fascination with whale hunter Captain Benjamin Churchill. This book gave me goosebumps, it made me feel, feel strong feelings. It was a piece of art, beautiful, touching and inspiring. To spend a summer writing poetry and unfolding the past, the past of a town, of a legacy, of a person.
Mack wants desperately to attend Winslow College, and one way in is a 5 day long workshop. But it costs money, and her stepdad doesn’t want that. And her mother doesn’t really stand up for her daughter. One way to go is winning a poetry competition that the college is holding. The winner gets to go to the workshop, and get their poem published on a statue of Captain Churchill.
Leta wants to be a published poet. But she is a young woman in 1860s, and she is afraid that is going to stop her from being published. Instead, she chooses to use Captain Churchill’s name when contacting a publisher. Everyone thinks Churchill has died at sea, and she feels safe using her old childhood friends name. But then he comes back, alive.
This book is beautifully written and filled with different poems. The two girls, despite living more than 100 years apart, live similar lives. Apart from both writing poems, the two also have two boys that want them. Where one of Mack’s “boys” is descendent to one of Leta’s “boys”. The story also weave the two narratives well. Some questions Mack asks herself, Leta knows the answer to. In other cases, Mack is misinformed due to Leta’s use of Churchill’s name.
This is partly contemporary fiction, partly historical fiction. The book follows two teenage girls, Mack (Michaela) from present day and Leta from 1862. Both girls write poetry and both girls have a fascination with whale hunter Captain Benjamin Churchill. This book gave me goosebumps, it made me feel, feel strong feelings. It was a piece of art, beautiful, touching and inspiring. To spend a summer writing poetry and unfolding the past, the past of a town, of a legacy, of a person.
Mack wants desperately to attend Winslow College, and one way in is a 5 day long workshop. But it costs money, and her stepdad doesn’t want that. And her mother doesn’t really stand up for her daughter. One way to go is winning a poetry competition that the college is holding. The winner gets to go to the workshop, and get their poem published on a statue of Captain Churchill.
Leta wants to be a published poet. But she is a young woman in 1860s, and she is afraid that is going to stop her from being published. Instead, she chooses to use Captain Churchill’s name when contacting a publisher. Everyone thinks Churchill has died at sea, and she feels safe using her old childhood friends name. But then he comes back, alive.
This book is beautifully written and filled with different poems. The two girls, despite living more than 100 years apart, live similar lives. Apart from both writing poems, the two also have two boys that want them. Where one of Mack’s “boys” is descendent to one of Leta’s “boys”. The story also weave the two narratives well. Some questions Mack asks herself, Leta knows the answer to. In other cases, Mack is misinformed due to Leta’s use of Churchill’s name.