Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

32 reviews

cajunliterarybelle's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

The family history of characters Violet and Sam with the coastal Maine setting caught my attention. For years I have had a deep curiosity of my own ancestry. The story itself was very character driven about family, mostly immediate family, and Violet's behavior and love life. Pacing was too slow for me throughout much of the book, and the switch between povs bothered me. Most of the book is written in first person pov, but a few pieces are written in 2nd person with some parts written in third. This is a purposeful tactic by the author to differentiate past events and introspection, but the style threw me off. I did appreciate the character growth, though, and was mildly curious enough about the characters and plot outcomes like finding the wreck and the family dynamic to keep going. I checked out the audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job of portraying Violet's varying emotions of ups and downs. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

loudaslions's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

geerbeer's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective tense fast-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

4.25

Het is heel queer op een superfijne manier en er is iemand met een glazen oog, maar verder is het geen heel diverse groep mensen lijkt het. Super leuke manier van schrijven en meta-dingetjes in het boek, daar houd ik van. Veel gelachen, klein beetje traantjes gelaten en vooral gewoon genoten van de cozy vibes en interesse in de 'main maar toch back-up story line' over het wrak.

Pro tip: Lees niet de Nederlandse vertaling!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

amaliewebs's review against another edition

Go to review page

  • Strong character development? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this book! The journey of self-discovery and healing that the main character goes through was inspiring, and I became really attached to the story. The combination of the strong character development and the plot events and how they intertwined was perfect, and I was truly invested in what was happening. I loved the feeling of found family and the emphasis of how important close friends are, as well as the value of all our relationships we have. All of the characters were well-rounded with their own personalities and stories, and all went through their own healing and growth. A truly powerful story :) and I was really happy with how it ended, after a very intense climax!  
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

meaghancook's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional 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

3.75

My only wish is that this book was 100 pages shorter.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lilifane's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

I had a totally different idea about the plot of this book. I might have mixed it up with something else and since I don't read synopses, I was really surprised what this book was actually about. And pleasantly surprised even because it has so many things I love to read about. 
A small coastal town, family history, mystery and adventure, a treasure hunt, sibling dynamics, a friends group, LGBTQIA representation. And I really really enjoyed the majority o the book. The main character went through some hard hitting things and made some questionable decisions, but I still enjoyed reading from her perspective. 
I was disappointed by the last quarter of the book, though. The plot didn't really progress, and then it was suddenly over, but the ending took half an eternity to conclude. Weird pacing and I get the focus was on some important topics, but still, the rest was just forgotten somehow. 
But yeah, still liked and enjoyed the majority and the atmosphere was perfect for a summer read. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mads1706's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mallorypen's review against another edition

Go to review page

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!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mariah_poulin's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jenmaysiereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.) 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings