ARC Review: Words Composed of Sea and Sky by Erica George

“i hope that when people look for something that is left of me, all they’ll find is you.”

erica george

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Goodreads Summary: This modern summer romance set on Cape Cod features two young adult poets divided by centuries.

Michaela Dunn, living on present day Cape Cod, dreams of getting into an art school, something her family just doesn’t understand. When her stepfather refuses to fund a trip for a poetry workshop, Michaela finds the answer in a local contest searching for a poet to write the dedication plaque for a statue honoring Captain Benjamin Churchill, a whaler who died at sea 100 years ago. She struggles to understand why her town venerates Churchill, an almost mythical figure whose name adorns the school team and various tourist traps. When she discovers the 1862 diary of Leta Townsend, however, she gets a glimpse of Churchill that she didn’t quite anticipate. In 1862, Leta Townsend writes poetry under the name Benjamin Churchill, a boy who left for sea to hunt whales. Leta is astonished when Captain Churchill returns after his rumored death. She quickly falls for him. But is she falling for the actual captain or the boy she constructed in her imagination?

Rating:

Thoughts:

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. It’s heartwarming with a sad tinge that reminds me of nostalgia. 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!

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