I expected more about discovering the shipwreck, because that's what the synopsis emphasized (or so I thought). But it was mostly about Violet discovering herself. Which is fine... but there could've been more shipwreck. ( )

4.5, I finished this book a few days ago and I keep coming back to it, I loved this story so much. I adore Ms. Drake's writing style, I can't wait for her to write more. ( )

3.5 Stars

CW: Attempted suicide, depression, drinking, sexual content.

This is a pretty raw and poetically written book about a girl dealing with a family on the brink of collapse. Her brother’s suicide attempt and her own ‘year of wild’ result in her being sent to live with her uncle in a small coastal community. This is where Violet believes the origins of her family's misery began. She believes a shipwreck in which her great great great grandmother was the lone survivor has put her family under a curse. The missing and broken ship come to symbolise the missing and broken parts of Violet’s life. She holds onto hope that finding the wreck will heal her wounds. I thought the love story was well done and I felt invested in the relationships Violet built. I love re-imaginings so really enjoyed the fresh new take on the Twelfth Night. One of my favourite Shakespeare plays. A lovely book.


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YA is definitely not my favorite genre. There were a few parts in this book that were not written in that typical YA way and I absolutely loved those sections. Probably the one thing that kept me reading all the way to the end. If you typically like YA you will probably like this book. ( )

This was a book that is very character driven. I really enjoyed the author’s voice, and Violet was a fun main character to spend time with. Violet grew up in NYC and perhaps grew up a bit too quickly working on Broadway. Her brother Sam attempts suicide, and she’s sent to stay with her uncle for the summer in coastal Maine, where their family legend says that their great-great grandmother was shipwrecked and managed to survive, getting back to shore and founding the town. Mystery. Romance. Tragedy. Humor.

With newfound friends and another shipwreck enthusiast, they search for the lost wreck. The characters and backstories are interesting, from main characters to secondary players, and everything about this world is richly drawn. At its heart, this is a story of family, of a bond between brother and sister, fractured perhaps beyond repair, and trying to mend itself again, and watching that evolve was a beautiful thing. It’s the perfect read if you’re in the mood for a slow build more literary tale. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Trigger Warnings: suicide, depression

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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