The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake is a beautiful take on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. At the heart of this story is a young woman, struggling with grief, self-worth, and first love as she leaves her home in New York City for Lyric, the small town by the sea, and home of her ancestors.
In Lyric, Violet, or Vi to her friends, is forced to take a look inward at herself and really examine why she has been acting out over the last year. Vi must come to terms with her avoidance of her brother Sam, his attempted suicide, and her inability to reach out to him, even though she knows that he needs her to help him heal, as much as she needs him.
All of this is set against the backdrop of new friendships, first love, and the hunt for a shipwreck that happened generations before. Violet's relationships evolve, devolve, and re-grow out of a common goal of understanding more about her family ancestry and the mystery of the shipwreck that inspired the town of Lyric.
This book is a powerful journey to self-love, and the importance of being honest with ourselves and who we are and what we need to heal.
Reviewed by Jennifer (eCommerce Manager)
