Review: Lost for Words, by Stephanie Butland

Synopsis: Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look closely, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin. But there are things she’ll never show you.

Fifteen years ago Loveday lost all she knew and loved in one unspeakable night. Now, she finds refuge in the unique little York bookshop where she works.

Everything is about to change for Loveday. Someone knows about her past. Someone is trying to send her a message. And she can’t hide any longer.

 

Title: Lost for Words
Author: Stephanie Butland
Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre
Pub Date: 20^th April 2017
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781785762598

Rating:

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WARNING: this book will drag you in and spit you out in all the best ways.

I’m not the biggest fan of the chic-lit. There are, as always, a few exceptions, but in general I tend to keep as much distance as possible from any book that might, in any way, make me connect it to the genre.

And I have to admit, when I first received Lost for Words, I thought it might be a bit too ‘chic lit’ for my tastes. So much so that, despite being guaranteed it wasn’t what I thought it was, I avoided starting the book for a good 6 months.

But then the publication date started to loom, and I felt bad for the book. We are constantly told ‘never judge a book by its cover’ and here I was, doing exactly that. Even worse, I hadn’t even seen the cover before I started judging it.

“Some plot twists you just don’t recover from”

So I started reading Lost for Words; hesitantly at first, dipping my toes into the shallows before I (metaphorically) dived, head first, into the story.

And now that I’ve finished, I can safely say:

NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BEFORE YOU START READING IT!

This is the perfect read for any bookworm; it is your favourite reading spot, with a blanket and a cup of [insert drink of your choice] on a rainy day. The story is warm, effortless, and comfortable. Not so fast-paced that you feel anxious, and not so slow that you get bored; this is a gentle stroll through your favourite bookshop.

Most of all, it was lovely to be able to connect to a character that felt exactly the same way about books as you do. All those little quirks that make you ‘odd’ to your non-bookish friends are celebrated. There were countless times I found myself saying ‘me too!’, as if Loveday, our bookish protagonist, could hear me.

So, if you love books as much as I do (I’m assuming you do as you’ve managed to get to the end of this review before flipping back to Buzzfeed), read this book. Even if you think this ‘might not be your thing’ like I did, give it a chance. You might just have found your new favourite book.