What It's Like in Words

An intoxicating debut that asks: how much should you have to sacrifice in the name of love?

Enola is approaching 30 and she’s not quite where she thought she’d be. She wants to be a writer but can’t finish a first draft; she romanticizes her childhood but won’t speak to her mother; and she yearns to be someone’s other half in order to feel whole.

Enter: an enigmatic writer who infiltrates her writing group. Enola falls hopelessly in love and dreams about their perfect future. But the chasm between fantasy and reality couldn’t be wider. He’s distant, plagued by dark moods, and spends more time with his ex than with her. But she’s desperate to be a Cool Girl. Despite the red flags, she can’t break up with him. She wants him, she needs him, she would die without him. . . . That’s what love is, isn’t it?

Two turbulent years culminate in an explosive twenty-four hours during which Enola is forced to reevaluate her understanding of love, family, friendship, and—most importantly—herself. With notes of Fleabag and I May Destroy You, and the emotional acuity of Lily King, What It’s Like in Words is a close examination of the ferocity of toxic love.