100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders 🚀

The Words We Keep

4.31 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 14,986 ratings, 2,130 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart is a poignant young adult novel that dives deep into the emotional world of a teenager grappling with mental health challenges. The story follows Lily, who is navigating the complexities of her sister's recent stay at a treatment centre and the impact it has had on their family. As Lily struggles to understand her own emotions, she finds unexpected connections that help her come to terms with the pressures she faces, ultimately weaving a tale of resilience and self-discovery.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Words We Keep. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are drawn to heartfelt stories about mental health, resilience, and the transformative power of poetry. It offers a compelling exploration of family dynamics and personal growth through the eyes of a relatable teen protagonist. Ideal for anyone who appreciates stories that blend emotional depth with a hopeful narrative.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A beautifully realistic, relatable story about mental health and the healing powers of art, perfect for fans of Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces and Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A beautifully realistic, relatable story about mental health and the healing powers of friendship and art, perfect for fans of Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces and Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places.

The Words We Keep is described as 'Gorgeous and deeply touching.' – Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and You'd Be Home Now.

'Wild, beautiful, and free. The Words We Keep is a poetic page turner. A raw, relatable story of mental illness, romance, and the power of love.' – Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places.

It’s been two months since the Night on the Bathroom Floor – when Lily found her sister, Alice, hurting herself. Now Alice is coming home after treatment and it’s getting harder for Lily to outrun the compulsive thoughts she's having.

Meeting Micah, a guy with a troubled past of his own, the pair embark on a poetry project that helps Lily to see that the words she’s been holding back desperately want to break through. But what will Micah think if he finds out who she really is?

'A sprawling, engrossing read' – Kirkus Reviews

'A luminous exploration into the restorative power of love and art.' – Jeff Zentner, Morris Award–winning author of In the Wild Light.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart is praised for its sensitive exploration of mental health and healing, offering a compelling narrative through relatable characters. Reviewers highlight the author's ability to tackle complex issues like anxiety and depression with authenticity and empathy, making it an impactful read for young adults. The book's prose and character development are often appreciated, contributing to its status as a thoughtful and uplifting story.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781471184512

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 March 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 400

About the Author

Erin Stewart is a freelance writer and editor as well as a weekly columnist in Salt Lake City. She’s the author of Scars Like Wings, The Words We Keep, and The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner. Erin is a neurotic extrovert who thinks Hot Tamales should be a recognized food group. In kindergarten, her mom thought she needed a therapist because everyone exploded at the end of all her stories; nowadays, her characters have a slightly higher survival rate. Erin lives in Utah with her husband and three children.

Also by Erin Stewart

View all
  • Every Borrowed Beat
    Delaney Moss should have died. She was supposed to die. She never expected, after years of waiting, to receive a heart transplant. Now, seventeen-year-old Delaney doesn’t know what to do with her life. So Delaney latches onto the one thing that gives her meaning: learning as much as she can about the person whose heart she inherited. After some sleuthing,...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Missing Among Us
    In Australia, 38,000 people are reported missing each year, and in the US, it's over 600,000. In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds. Many of these cases are never resolved. Blending long-form journalism with true crime and philosophy, The Missing Among Us takes us from the Australian bush to the battlefields of Northern France and the perilous...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner
    Zoey Turner used to see magic everywhere. With a dad like Zoey’s, it was hard not to. Not only did they read The Magic of Ever After series together every day, they also used to create original stories. Used to. Ever since her dad died unexpectedly last year, all Zoey sees is danger. Fear has shrunk homeschooled Zoey’s life to...
    Paperback
    $2199
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

More from Young Adult

View all
  • New Release
    Song of the Saltings
    On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Eight years ago, it should have taken Lotta. Instead, the monster spared her and claimed her pony, shattering tradition and anointing her both folk hero and object of suspicion. Now...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Tell Me with Kisses
    From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in the Tell Me series, where Kamila Hamilton is caught between the two Di Bianco brothers after they burst back into her life. From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Release Me
    The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment. Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her...
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Language of Dragons
    The most exciting debut of 2025 – an incredible fantasy Dark Academia, perfect for fans of Babel, Fourth Wing, and the Scholomance trilogy. EVERY FIRE STARTS WITH A SINGLE SPARK. Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons. London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules,...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Shatter Me: Shatter Me series 1
    Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a gripping dystopian novel that plunges readers into a world where society is on the brink of collapse. At the heart of this chaos is Juliette, a 17-year-old girl with a fatal touch—literally. For 264 days, Juliette has been imprisoned in solitary confinement, her only crime being an accidental touch that resulted in death....
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cozy Corner
    Relax and unwind with this adorable colouring book – it’s time to get cozy! Step into a world of calm and comfort with Cozy Corner, featuring 45 beautiful hand-drawn pages ready for you to colour in. Settle into your very own cozy corner with these brand new colouring pages! This follow-up to Coco Wyo's beloved Little Corner promises a new...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book): the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator of the Year
    When Bunny, Monkey and friends discover a glitch in reality, life gets even crazier than normal: Bunny declares himself The Woods' Magical Protector, Pig becomes a superspy, plus there's complete metal Monkey mayhem! Experience the laughs and chaos in Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book), the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator...
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Summer I Turned Pretty
    The Summer I Turned Pretty is now a major new TV series on Amazon Prime! If you loved The Kissing Booth and Jenny Han's smash-hit Netflix movie series To All the Boys I Loved Before, then you'll adore this gorgeously funny, romantic story! Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this....
    Paperback
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is the New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that has captivated readers globally. Now adapted into a major BBC series, this intricately plotted and intensely gripping novel is being lauded as a modern classic in young adult literature. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an intelligent and determined high school student, is looking...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Powerless
    OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! THE INSTANT NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON. ‘Nothing short of epic’ - Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls ‘A thrilling fantasy with the most delicious slow-burn romance’ - M.A. Kuzniar, bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood ‘[A] titillating debut’ - Publishers Weekly ‘A masterpiece’ - Goodreads Reader Review ‘Everyone needs to read it’ -...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Free Gift
    The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
    Louise Rennison for the Dork Diaries generation - hilarious, relatable and full of heart. The first book in the hilarious new series for children by the bestselling creator of Hurrah For Gin. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks follows Lottie Brooks, who is 11 and feels like her life is already officially over. Not only is she about to...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Free Gift
    Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip
    The fourth book in this hilarious bestselling series full of friendship, family, and first experiences from the creator of Hurrah for Gin. Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments, and plenty of lols. Woe is me. So much...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.