I really liked the concept but it felt hard to keep track of the point of views at times. It was beautifully written. I loved the final layer of reflection when the narrator went back to visit the place of such a significant love. Bittersweet and nostalgic.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Use The Words You Have by Kimberly Campanello is expected to be released on June 23rd, 2025.

This book discusses the journey of US student K to Breton as part of an abroad program of sorts. While on this trip she begins a sexual relationship with a local man, beginning her exploration of what it means to truly feel alive in a place that isn’t home.

This book does fantastically in certain parts, then falls flat in others. During the first 30% of this novel, the sentence structure felt extremely choppy yet too wordy. Scenes were described very flatly, which left more to be desired. This felt true for describing characters' actions as well, and made their decisions feel more robotic to me. At the same time, there were sections with beautiful imagery and descriptions of the emotions K was feeling throughout her trip. This inconsistency would bring me out of the story sometimes and make me wonder why these inconsistencies were so prevalent throughout the story.

Upon researching the author I found that they have an extension history with teaching creative writing and working with poetry, which I assume is the answer behind the choppier sentence structure in some parts of this novel. I think in isolation this couldv’e worked for the story, but as a literary fiction it just falls flat for me.

I think this book really thrived during the last 30 or so pages, where I feel the most feeling is described. You can tell the author put a lot of care into certain sections, but I just wish those other sections didn’t fall so flat. The brief outline was there in some sentences, which made me feel like this book just needs more time and care to truly develop. I am interested in possibly giving this a second read upon release to see the finalized structure, but I think 2.5/5 is where my rating falls.

In Conclusion: Beautiful potential, just needs more structure building to thrive.

Again, thank you so much NetGalley for providing this ARC!
* Any thoughts or opinions provided in my review are mine alone*

At its heart, "Use the Words You Have" is a profound exploration of presence—what it means to be fully embodied in a moment, a place, a relationship. Campanello suggests that true coming-of-age is not a linear progression but a radical openness to experience, an embrace of vulnerability that allows for genuine transformation.

this book ATE. it said “here’s a steamy, messy, slightly unhinged romance set in the middle of nowhere france” and i said “say less.”

from the first page i knew i was in for it. the writing?? stunning. like, every line felt like it was trying to seduce me personally. i was highlighting like i was being graded on it. if you’re the kind of person who reads a sentence and just sits there blinking like “why is that so hot and depressing at the same time,” this is for YOU.

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so what’s it about?
girl meets guy in the middle of a sticky french summer. they talk, they hook up, they spiral. that’s it. there’s no big twist or plot bomb—just vibes, inner chaos, and a whole lotta lust dressed up in philosophy. it’s giving “romance, but make it existential.”
and it works?? like weirdly well??

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why i gave it 5 stars:
• the prose: immaculate. poetic without being annoying. it’s sexy and sad and smart all at once.
• the main character: unwell in the best way. so much overthinking. so many weird choices. i loved being in her messy little brain.
• short & sharp: the kind of book that doesn’t waste your time but still leaves you sitting in silence when it ends like “oh.”
• literary but not boring: it feels deep without being pretentious. and it’s horny. like real horny. in a good, not weird way.

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final verdict:
don’t ask me to explain the point. i don’t KNOW. all i know is it gave me feelings. 5/5. no notes. more people need to read this.

Unlike anything I have ever read before. The writing style took some getting used to but once I fell into its rhythm the story started to flow easily. It was interesting how such simple sentences could pack so much meaning behind them. I felt the intensity of every word written in this story. I’m glad I came across this, it’s nice to switch things up and this did just that.

I found this to be an erotic literary gem. The words are enticing and full of heat and meaning. I was entertained while reading it, and it flowed beautifully. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.