What It's Like in Words - by Eliza Moss

About the Book

"Eliza Moss's intoxicating debut novel is a dark, intense, and compelling account of what happens when a young woman falls in love with the wrong kind of man. Enola is approaching 30 and everything feels like a lot. The boxes aren't ticked and she feels adrift in a way she thought she would have beaten by now. She wants to be a writer but can't finish a first draft; she romanticizes her childhood but won't speak to her mother; she has never been in a serious relationship but yearns to be one half of a couple that DIYs together at the weekends. Enter: enigmatic writer. Enola falls in love and starts to dream about their perfect future: the wedding, the publishing deals, the house in Stoke Newington. But the reality is far from perfect. He's distant. But she's a Cool Girl, she doesn't need to hear from him every day. He hangs out with his ex. But she's a Cool Girl, she's not insecure. Is she? He has dark moods. But he's a creative, that's part of his 'process'. Her best friend begs her to end it, but Enola can't. She's a Cool Girl. She might feel like she's going crazy at times, but she wants him. She needs him. She would die without him...That's what love is, isn't it? Over the next twenty-four hours (and two years), everything that Enola thinks she knows is about to unravel, and she has to think again about how she sees love, family, and friendship and-most importantly-herself. With notes of Fleabag & I May Destroy You but with the sparseness and emotional accuracy of writers like Ali Smith and Lily King, What It's Like In Words is a close examination of what it means to experience the intense emotional uncertainty of first love"--

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

Named one of the Real Simple Best Books of 2024
Named one of People's Best Books of December 2024
An Aardvark Book Club pick of December 2024

"What It's Like in Words by Eliza Moss is an astute depiction of toxic relationships and the devastation often left in their wake. However, it is also a testament to the healing power of art, the importance of comfortable love, and learning to always value oneself, flaws and all."
--Chicago Review of Books

"It's an arresting portrait of manipulation."
--Publishers Weekly

"What It's Like in Words fills the void left when Phoebe Waller Bridge said 'no' to Fleabag Season 3 ... Enola discovers the power in rewriting the narrative of her own life, of evolving from a passive character to an agent in relationships who can revoke consent when she wants to. What It's Like in Words is the story of the self-the whole self, the uncurated self-overpowering the fear of being left behind."
--F(r)iction

"Dynamic debut ... A searing novel about why we love people who are bad for us."
--Kirkus

"Obsessive love is at the heart of this compulsively readable debut novel, which should appeal to fans of Colleen Hoover."
--Library Journal

"What It's Like in Words is a consuming portrait of a young woman building and rebuilding herself from the wreckage of her past lives. Eliza Moss masterfully renders how it feels to be ruled by grief and toxic obsession, and what it takes to break out of a prison of your own making. Devastating and tender, What It's Like in Words is a love letter to friendship, art-making, and the messiest parts of ourselves."
--Ruth Madievsky, national bestselling author of All-Night Pharmacy

"With echoes of Sally Rooney and Lily King, Eliza Moss is a fresh new voice who exquisitely captures the quirks of what it means to be imperfectly human and beautifully fragile. This book reads like poetry."
--Neely Tubati Alexander, author of Love Buzz and In a Not So Perfect World

"I devoured What It's Like in Words with breathless admiration for Eliza Moss's raw, propulsive story of toxic love and obsession. Enola, our painfully vulnerable heroine, inspired and infuriated me in equal measure as she repeatedly took two steps forward and one step back. I wanted to shake her but also give her a hug, as she reminded me of so many women who struggle to confront terrible truths about people they've chosen to love. The writing--gorgeous, crystalline, tender--is ultimately an ode to the rejuvenating friendship between Enola and her best friend Ruth. If you enjoyed Genevieve Wheeler's Adelaide, Carola Lovering's Tell Me Lies, and the work of writers Dolly Alderton and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, you'll tear through this dark and addictive debut about a woman learning, finally, to value herself."
--Caitlin Barasch, author of A Novel Obsession

About the Author

Eliza Moss is the pseudonym for Sarah Moss, a London-based actor, and singer. She double majored at the University of Manchester, gaining a first class degree in English literature, and studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. In 2021 she completed the Curtis Brown Creative three-month novel-writing course. What It's Like in Words is her first novel.