What do you think?
Rate this book
The Shells I Collect
In
The Shells I Collect
, Míra Gyalog weaves a poignant exploration of identity, meaning, love, and isolation through the raw, confessional voice of her protagonist, Lidia. She delves into fragmented thoughts, poems, memories, and seasons, reflecting the intimate spaces of a young woman's conflicted mind.
102 pages, Paperback
Published February 19, 2025
2 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 9, 2025
This book helped me through one of the toughest times of my life, it did something to me that nothing else could do at that time: it made me feel less alone.
Through these pages, I’ve learned that there is always hope in the world, even when it feels far away—and most importantly, I’ve discovered hope within myself. That is a gift I will never forget.
I’ll be carrying the lessons and the comfort I found in these pages with me for a long time.
I’ve also come to understand that it is okay to hurt, and it is okay to be hurt. Pain is part of being human, and it doesn’t make us weaker—it makes us real. It teaches us how deeply we can feel, and how much we can grow.
This is not a one-time read—it’s the kind of book that can and should be returned to at different stages of life. Each time, it offers something new, something you might not have been ready to see or feel before. No matter where you are, its words have a way of meeting you exactly where you need them most.
I cannot wait to see what this author comes out with next. They write with such honesty and compassion that it feels less like reading and more like being gently understood. I have no doubt that whatever comes next will not only be moving, but will also carry the same healing power that makes their work unforgettable.
Through these pages, I’ve learned that there is always hope in the world, even when it feels far away—and most importantly, I’ve discovered hope within myself. That is a gift I will never forget.
I’ll be carrying the lessons and the comfort I found in these pages with me for a long time.
I’ve also come to understand that it is okay to hurt, and it is okay to be hurt. Pain is part of being human, and it doesn’t make us weaker—it makes us real. It teaches us how deeply we can feel, and how much we can grow.
This is not a one-time read—it’s the kind of book that can and should be returned to at different stages of life. Each time, it offers something new, something you might not have been ready to see or feel before. No matter where you are, its words have a way of meeting you exactly where you need them most.
I cannot wait to see what this author comes out with next. They write with such honesty and compassion that it feels less like reading and more like being gently understood. I have no doubt that whatever comes next will not only be moving, but will also carry the same healing power that makes their work unforgettable.
September 9, 2025
A very personal story that reflects upon the experience of early adulthood many of us face. This stage can be difficult at times, and this book is not afraid to show it, with beautifully devastating writing that perfectly encapsulates this new life. It is a story of hardship and growth that hits way too close to home. It managed to create a great impact on me as another young adult going through these new experiences.
December 9, 2025
I absolutely loved the atmosphere the book created; dark, wintry, melancholic. the cover transported this atmosphere perfectly. the author created the cover themselves which made it especially beautiful with all the little symbolism and colors. absolutely adored the cover.
all in all I think the book leans too much on metaphors so that sometimes the real meaning behind things is swallowed. especially in the chapter of peters death, I think most of the meaning and the real feelings are wasted on vague metaphors.
one example for the metaphor is this sentence: “I still preferred being no one rather than someone.” it does sounds poetical but what does that even mean? it seems like the author places more value on sounding poetic than of giving meaning.
another chapter that made it really hard to understand the author was “assumption”. the author has difficulty expressing herself clearly and distinctly. I understand that some things are meant for the reader to define themselves but all these metaphors made it hard to follow the story and therefore to identify with the main character.
I also strongly disagree with some statements in this chapter, such as “Yet we’re often more afraid of the question than the answer itself.” but thats just my personal opinion.
the overuse of metaphors made me feel like the author was in a hurry to write everything down and didn’t wanted to take the time to elaborate on their thoughts. it made the characters seem half-finished.
what surprised me was that there is an introduction to almost every character in the book even some girls that only appear once in the book but no introduction to the main character. it stands to reason that an introduction may not be necessary since we read from her pov but I think during the whole book I don’t really got a glimpse of the character itself; especially in the first chapters it all circles around guys she once loved, she even started smoking because of a guy (to put herself in his shoes like holy damn??). then we sprinkle in some issues with her father and here and there mention that she likes books. but who is this character we’re reading about?
many subjects that would have deserved deeper insight were only discussed on the surface. in one of the last chapters a friend of the mc tried to convince her to drink alcohol. where does that friendship go? and this happened to many subjects; such as s*icide, r*pe etc. I do understand that this book is just an insight of a teenage life, but it feels like the book started somewhere, and ends somewhere. there is no red line, no character development, no development at all.
what really bothered me about the book was the lack of optimism. “hope in itself is falseness”. made me roll my eyes. I know it's the basic teen experience to think everything is shit and will forever be shit, so maybe i’m not the right audience here since i’m not a teenager anymore but damn can’t we be happy about anything for like a second? this book was loaden with hatred for basically everything and at some point I just wanted to finish it to be over it. this is a book about self-pity mostly.
I really hope that the author will keep on writing. in chapters like “the mosquito” or “tendencies”, the author proved that their writing is stunning. also the chapter “by my mother’s house”, where the author described the isolation during early spring, I was amazed. it is important to rather focus on these scenes, instead of trying to cover everything under one single metaphor or to keep writing as poetical as possible. in my opinion what kills writing nowadays is the attempt to tuck everything neatly behind a rosa bow. focus on meaning.
all in all I think the book leans too much on metaphors so that sometimes the real meaning behind things is swallowed. especially in the chapter of peters death, I think most of the meaning and the real feelings are wasted on vague metaphors.
one example for the metaphor is this sentence: “I still preferred being no one rather than someone.” it does sounds poetical but what does that even mean? it seems like the author places more value on sounding poetic than of giving meaning.
another chapter that made it really hard to understand the author was “assumption”. the author has difficulty expressing herself clearly and distinctly. I understand that some things are meant for the reader to define themselves but all these metaphors made it hard to follow the story and therefore to identify with the main character.
I also strongly disagree with some statements in this chapter, such as “Yet we’re often more afraid of the question than the answer itself.” but thats just my personal opinion.
the overuse of metaphors made me feel like the author was in a hurry to write everything down and didn’t wanted to take the time to elaborate on their thoughts. it made the characters seem half-finished.
what surprised me was that there is an introduction to almost every character in the book even some girls that only appear once in the book but no introduction to the main character. it stands to reason that an introduction may not be necessary since we read from her pov but I think during the whole book I don’t really got a glimpse of the character itself; especially in the first chapters it all circles around guys she once loved, she even started smoking because of a guy (to put herself in his shoes like holy damn??). then we sprinkle in some issues with her father and here and there mention that she likes books. but who is this character we’re reading about?
many subjects that would have deserved deeper insight were only discussed on the surface. in one of the last chapters a friend of the mc tried to convince her to drink alcohol. where does that friendship go? and this happened to many subjects; such as s*icide, r*pe etc. I do understand that this book is just an insight of a teenage life, but it feels like the book started somewhere, and ends somewhere. there is no red line, no character development, no development at all.
what really bothered me about the book was the lack of optimism. “hope in itself is falseness”. made me roll my eyes. I know it's the basic teen experience to think everything is shit and will forever be shit, so maybe i’m not the right audience here since i’m not a teenager anymore but damn can’t we be happy about anything for like a second? this book was loaden with hatred for basically everything and at some point I just wanted to finish it to be over it. this is a book about self-pity mostly.
I really hope that the author will keep on writing. in chapters like “the mosquito” or “tendencies”, the author proved that their writing is stunning. also the chapter “by my mother’s house”, where the author described the isolation during early spring, I was amazed. it is important to rather focus on these scenes, instead of trying to cover everything under one single metaphor or to keep writing as poetical as possible. in my opinion what kills writing nowadays is the attempt to tuck everything neatly behind a rosa bow. focus on meaning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2025
A deeply honest and touching book. I recommend it to anyone that is going through difficulties in their young adult life. It encourages reflection, helps you accept your own emotions, and makes you think deeply about your own actions and choices. Also, I loved the way this book was written.
December 5, 2025
loved it
December 9, 2025
It was insanely inspirational.
It was quite difficult to believe how many people are facing the same or at least very similar difficulties that I fight as well but the book opened my eyes in a way. It was such a relief to see that on the one hand we are not alone and that there is a relief somewhere in the end.
It was not only a book I was looking forward to read but also a quite strong motivation that it is possible to go through this process.
It was quite difficult to believe how many people are facing the same or at least very similar difficulties that I fight as well but the book opened my eyes in a way. It was such a relief to see that on the one hand we are not alone and that there is a relief somewhere in the end.
It was not only a book I was looking forward to read but also a quite strong motivation that it is possible to go through this process.
September 14, 2025
this book is a poetic and raw exploration of the hardships and beauty of girlhood. this book is beautifully and wittily written; every page feels personal and intentional. i also really enjoyed how it was divided into the four seasons and you could observe the evolvement of Lidia as time passes. it is a quick read but it stuck with me. i would absolutely recommend!
December 19, 2025
i‘m unwell, i feel transparent in how much I resonated to this book
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews