Use the Words You Have

by Kimberly Campanello

A literary romance like no other – Kimberly Campanello’s debut novel unfurls over a hot Breton summer as American student K embarks on a love affair with a local.
Barred from using English by their French programme, the other Americans’ identities flicker and fade. Yet for K this dissolution opens space for profound transformation.
Heady and poetic, erotic and intelligent, this is a coming-of-age tale that reveals how coming-of-age – at its pinnacle – means coming alive. Alive to touch and taste, pleasure and ecstasy. To the sea, the sun and eternity.
Advanced Praise for Use the Words You Have...
'I love what this novel does with language... Read it like you'd eat a melting ice cream.'—Daisy Hildyard
‘A moving meditation on the capacity of language and love to shape us… saturated in sun and salt water, drenched in heat and longing.’—Jessica Andrews
‘Eroticism here is as much about discovering another’s body as it is about discovering the body through language. It’s Rimbaud, it’s Hélène Cixous, even a touch of Claudia Durastanti. But Campanello is entirely her own here.’—Jason Allen-Paisant
‘Composed in a delicate, aching space between nostalgia and desire, between the past and eternity, Use the Words You Have shimmers like light on a sea recollected across decades.’—Rob Doyle
‘It’s been a complete pleasure to read this… The restraint, clarity and precision of the writing is faultless.’—Joanna Walsh

Genres: Romance, Literary Fiction

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2025

Reviews

[Grace -thewritebooks]

Thank you to NetGalley and Somesuch for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to love this one but I think perhaps being 16 still feels like it wasn't that long ago and I'm not too keen to repeat it through literature just yet. Having done various language exchanges over the years, this sexy, sultry summer really did not convince me, however stylistically it was written.

[Jewel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It took me a while to get into this novel, as it's written in a very descriptive almost stream of consciousness style of writing, but when I reached about a quarter of the way through, I was fully invested in this story.

Use the Words You Have reminded of a mix between a Sally Rooney novel and Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman in the best way, though I feel like this story has a more optimistic look at experiencing your first real heartbreak. It's more focused on the beautiful art and poetry you can make from having experienced love or your own coming of age, less on the bittersweet feeling of having loved someone and lost them. In fact, there's a passage in this novel that addresses how people often separate even when there's no real conflict between them and that's completely normal. Their lives just go in different directions, and they're just left with the impression they made on each other.

This book read like you were peering into someone's mind and looking through all of their old, faded memories. The timeline jumped back and forth as the main character thought about her childhood, her time being seventeen in France, and how that one summer stayed with her even into her late thirties. I also liked that the author touched on the fear of never having such intense experiences again after living so fully in her youth.

* Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review

[gladness · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

⸻

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??

⸻

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.

⸻

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.

*thank you netgalley, the author, and the publishing team for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jodi Sorenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea what this book was going to be about when I started to read it, and it took me a little while to start to follow the author's writing style (and ended up re-reading the first quarter of the book again), but once I started to follow the writing style more closely, I thought the story was great. I was left with some questions that might have been answered during the book but missed by me, but overall I thought this was well done. Young love, summer romance, travels, regrets, all in one book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

[starr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review Loading….
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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*

[Ryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3..5 rounded up to 4

It's kind of hard to review this because I haven't read anything like it before. I liked it... I'm just not sure how much I liked it. Don't be surprised if you see my rating change within the next few days because honestly I could see myself staying at a 4 or going down to a 3. Maybe staying at a 3.5 would work too.

Use the Words You Have follows US student K as she goes on a study abroad trip to France. There she meets a local and begins a relationship with him.

This is a "no plot just vibes' sort of book as a core theme of the book is living in the moment. So a lot of the novel is K expressing how she feels, describing a place, or describing her relationship. That's fine with me, those are my type of books after all. I love books with so much room for interpretation and this didn't disappoint in that regard.

Which, props to the author, the writing is stunning in this. The author has such a poetic way with words that it really makes you feel the emotions of the character and each sentence has so much meaning packed into them.

There's two things that I'm hung up on though. The beginning of the novel and the characters themselves. The beginning felt like an entirely different novel. I feel like the author was finding their groove during this points as the sentences were just choppy and the descriptions fell flat for me. It got a lot better as it went on, but looking back it just feels jarring when putting them together. I also didn't love the characters. I felt like K was missing a sort of edge to differentiate her from other "lit-fic weird women" protagonists. Her inner descriptions were great, but it felt more like the author than K herself if that makes sense.

If it sounds interesting, honestly give it a try. I'll probably come back to it to help solidify my thoughts more. I'm certainly interested in keeping up with author Kimberly Campanello. I think she has the potential to grow and become a lit-fic icon.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Somesuch for providing me an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are entirely my own*

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book captures a very French essence. There are no unexpected events in the plot. The aim is to explore the simple, everyday life and the reflections of a 17-year-old American girl studying in France.

Much of the book focuses on the limitations of language, the ways we communicate, and the considerable amount of information that gets lost in translation and human interactions. I really liked the title of this book, as it often represents what we need to do to be understood. It is interesting how even in the small details, such as enjoying dancing because it is a moment when no one is talking, we can see how much this experience affects her life.

During this trip, K falls in love and experiences lots of new things. She reflects deeply on her family, her faith, her traditions, and contemplates who she was in the past and who she aspires to become moving forward.

I’m not familiar with the author, but throughout the reading, I felt as if I was engaging with something deeply personal. It felt like reading someone’s teenage diary and uncovering all their hidden stories.

I really enjoyed the read. Even though it wasn’t one of my favorites, I think it’s one of those books that comes to mind from time to time. There’s a lot to reflect on here.

Thanks to Somesuch and NetGalley for the DRC!

[Karina ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is undeniably pretty. The prose feels sculpted, almost fragile. But by the halfway point, I realized I wasn’t really feeling anything. It’s kind of like staring at a beautiful painting for too long, eventually, your brain starts to wander.

I think some readers will absolutely love how meditative and lyrical this is, but for me, the lack of momentum made it tough to stay engaged. It’s one of those reads where you admire it more than you enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Somesuch for a copy of this ARC! ❀

[nadjsim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Use The Words You Have feels like a fever dream, a hazy recollection of lazy summer days. Unfortunately, beyond that atmosphere, it doesn’t offer much else. There’s little to no background, almost no dialogue, and page after page of poetic descriptions about doing nothing.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I usually enjoy novels that read like poetry, this one went too far even for me. Hopefully, in the end, it finds the right audience.

[Jeannette Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely gorgeous. As someone who does not typically enjoy romances nor poetry, I was so pleasantly surprised by this. The coming-of-age story felt all too familiar, yet also otherworldly, and the intriguing composition left me constantly impressed. The themes of defining one’s self in youth, amplified by a limitation on expression through language, resonates deeply. For better or worse, this will take you back to being 16, to first falling in love, and continuously have to confront the passage of time. Beautiful work. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

[Ruba Abu Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Use the Words You Have’ by Kimberly Campanello is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It is chopped, poetic, lyrical, and reflective.

Do not expect explosive moments in this novel. It is rather a compilation of “moments in time” captured and contemplated.

To quote the author, “The story is a series of images and sensations remembered and imagined, which makes it a poem.”

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-ARC.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I was swept away by the poetically stunning writing of this book. A love story over the course of a summer while K is coming of age, the feelings she had were so perfectly written out. This is definitely a hot steamy romantic read for summer weather.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sensual exploration of memories, love, coming of age and the limitations of language. Written by someone smart and intuitive enough to observe and articulate these notions in ways most cannot. Reading this felt as if experiencing the subconscious. Total genius.
I don’t really want to compare this to other works, but you might like this if you like Patti Smith’s memoirs.

[Rosie Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful prose!

[MMJ]

Just couldn’t engage me; sentence structure too uneven. DNF at 11%.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Miss Wuthering · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has potential and reminded me of Mrs. Batuman, The Idiot. But the lack of defined convictions and sharp character makes it all seem like an unpolished work, unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Use the Words You Have is about K, an American who is spending the summer in France as part of a French language program that requires her to communicate in only French for the duration of her stay. While there, she becomes enamoured with the son, M, of the local family she is staying with. Through this affair and the freedom, she is granted by her host family, she is able to slowly come into herself away from the watchful and restrictive Catholic community she was raised in.

The way language is used is really clever. I think anyone who has ever learned a second language will recognize themself in K’s attempts to communicate with the family. How even if you know a language relatively well, there will be words beyond your reach that you must get creative to be able to communicate. And this does a really good job of creating this inherent barrier between K and M, which is present despite them spending nearly all their time together, despite them living in the same house. The writing is also quite beautiful, it’s a sort of stream of consciousness style, but still for some reason this book never fully held my attention. I didn’t feel compelled to pick it up and now, a couple weeks out from having finished it, I can say it didn’t really stick with me that much either. I think the narrative and characters just felt a little underdeveloped to me, and so while I liked this, I didn’t love it.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc!

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC. I read this back in early July, and while the striking cover initially grabbed my attention, unfortunately, that was the highlight for me. The story itself felt emotionally flat and ultimately unengaging. At no point did I truly feel grounded in what was happening—I often found myself confused and disconnected. It felt like the book was trying too hard to be profound or unsettling, but in the end, it didn’t land for me at all. I feel like this book just tried too damn hard to do something, but it did absolutely nothing instead.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this book (set in France) while in Paris and loved its call me by your name vibe. The prose style was also very cool