I've loved Will Darbyshire's YouTube Channel for a long time, and when I found out he was releasing a book I knew that I was going to have to buy it. I don't rush to get my hands on every single book (or other merchandise) released by a vlogger... but Will's sounded interesting. This Modern Love is a collection of letters, tweets and photographs from around the world by people in and out of love, who responded to questions from Will in his videos and social media.
In the introduction, he talks about the great difficulty he had going through the vast amount of submissions, and I couldn't help but think of Post Secret and Humans of New York. If you like those websites, the chances are you'll love this book.
The submissions are beautifully curated in three sections: beginning, middle, and end, to signify the points in a relationship. We see letters from those who have feelings for someone, then those writing to their significant other, then the people experiencing heartbreak. I was surprised at how many I could relate to; from the girls at school who had a crush on a boy, to the letters from older contributors who had got out of toxic relationships. Whether or not you watch Will's videos, I feel like this is a book that anyone could enjoy, for love and heartbreak are something that most of us have experienced.
Another thing I wanted to mention was the price. I bought my copy for £8 on Amazon, which is almost half the already quite reasonable RRP of £14.99. It's very hard to find art books for such a low cost. I feel like a lot of his younger viewers with less disposable income will really appreciate the lower price point (and maybe some of the older one's who haven't quite sorted their life out yet... like me).
Will's videos are creative and thought-provoking, and his book is no different. I'd highly recommend it.
Have you read This Modern Love? Are you thinking of picking it up?