| Title | : | Letters to the Lost |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 388 |
| Publication | : | First published April 4, 2017 |
| Awards | : | RITA Award by Romance Writers of America Young Adult Romance (2018) |
Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.
Letters to the Lost Reviews
-
wow. i forgot just how great BKs realistic fiction stories are.
this was the first book i ever read by her and ive always wanted to do a reread. and this is just as amazing the second time around.
i love the emphasis on growing, making your path, not letting one day define a life, and accepting others. its a really nice coming-of-age story about two lost, but tender, souls.
i cant let another 3 years go by before i do my next reread.
↠ 4.5 stars -
Third reread.
This will forever remain one of my favourite YA contemporaries.
———————————————
Reread!
Beautiful! Just beautiful!
I love that it is not just a love-story. There's so much more to it. It's so much deeper.
The tone of the book is heavy. Its pages are filled with grief and anger and misunderstandings. It was intense to read and a lot to take in because the burden that weighed so heavily on our main characters weighed on me.
I could’ve read many more pages. I never wanted their story to end. They found each in the midst of absolute despair and clung to the understanding they found in one another, because so much of that was missing from their lives. They weren't perfect, but they didn't need to be.
Who they were was enough.
I loved it! -
I still get messages asking me to write a book for Rev, which I did, and it was released last year. I wanted to update my review of Letters to the Lost to include the link to it: Rev's Book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... -
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"I don’t know what the point of this story is, except maybe to say that sometimes you get to a point where it hurts too much, and you’ll do anything to get rid of the pain. Even if it means doing something that hurts someone else."
~First Read- January 2021~
~Second read- August 2021~
~Third Read- November 2021~
~First Rating- 5 stars~
~Second rating- 5 stars~
~Third rating- 5 stars~
Content/ Trigger Warnings- school shooting joke, grief, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, car accident, cheating, the death of a sibling, the death of a parent, alcoholism
-Mention of some of these in the review-
(scroll for the review)
#Third Read
I think this finally got me out of my slump! I read the audiobook this time and it was wonderful, would highly recommend. BR with Ash! (Audiobook Rating-4.5/5 stars)
#Second Read
Loved my reread so much! This book is just so good and gets better with every read. It will forever be my all time fav. BR with a some of my friends. 💕
#First Read
This was such a good book and its sooo underatted. EVERYONE PICK IT UP NOW
....................................................................
"Don’t you think it’s funny how people say “lost” as if they were just misplaced? But maybe it’s a different meaning of “lost,” in that you don’t know where they went."
Letters to the Lost by
Brigid Kemmerer is a Young Adult Contemporary romance, but I would say it’s much more than just a romance. It is a story about grief and guilt and anger. It's a story written with passion. It's a story which will make you feel .
The Plot
There’s a definition for insanity that talks about doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
Juliet Young, our main character has only one way to cope with her mother's death, writing her letters. Declan Murphy works at a community service at the local cemetery and he's trying to escape the demons of his past. When Declan reads Juliet’s letter, he writes back two simple words- 'Me Too' . This book is about Juliet and Declan's letters.
The writing
Sometimes I think fate conspires against us. Or maybe fate conspires with us.
The letters between Juliet and Declan were absolutely beautiful. They talked about intense topics in a touching way and it made me think over a lot of things.
You want to know what I believe? I believe in fate, but I also believe in free will. Meaning, there’s a path, but we’re free to veer away from it. The only problem is that there’s no way to know whose path we’re following at any given moment. Our own? Or fate’s? Other people are on their own paths, too. What happens when we intersect? What happens when someone else wipes our path clean, and we’re left with no road to follow? Is that fate? Is that when free will kicks in? Is the path there, but invisible?
Who the hell knows?
The whole book was full of such great quotes and honestly I have no words to describe this. Even writing this review makes me want to reread the book.
The characters
“One day isn’t your whole life, Murph.” He waits until I look at him. “A day is just a day.”
This is the first contemporary I've read in a while where all the characters are flawed, yet extremely likable people. All of the characters seemed genuine. What more could you ask for?
The side characters in this book are also complex and fleshed out.
Rev is one of my favourites! He has my heart. I know book 2 is on him and I'm a bit scared to read it.
The main characters Juliet and Declan are also very interesting. I will not talk about them more to avoid spoilers.
“We’re all united by grief, and somehow divided by the same thing.”
Final thoughts
This book doesn't have any sort of petty drama like most contemporary books do. This deals with grief through thought-provoking letters and that's what I loved about it the most.
I wasn't very happy with the ending though,which is why it's not a 5 star.(bumped it to 5 stars as I was thinking about it even after half a year) I think there should have been one more chapter to conclude it.
So overall, Letters to the Lost was an extremely fun read and definitely makes my list of top books of 2021. I would highly recommend it!
“There’s not a joy the world can give like that it takes away, when the glow of early thought declines in feeling’s dull decay.”
Storygraph Review.
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DISCLAIMER - All opinions on the books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite -
This hard-hitting YA Contemporary is vivid and heartbreaking. It literally left me an emotional mess, drying my tears from the puddle I was laying in on the floor.
I feel like a bad friend, but I can't help it. I can't force what I'm feeling to fit between chapters two and six in some handbook dealing with the death of a loved one.
Letters to the Lost, follows the lives of two teenagers in the wake of personal tragedies.
Through very odd circumstances they begin a correspondence, initially through handwritten letters left in a local cemetery, and eventually through dummy email accounts.
Since neither one is aware of the identity of the other, they feel able to be completely open and honest about their feelings and experiences.
What transpires is an absolutely stunning portrayal of the power of friendship.
After the sudden, tragic loss of her mother, Juliet shuts herself off from the world.
She is struggling with an overwhelming sense of grief, combined with guilt and fear of never being able to live up to her mother's legacy.
Every day she goes to the cemetery and visits her mother's gravesite, leaving letters for her that she believes will never be read.
Declan is a quintessential bad boy, or so he would have you believe. He is dealing with his own tragedy, the loss of his sister and the subsequent imprisonment of his father.
Feeling abandoned by his mother, who has since remarried a complete jerk, Declan struggles with his own feelings of guilt, isolation and anger.
Forced to do community service work after his own drunk driving incident, Declan ends up working on the maintenance crew at the local cemetery where he stumbles upon Juliet's letters.
Watching their relationship develop is absolutely beautiful. I cannot express it any better than that.
I was completely blown away by Brigid Kemmerer's writing. She is so talented and I have already purchased the companion novel to this one, More Than We Can Tell, which follows one of my favorite characters from this book, Declan's misunderstood best friend, Rev.
If you have been on the fence about picking this one up, please do.
For anyone who has lost a loved one under tragic circumstances, I think a lot of the text surrounding those feelings of grief and guilt are just so relatable and really, cathartic.
That's the way it felt for me anyway. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone and will probably end up reading again someday.
-
I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO READ THIS BOOK IN ONE SITTING BUT I DID BECAUSE I COULDN'T STOP READING AND AHHHHHHHHH I'M SO HAPPY AND I CAN'T STOP SMILING AND WANTING TO CRY AND HUG THIS BOOK TO MY CHEST ALL AT THE SAME TIME AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *incoherent blubber*
***
Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Rating: 5 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.
What I Liked:
I've read all six of Kemmerer's previous novels (and some of the novellas too), and for the most part, I enjoyed all of what I read. Kemmerer has a way of writing broken teens who are trying to find their way. But I think Kemmerer is at her best, with this book. This, to me, is her best work. This book split me open and made my heart hurt - in the best of ways. I wouldn't say that I get emotional over books, but this one made me feel some feels.
This is Juliet Young's and Declan Murphy's stories, which becomes one story. Juliet's mother died in a hit-and-run car crash, and she has been grieving ever since. Juliet used to write letters to her mom since her mother was often overseas, as a photographer in war zones and such. And so Juliet continues to write letters to her mom, but leaves them at the grave site. Declan Murphy has community service, which involves mowing and lawn of the cemetery. He finds one of the letters at a grave site, reads it, and writes back. An exchange of letters occurs, and then it becomes emails. Juliet and Declan have no idea that they are reaching out to each other and helping each other through their grief and pain. But in real life, Juliet misjudges Declan, and Declan misjudges Juliet. Both are not the other's biggest fans; but when one finds out that the other is the letter writer, will it matter?
I sat down with this book with the intention of reading only half of the book, and saving the other half for the next day. I started reading really late into the night (after 9 PM) and had no intention of finishing. But hours went by, my family went to bed, and I didn't even notice. I was so engrossed in this book, and I couldn't stop reading, and the next thing I know, I've finished it. It was that wonderful, and heartbreaking, and thought-provoking.
Usually when there is a YA book with dual, first-person POVs, I adore one of them, and feel so-so about the other (I don't have this problem with adult books, which is a relief). With this book, I liked both characters a lot. I think I liked Declan more, and I really connected him more (for some reason - it's not like I have a stepparent or a father in prison or a shred of the problems he has).
Declan is so misjudged, and by everyone. Everyone labels him as a thug and a criminal, and when someone says something bad about him, no one comes to his defense. If he is anywhere near a bad situation, it gets blamed on him. He and his stepfather practically hate each other, and his mother is so passive and doesn't even talk to him. His sister is dead, his father is in jail, and he has to work off ninety hours of community service for one very bad decision. But... Declan isn't a bad guy. He has an attitude and he doesn't hide his anger, but he isn't a terrible person. He has a strong sense of morals and he is very intelligent, But again, misjudged. Even - and especially - by our heroine, Juliet.
Juliet is overwhelmed with grief. Her mother's death is still fresh, and even the thought of getting rid of her mother's cameras makes Juliet break down in tears, or panic. Juliet hasn't had an easy year, but she isn't alone. She misjudges Declan badly, and slowly, she starts to realize that. Juliet is a good girl, though at first she is a little judgmental (towards Declan). In general she isn't... but to him, she was. She was to the point where she was afraid of him, which I thought was silly.
To me, it's a testament to Kemmerer's talent as a writer, how she can characterize these two teens so well, and bring about those fears and angers and pain so well, such that the reader is incredibly aware of them. There wasn't a chapter that went by that I didn't distinctly feel Declan's fury and his hurt, or Juliet's panic and grief. Such good writing, in terms of the development of these two characters.
The letter-writing aspect of the story was so wonderful. At first it was odd - Juliet was furious to find out that someone wrote on her private letter to her dead mother. But then the letter-writing turned into something more meaningful and necessary. Both characters had a lot of pain and hurt to work through, and the anonymous letter-writing really helped. Imagine being able to lay out your big problems, your little problems, your crappy day, to someone who knows exactly nothing about you. Someone who knows nothing, and yet everything. Letter-writing isn't new in YA (P.S. I Like You by Kasie West, Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum...), but it's a concept that I adore so much.
This is YA contemporary with a lot of "tough issues" explored. Declan's relationship with his stepfather, with his mother, Juliet's relationship with her father, Declan's crime and his community service, his anger, Juliet's grief, Juliet's judgment of Declan... there is a lot to unload and handle, in this book. The most meaningful (or one of them) was Kemmerer's message about misjudging people - someone like Declan will get blamed and beat down because people already expect him to be a bad person, a thug and a criminal, but that isn't fair and it isn't right.
There is romance and it's both there and it's not. Letter-writing Declan and letter-writing Juliet definitely fall for each other through letters - their connection is very powerful. In-person Declan and in-person Juliet have more of a slow-burn, hate-to-love romance. They bicker and fight nearly every time they see each other, and they constantly snipe at each other and misjudge each other. But their relationship changes a lot. There is a lot of chemistry between them, but it's often off the page. I liked the romance, despite the "physical" side of the romance not really being there.
There were a lot of wonderful secondary characters in this book! Rev, Declan's best friend, who has a heartbreaking past but a positive outlook on life. He is an amazing friend and I loved their bromance. He's one of my favorites, and I can't wait to read his story next. Rowan, Juliet's best friend, who is so supportive and such a good best friend. Then there is "Melonhead" (his name is Frank), who is Declan's community service supervisor. He actually plays a huge and very positive role in Declan's life, and I'm glad he is in the story. Same with Rev's parents. Positive role models - not like Declan's mother and stepfather. Ugh, to both of them.
The ending is perfect! Things work out well for Declan in many areas of his life. It's not like all of his problems are fixed overnight, but he takes a lot of baby steps in the right direction. Same with Juliet. And of course, same for the two of them, in terms of togetherness. Although, I have to say, we need an epilogue, or a loooooot of cameo appearances in Rev's book. There is a distinct lack of physical swoon that needs to be made up for, in Rev's book!
What I Did Not Like:
The only thing I wanted more of was the thing I just mentioned - more physical swoon. I shared a snippet of this book on my latest Swoon Thursday post, and notice how it isn't a kissy swoon! Yeah, there could have been more kissy scenes. A lot more.
Would I Recommend It:
YA contemporary fan or not (I'm not one), I recommend this book. It is such a meaningful and thought-provoking book. Also, I can't remember the last time I got that swept up in a story, to the point where I unintentionally finish it or stay up really late without being aware. (I stay up late reading books all the time but it's always intentional). There are a lot of tough topics explored in this book, but it's not overwhelmingly heavy. This is an excellent story that is powerful beyond it being a YA contemporary story about two teens who meet in more than one way.
Rating:
4.5 stars -> rounded up to 5 stars (a rare 5 stars from me!). I am incredibly excited to read Rev's book next year! So far I'm seven for seven with Kemmerer's books and I have yet to be really disappointed. While I certainly do recommend her Elemental series, I recommend this book even more so! -
“One day isn’t your life…a day is just a day.”
Boy am I surprised with my rating!
Sana's review sums it up pretty well – I was expecting cheese, pointless teenage drama, a lot of sickening “I can’t live without you” melodrama, and not a whole lot else.
But I was WRONG guys. So wrong. This was full of pain and trauma, hope and love, desperation and fear, honesty and friendship. I cried. Real tears. Actual eye leakage. I can’t believe it.
So Juliet writes letters to her mother who died in a freak car accident, she leaves them on her grave and that is that. Until one day she receives a reply. At first she is pissed off. Who does this person think they are? Reading her private letters and having the nerve to respond? But eventually they start a pen pal relationship and soon both are spilling their darkest secrets.
Declan Murphy is a loser with a record. At least that is all anyone sees when they look at him. He got drunk and wrecked his dad’s truck. No one cares why he did this, or what could have been going through his mind – he is just written off, by everyone except his best friend Rev. When he reads a letter left at one of the graves during his Community Service he connects with the writing and understands the pain within it, he can’t help but respond.
As Juliet (Cemetary Girl) and Declan (The Dark) move their letters to the electronic world of email (I got serious A Cinderella Story vibes – love that film!) Juliet and Declan actually do meet in real life, not that they know who the other person really is to them. And they can’t stand one another!
Usually I don’t get the whole enemies to lovers thing, if you don’t like someone to begin with – I think there’s probably a reason for it. HOWEVER, in this instance they really don’t know one another (apart from secretly, which neither of them has worked out haha) they only know OF one another, and the parts of themselves they choose to show the world which isn’t NEARLY enough to get even a snapshot of their real lives and emotions.
I also loved that the romance took a back seat. This wasn’t a “romance fixes everything” story. This was two people, struggling with some really dark stuff – finding solace in writing down their thoughts and feelings to someone else. There were plenty of shocks and twists along the way (which I honestly didn’t expect at all), truly great friendships and at its heart, a feeling that we are never alone.
I loved it, and my eyes were misty. Also shout out to Warda whose shining review convinced me to pick this up in the first place :) <3
“I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.” -
I’m beginning to think I have a different idea of what’s emotional because I am yet again baffled by the lack of intense emotions I was supposed to have felt reading this. According to the reviews, I should be heartbroken right now. Destroyed. Spent. Instead, I was BORED. I’m sorry but I. Was. Bored. Out of my mind.
I appreciate the premise of the book, it deals with grief, anger, guilt, as well as healing and acceptance. To be able to move on and begin anew. All of which sounded so enticing yet something was amiss. It didn’t tug at my heart strings as I’d hoped. I also hated the execution and one of the main leads.
First off, NOTHING HAPPENED in this book. NOTHING. The two MCs wrote letters back and forth to each other, talked about their grief (which I can certainly appreciate) but... that was about it. Not much else aside from this happened.
Second, I loved and felt for Declan so much but it took about the first 30 pages for Juliet and myself to get on the wrong side of each other. It was never the same after that.
Her hostile and petty attitude deterred me from fully enjoying the novel and forming any kind of emotional connection with her. To say I hated her would be a gross understatement. So much so that I wanted to skip all her POVs and only read Declan’s but I get stressed out about skipping parts in books so I pushed through it by the skin of my teeth.
She makes so many horrible assumptions about people she knows nothing about and says things that simply make you cringe and want to scream - just STFU! All it takes her is a single second to form a despicable opinion by which point she precedes to judge them based off of second hand rumours, their look, attire choices, etc...
I loath judgmental characters. If there’s one sure way to guarantee my instant loss of interest, it’s presenting me with presumptuous, judgmental characters. Juliet was the worst kind of judgmental. She’d throw these petty and hateful remarks at people then blames everyone and gets angry about it when her hostile, antagonistic remarks are not received with grace.
She was aggravating and despicable to the max and I loathed her with a passion. I could not stand her.
She got better in the second half but by then the damage had already been done.
Declan, the second perspective, who was also tormented with grief & guilt, and his kind, gentle and supportive best friend Rev were the only redeeming qualities of this book.
All in all, it was alright. By no means groundbreaking. -
You know when you need a book but you’re not even sure what you exactly need and then you win some theoretical lottery bc YOU PICKED THE RIGHT DAMN BOOK
That’s me right now.
(s)
I’m LEGIT a sucker for anything resembling You’ve Got Mail (you can blame
Peppa Pig for that). This is like my 5thretellingbook with a similar plot and gosh damn give me more.
But honestly this book was so much more than just passing cute notes back and forth, it was about sorrow and grief and friendship and family and giving yourself a second chance. Oh my Lord, there were so many touching and inspirational moments. THESE KIDS KILL ME.
I shrug and try not to make this seem like a big deal. “There’s always tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” he agrees. “There’s always tomorrow.”
The writing was SO easy to read, it was engaging, entertaining, captivating and beyond all, EVERYTHING I FRICKEN NEEDED RIGHT NOW.
And you know how when you have these kind of stories you always assume the boy will come and save the girl. Like bam they meet, kiss kiss, and all the sadness goes away, but it wasn’t like that
They didn’t instantly solve each other’s problems in a single hallway glance it was like they encouraged and supported each other from behind anonymous usernames but they still had to work it out on their own and reach their own closure
But it’s not all grief. Letters to the Lost was also funny and cute, I mean really cute like I was clutching my heart and squealing like a literal 6 year old and im not even ashamed about it
The characters are so utterly fricken flawed and it’s absolutely refreshing and so brilliant. Also, Rev is my son and I need to see more of his adorable face plz.
Also for a contemporary, this sure does have a lot of twists and turns and they’re so unexpected that when it hits you, you’re like W H O A ! ! *screams into the void for 13 hours*
Basically, I just want everyone in the world to read this book bc it made me so fricken happy
(s)
Gahhhh, I’m going to go participate in some existentialist stuff bc I can’t handle that I finished the book so quickly. Need more ;-;
“We're all united by grief, and somehow divided by the same thing.”
5 stars!! -
5 stars
“One day isn't your whole life. A day is just a day.”
Letters to the Lost is a stunning story about grief, moving on, and seeing past the ordinary. It’s a beautiful coming of age story that gave me so many feels. I adored it.
Juliet and Declan couldn’t seem more different if they tried. They go to the same high school, but they don’t run in the same crowds. Declan is a bad boy, and Juliet is a good student, into photography, and outgoing. Or she used to be, until she lost her mom. Declan and Juliet first ‘meet’ when Declan is doing his community service and finds a letter at a grave. He can relate, so he writes back. This turns into a pen-pal relationship of sorts.
The letters. The emails. The communication between Declan and Juliet. That was my favorite part of the story. I loved watching them connect, trust one another, relate to one another, and start to fall for one another, without having any idea who each one is.
“Do you believe in fate? Sometimes I want to. I want to believe that we all walk some path toward… something, and our paths intertwine for a reason. Like this, the way we’ve found each other. The way you told me the right story when I so desperately needed to hear it.”
The connection that these two characters had was something. It just shows you that opposites truly do attract sometimes, and people are so much more than what they seem. I read Rev’s book before this one, so I already kind of knew Declan, but I loved seeing more of his story. His past broke my heart. The pain, grief, and responsibility he felt was crushing. And Juliet is also drowning in grief. These two needed each other more than they ever could have known.
I just have to make a note that I listened to the audio book of this, and Kirby Heybourne voiced Declan. Kirby also voices Josh in TSOT and let me tell you, his voice is magical. He doesn’t just narrate, you feel the characters through him. I can’t even explain it, he does an amazing job voice acting and I can’t recommend listening to this one enough. Brittany Pressely also does a good job voicing Juliet.
Brigid Kemmerer, if you haven’t read her, you need to. She has a new fan in me. I’ve loved both of the books I’ve read by this author, but this, by far, is my favorite. Moving, heart-wrenching, and gave me all the feels. Truly, my best YA book of 2018 and a must read! -
°⋆♡︎.ೃ࿔:･ "𝒟𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒻𝒶𝓉𝑒? 𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜. 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓌𝒶𝓁𝓀 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝑜𝓌𝒶𝓇����… 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽𝓈 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓉𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒶 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑜𝓃. 𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝑒’𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜𝓁𝒹 𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝐼 𝓈𝑜 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒾𝓉." ಇ.
:¨ ·.· ¨:
`· . ୨୧
“𝒲𝑒'𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓊𝓃𝒾𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝑔𝓇𝒾𝑒𝒻, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝒹𝒾𝓋𝒾𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔.” -`♡´-
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
“𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒶 𝓅𝑜𝒾𝓃𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝒽𝓊𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝓉𝑜𝑜 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓁𝓁 𝒹𝑜 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝓇𝒾𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃.”
⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆
Letters to the Lost is about confronting your own demons, about facing loss, dealing with family problems, friendship, and love. It is a beautiful young adult contemporary that deals with so many issues.
Juliet Young has always written letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother’s death, she leaves letters at her grave. It’s the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he’s trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can’t resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither of them knows that they’re not actually strangers. When real life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.
Brigid Kemmerer has become a go-to author for me.. I know without a doubt that I can pick up a book she has written and it will be pure gold. She writes YA in such a complex, deep and emotional way-her books don't give a traditional YA feel to me.. I love them!
Honestly, I'm at a loss for words with this one.. I'll add more later.
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Don’t you think it’s funny how people say “lost” as if they were just misplaced? But maybe it’s a different meaning of “lost,” in that you don’t know where they went.
In this book we have Juliet and Declan, two teenagers who have lost someone in their life and still are not over their death. When Declan finds a note on the gravestone while he is working in the graveyard for his community service, he replies back. At first Juliet, who wrote the note to her dead mother, is angry that how could anyone read something private, but after a few correspondence, they become good friends who share about what they are going through and helping the other person with their grief.
Sometimes you get to a point where it hurts too much, and you’ll do anything to get rid of the pain. Even if it means doing something that hurts someone else.
Let's be honest here. I only read this book because all of my friends on gr had read it and they had rated it 5 stars. So I was very curious about what's so good in this book that everyone's reading it andthreateningsuggesting others to read it. But here I am who's going to do the same thing.Read this book or 🔪🔪.It's really good.
I feel like I’m faking it, though. I’m a balloon, waiting for someone to stick me with a pin so I pop, leaving a torn pile of latex on the ground.
I really loved how grief was discussed in this book. How losing someone close to us feels like losing a limb. How there are two types of people -1. who knows nothing about you and don't give a shit about how you feel and 2. who knows nothing about you but still try hard to make you feel better. Declan's mother and stepfather lies in the first category. All they see is a boy who'll only cause harm to their family and not seeing how broken he is because of them. Rev,their English teacher, their photography teacher, Frank a.k.a Melonhead belong to the second category. I really hate Juliet's mother for a lot of reasons which are filled with spoilers so I won't say more.
We are cruel
Why you ask?
We don't know what someone's going through at the time
We think that what we are doing is right
But what's the point when our right can destroy their life?
We are just ticking bombs trying to find a way to defuse ourselves
So desperate to live a good life
That we don't realize the mess we'll left behind with a single mistake
Either we learn to defuse ourselves or be prepared for the casualties we'll make in our way -
“Am I stronger than you thought I was?”
“You’re exactly as strong as I thought you were.”
YA at its best. I gobbled this book up in one night, I just couldn't get enough. Everything about this book was just perfection. And it really made me realize that you really have no idea what someone else is going through.
This is a story about two broken people who help each other heal through a written correspondence. Juliet and Declan writing to one another about their grief brought me to tears quite a few times. It was awesome that they were there for one another without really knowing eachother.
One aspect of the book I LOVed was Declan and Rev's friendship. I am a major fan of guy best friendships. Declan and Rev were no exception to that. They'd been best friends since kids and know everything about eachother, they're practically brothers. They're both outcasts with little to no experience with girls which I found refreshing and adorable.
‘One who has unreliable friends may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’
If I could, I'd dive into this book and give all these characters a hug. I can't wait to re-read More than we can tell! -
3.5 stars rounded up to a 4
"Me Too" are words we are currently hearing a lot in the media, and these two words also pack a powerful punch in this book.
Juliet Young has always written letters to her mother who traveled the world as a photojournalist. When her Mother dies, Juliet continues writing her letters without thinking the letters will ever be answered. Then one day a letter was answered with two words "Me Too"
Two simple words that have a lot of meaning. Just who has answered back and why?
Declan Murphy finds a letter left on a grave, curious he reads it and decides to answer back. Because he can relate to what is written. He is surprised when he gets an answer back.
Neither Juliet nor Declan know who the other is, they never write their names on their letters. Not knowing who the other person they are writing to makes it easier for both open up and share their thoughts and feelings but what they don't know is that they have met.
This book is YA but is easily enjoyed by all. Juliet is the good girl and Declan is the "bad boy". But is this your typical good girl-bad boy book? I liked how the Author shows how our perceptions of others can get in the way of our interactions with them. just because someone does something wrong, does that make them bad for life or just someone who made a mistake? If someone is quiet and sullen is it because they are cold and indifferent, or could it be because they are in pain or suffering? What happens when you build an invisible wall around yourself and begin to let someone inside your barriers, when you let someone see your true self?
This book is also not your typical YA romance because both characters are dealing with grief. They both have sadness and loss in their lives. Both are trying to cope in their own way while silently reaching out to the other through their letters.
Some of the book is a little cliché - troubled bad boy with evil step-parent but that is easily overlooked in lieu of plot. I liked how this book dealt with grief, family issues, setting aside your boundaries, showing who you really are, being vulnerable, acceptance, trust, second chances, friendship, and young love.
See more of my reviews at
www.openbookpost.com -
“We're all united by grief, and somehow divided by the same thing.”
I never realized how much I needed this.
Before starting my review, many thanks to
Bhavya for this recommendation!
As you guys know, I usually don't care much for romance novels. I always find them too mushy and cheesy for my taste. So, when I started this, I was expecting cheesiness, annoying characters, and a nonexistent plot.
I was wrong.
Bhavya, you have changed my opinion of the romance genre...I didn't even know that's possible but it is... You deserve a medal XD.
You know what? Here:
Moving on, Letters to the Lost is a romance novel with outstanding, relatable characters, an interesting plot, and beautiful writing.
Starting with the plot:
Juliet, the main character is grieving her mother's death. To cope with it, she writes letters to her grave. When her mom was alive, Juliet would write letters to her all the time. So even after he death, Juliet continued their tradition.
But, everything changes, when a boy named Declan reads one of Juliet's letters. He finds that he can relate to Juliet's pain-filled letters. So he writes back.
And thus begins an anonymous friendship. They write back, talking about their problems, and make each other grow.
It was quite intriguing to see their relationship grow. They don't know each other's names, but they go to the same high school. So when they bump into each other in real life, they wouldn't pay each other any attention. But through the letters, they would pour themselves out to each other.
The thing I liked about this plot: The romance was honestly a sub-plot. There were so many other things going on in Juliet's and Declan's life, the romance wasn't a huge deal.
Not only that, but there were also many plot twists which I didn't see coming. I was so shocked when it turned out or when
These plot twists gave a total twist to the plot and I enjoyed the crazy ride.
In addition, this book had morals. Really important life lessons. For example, look at the quote I chose and put above. I chose it for a reason.
Think about the quote. Like really think deep.
It's true, isn't it? That quote isn't only making a statement, but I also feel like it's implying something. You can choose grief to let it divide you, or let it unite you. It's your choice how you cope.
Anyways, this plot was amazing. It was engaging, had beautiful plot twists, and had a lot of life lessons.
Continuing to the characters:
The characters were given so much depth! I found I could emotionally connect to them, I loved them so much. I will briefly mention my favorite side characters.
Juliet: She was amazing! Juliet, one of the main characters, has been going through a rough time lately. Her mother passed away a few months ago. To cope, Juliet writes letters to her mom's grave. But then, someone (Declan) reads her letter and writes back. Juliet, at first, is really mad. But as she starts communicating with her anonymous companion, she learns so many things!
Juliet learns that people are there for her, and she should not bottle up her feelings. She even learns to not to be afraid to try new things. Her teacher, encouraged her to pursue her old passion of photography, which she had stopped after her mother's death.
She grew so much! From a sad, depressed girl, to a brave young lady willing to try anything new!
Declan: He was spectacular! Declan, a high-schooler working at a cemetery, had a rough childhood. His father was a drunk who killed his younger sister. In grief, on the day of his mother's second wedding, he steals his dad's car and crashes it into a building. He gets arrested, but then is released. But he has to work at a cemetery to make up for it. His step-father, Alan, is a jerk to him. His mother doesn't exactly do anything to stop it.
So when Declan finds Juliet's letter, he finds he can relate to Juliet's pain. Loss, grief, and anger.
Declan grew tremendously too! Juliet taught him to open up to others, and encouraged him to talk his problems out. His teacher even encouraged him to try harder in school!
So from a high-school nobody, he grew to a trustworthy, smart man! Impressive growth. :)
Favorite Side Characters:
Rowan: She was just so sweet! Rowan, Juliet's best friend, was always there for Juliet. Whenever Juliet needed her, she would be there right away. She is definitely who you would want as a best friend!
Rev: He was quite interesting. Rev, who is Declan's best friend was also always there for Declan. However, he had a complicated past. He went through abuse and many hardships. But, he was always there for Declan and I appreciated that. The next book is about him, and I hope he gets his happy ending!
Juliet's Dad: He was so considerate! Juliet honestly completely took him for granted in the beginning. But he cared about Juliet...in his own way. He gave Juliet food, made sure she was okay, checked in on her during hard times, and so much more! But the one thing that made me add him to this list was I found that so considerate, and hard to do! He put Juliet's happiness in front of his.
Shout-out to teachers:
I would just like to say, the author portrayed the teachers in this book perfectly. The teachers really helped both Declan and Juliet find their passions and heal. They understand their students, which I found really beautiful. Teachers shouldn't just teach you things. They should become your life long companions, and care about you!
Let's move on to the writing:
The writing was so beautiful! The writing was mainly like a typical YA book, but with more depth. The author covered very tough and deep topics in an engaging, and easy to understand format. I found it very creative how the author implied all these life messages. Loved the writing!
Ending with the romance:
This is one of the rare times where I'm saying, the romance was perfect. I repeat, perfect.
A lot of romances I read have toxic relationships, threats, and the characters downgrading for their love interest.
This book was the polar opposite. Throughout the book, Declan and Juliet help each other out, by giving each other life advice. The two help each other cope from trauma, and their relationship develops beautifully. No insta-love, no love triangle, no toxic relationships.
They helped each other grow tremendously throughout the book. Juliet taught Declan how to open up to others, and Declan taught Juliet to never be afraid to try something new.
This is exactly how romance needs to be portrayed in books. Authors need to learn that love isn't about hugging and kissing. It's about being there for each other, understanding each other, and to make each other grow. <3
i really loved the romance in this book, it was so heart-warming!
Overall I really loved this book. It was so beautiful watching these characters grow into lovely young adults. I am very proud of them. I am looking forward to reading the next book, I hope Rev gets his happy ending!
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Oh. My. God. Why can't all romance books be like this?? This was SO good, review to come!
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Excited for this book! -
“When everything goes to hell around you, the only way to go is forward.”
5⭐
I love this book soo freakin much!! This book IMO is not just a romance, it deals with anger. sorrow and loss and soo many other things<3
Plot
Our MC, Juliet writes letters to her mother who died a while ago. She leaves them in her cemetery knowing that no one else would see it or even care about it. But when Declan Murphy a teen like her who is battling anger and loss comes across these letters, he finally feels like someone understands him. What follows is a beautiful story where two strangers help each other deal with their losses and help each other become better persons!<33
Romance
The romance was absolutely beautiful. This book is a romance, but I felt it's more than that. The last scene where Jules and Dec finally meet is super cute. I will forever ship them!
Their relationship is an example of a healthy relationship. They help each other become better people and support each other<3
Soo damn cute<3
Writing
The writing was absolutely beautiful I'm already a fan of Brigid Kemmer's writing from the Curse breakers series! I loved the conversations between Jules and Dec!
The way she effortlessly navigates difficult topics is great!
I loved it!!!
Characters!!
Do I have A favorite character? No
Do I have favourite characters? Yes yes I doooo
I love all of the characters!
Jules and Declan are great MCs. They are flawed, yet I love them soo much!
The side characters are great as well. Rowan and Rev are great friends!
Yes they dooo<33
Final thoughts
Ok so I got 2 things out of reading this book
A.I found my fav contemporary book!!!
B.Bhavya is not gng to kill me 😊🔪
YAY!
But srsly, I loveeeeee this book.
Everyone should read it.
Right now.
This instant.
Check out Bhavya's review for
Letters to the lost
This is my review for Letters to the lost<3
My rating system:
5⭐ - I loved it soo much! New favorite
4⭐ - It was really good! But something was missing
3⭐ - It was nice..but had more potential
2⭐ - I did not like it at all!... It could have been soo much better
1⭐ - Nope. Just No. I hate it -
Tego się nie spodziewałam. Naprawdę, zaskakująco dobra rzecz
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#1
Letters to the Lost ★★★★★
#2
More Than We Can Tell ★★★☆☆
I’d heard somewhat mixed reviews from my friends on this book, but after learning that the ARC of Brigid’s I’d been approved for,
More Than We Can Tell, is meant to be read after this one, I decided to go ahead and read it – and I couldn’t put it down. Don’t get me wrong, Letters is an incredibly sad story filled with grief, pain, and regret, but there’s also something tremendously heart-warming and comforting in Brigid’s writing.“What you wrote implies that you understand agony. I don’t think you do. If you did, you wouldn’t have interfered with mine.”
I’m such a sucker for romances and friendships that form through written correspondence, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done while being intermingled with an enemies-to-lovers trope, and this book executes it in such a fun, captivating way. From the start, Juliet and Declan can hardly stand each other – Juliet is self-absorbed and terrified of his large stature and stoic, harsh mannerisms, while Declan has written her off as just another pretty girl who thinks she’s out of his league.“When everything goes to hell around you, the only way to go is forward.”
While I honestly loved Declan from the beginning – I have such a soft spot for angsty, hurting “bad boys” – Juliet was fairly unlikable at the start, mostly due to the way she treats the people around her. She’s hurting, and her mother’s passing is recent, so she lashes out constantly, whether it’s at Declan, her father, or her friends. The thing about her behavior, though, is you can’t help but empathize for her even when she’s at her worst.“One day isn't your whole life. A day is just a day.”
It takes some time for Juliet to come around, but Declan is the shining star of character development in this story, if you ask me. In the beginning, he’s at the edge of a cliff, and it’s taking everything in him to make it through one day at a time. He’s living with guilt that nobody should bear, being harassed by his step-father and forgotten by his mother in the wake of his younger sister’s passing. There were moments in his narrative where I was so worried about what would happen to him, but he becomes so strong, and under all the pain and rage is this mushy little teddy bear that just wants to protect the people he loves.Sometimes I think fate conspires against us. Or maybe fate conspires with us.
Of course, I can’t review this book without talking about Declan’s best friend, Rev, who is hilarious, awkward, precious, and a delightful addition to every scene he’s in. I loved his character so much, and I didn’t realize until after finishing this book that he’s the star of the follow-up story, so now I’m twice as excited for that one as I already was. I can’t wait to see where life takes him next, and to get to know him and his sordid past a little bit better.“You’re okay,” he says again. I like that, how he’s so sure. Not, “Are you okay?” No question about it. You’re okay.
If you enjoy YA contemporaries about grief and healing, or if you’re just like me and you can’t resist a good falling-in-love-through-emails trope, pick this one up right away – you won’t regret it. -
I am honestly torn of what I should read this because on one hand I really enjoyed the story but on the other hand some things were just super annoying and confusing to me.
I did not like Juliet. She was so judgy and not a very likeable main character. Her and her best friend are a prime example of why people get bullied for something they did not even do because they believe every rumor and spread them and put people into boxes and stereotype them all.
I am aware that Juliet learns throughout this book but ehr friend does not and that made both of them extremely unlikeable.
On the other hand we have Declan who I felt so sorry for especially whenever he talked about his family. He had the most character development and went through a lot of healing in this book which is why this story has a higher rating. I think he really tried hard with his mother but it was made really realistic especially with the giving up factor since I relate to that a lot.
I also cried while reading about him since a lot of the depressive thoughts he had are something I struggle with and yeah hat just made me bawl my eyes out.
I did not however like the romance in this book. I wish this was more of a development story for Declan than a romance story between him and Juliet.
The letters were amazing and I think they would have been better as friends but when they got tether I just felt no chemistry at all.
I wish there had been more focus on Juliet'a relationship with her dad as well since the awkwardness between them was not only relatable but sad and I wanted to see more healing. -
July 13, 2020
I know everyone said how good this book is, but I never imagined it's THIS good. Wow. I sobbed from start to end. And what's better than crying together with the narrator? It's something everyone should experience at least once in their life.
The moral of this story is:
There are a lot of people out there in the world and you never know which one of them will change your life for ever.
Just be nice.
Have a courage to ask for help.
You are not alone.
I promise.
We are here and ready to listen. -
::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED :::
Juliet Young writes letters to her mother... and leaves them at her grave.
She never imagined someone would write back...
***DEEP BREATH*** This book intrigued me from the moment I read the blurb. I like to find balance among all the books I read and since recently I've read many lighter, sexier romances, I was craving something a little more heavy and serious. This book immediately came to mind because the blurb really stuck with me -- the idea of characters becoming close without ever having met or knowing each other's identities were fascinated me. When I opened it, I was captivated by the story in the first two pages and literally read it straight through to the end without stopping.
In tone and feeling, this is a very serious book. Deep. Thoughtful. Painful. Hopeful. And incredibly well written!! It’s a quiet but powerful story. It’s not a Romance but there is a love story. It’s more about PEOPLE. Friendship. Family. Love. Loss. More like mature YA fiction in terms of genre (the hero and heroine are both seventeen and in their last year of high school but have each survived experiences that made them sometimes seem older than their years) but I do want to reassure you that there is a happy ending. The writing was beautiful. It flowed so smoothly and I definitely know I'd want to read another book by this author just because she wrote it. I loved the vivid imagery and the way she conveyed emotion. I highlighted so many passages. The characters were complex and compelling. The story was intriguing, surprising, and ultimately deeply satisfying. In every way, this book was the perfect “change of pace” I'd been searching for and while it was very DIFFERENT than what I'd normally read/review, I loved it!!Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers...
The letters they wrote to each other were so thought provoking. Many of them gave me chills and shivers. There's a raw honesty to opening up to someone who doesn't know you but that you feel you can trust. It's like you bare your soul without fear of judgement. Each letter had weight, if that makes sense. They just conveyed so much.
It's worth mentioning again how much I loved the writing. Not only was it beautiful, but the pacing of the story was on point -- always moving forward, no 'extra' scenes, no parts of the book that I wanted to skim. I felt very connected to this story the whole way through.
This story addresses a lot of important themes of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, family life, loss, healing, bullying, judgment, unfairness of societal standards, and struggling to find a place to belong and make amends. The heroine is struggling in a world without her mother -- a parent she'd lost to a dangerous job she kept choosing to return to even at the risk that one day it might leave her daughter without a mother. And the hero is struggling with loss as well, and judgement from everyone around him. He's automatically labeled as a screw up and lives life having to prove himself every step of the way and it's exhausting and demoralizing. But in the midst of their pain comes these moment of hope that give them reason to think that maybe they can help each other come through to the other side.Do you believe in fate? Sometimes I want to. I want to believe that we all walk some path toward… something, and our paths intertwine for a reason. Like this, the way we’ve found each other. The way you told me the right story when I so desperately needed to hear ti.
Their anonymity allows them to open up to each other in ways they'd never have been able to face to face. It gives them a safe zone without judgement, labels, or bias. Just one person spilling their heart to another -- connecting, sharing, trying to rationalize, understand, come to terms with the things that have happened to them and the people they loved. All their letters had a profound impact on my but the revelations towards the end had my heart racing and I read as fast as I could. I really loved the way the ending came together.
I'd consider this to have been a really fantastic reading experience. It was a very well written with well developed characters. I rarely read this genre, but the way Juliet and Declan subtly fell in love with each other through their letters gave my romantic heart just enough to keep me happy. Ultimately, this was a complete change of pace from what I usually read but I loved it and would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different!
Rating: 4.5 stars! Standalone Mature YA Fiction.
Buy LETTERS TO THE LOST (Kindle)
Buy LETTERS TO THE LOST (Hardcover)
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Actual rating: 3.5⭐
It's a sad story about two people finding each other in a struggle of grief. At a very young age, they have faced such hard reality in their own lives, which was truly painful. I felt their sorrow, guilt, tears, hopelessness, and anger throughout the book and kind of kept rooting for them.
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨, 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣.”
There were a lot of meaningful messages in this story that will make us think about a lot of things. 80% of the book was going great until suddenly, every complex situation turned into a simple happy ending. Confused, I read the same paragraph over and over again and asked myself, "Did I miss something?" Normally, this type of family problem causes negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and anger. And it's not easy to get rid of those issues overnight or in a week. In fact, this requires more solid confrontation and should be written more neatly in the novel. I know it's just fiction, but it felt like an injustice to the protagonists, who suffered endlessly. It's sad to see so much potential wasted. So you can guess why I couldn't give it more than 3.5 stars. -
i just don't think the bad-boy-who-acts-like-a-total-dickhead-because-tragic-backstory-but-really-has-a-heart-of-gold will ever be my type.
and the same goes for girls in the same trope.
so, like. not for me. but i can see the appeal if i close one eye and try hard. -
Okay full five starts and added to favourites because I can’t stop thinking about this novel and how much I love it.
***
Rounding it up to five stars because I think it deserves it.
*takes deep breaths*
I’m crying. This was so beautiful I can’t even, bro. My heart got broken, mended and melted multiple times. What I loved most was—also is the same thing that broke my heart—Declan’s struggle with the labels and how people kept judging him without really knowing much about him at all. And while he had his best friend with him, without parental support when they actually do exist, how lonely and sad is that? But it was dealt with so beautifully and realistically, and oh I loved it so much. I loved this book so much.
Not only that, while the characters were flawed, their development is on point. Not to mention, it’s also super cute and had a bunch of moments where I was squealing and giggling.
There’s so much to this book that I feel like no matter what I write I won’t do it justice. Just go read. I swear it’s worth it. -
5 stars!
I feel so lucky that so far all the YA books that I've read have been winners for me! I have to admit I haven't been reading too many of them lately since it's getting harder and harder to find good ones. But I want to say "this one, this one right here" is the reason I'll always read YA! "Letters To The Lost" was so much more than the blurb so so much more.
So here it goes Juliette, has recently lost her mom she feels lost without her, and so she starts writing her letters and leaving them at her grave. Declan, works at the cemetery and sees one of the letters and reads it he feels such a pull from Juliette's word that he writes back two words "me too" those words change everything.
What starts as angry letters become a connection of two people that share painful loses. I want to say that this book's main focus is not romance per se but a bound between Juliette and Declan. It was heart breaking to see them both in despair trying to find a life line in moments when they were so lost. But through those letters they find each other. The courage and voice they had lost.
I went trough so many emotions with this book and even cried tears of frustration I think it was a first for me. Both Juliette and Declan changed so much by the end. They both realized how they had misconceptions of not just each other but their parents. But also had a new appreciation of the ones they thought didn't deserve it.
Loved this book, well written, well paced with a wonderful message of how in our darkest moments just one person reaching out to you can make such a positive difference. Not of battling our fights but giving us the strength to do it ourselves. This book is definitely one of my favorites of 2017!❤️ -
❥ 4.5 / 5 stars
Have you ever been judged by others because of one mistake you did or only one side of you they see?
I have and I could say that it’s kinda sad because when they judge you, they might not even know the real you and the reasons why you did what you did.
Declan, one of the two protagonists, is also the one who has been judged by others because of the record he had and the personalities he showed but if you at least have a chance to get to know him (the real him), you would see that he is not like as others said and there are reasons behind his actions. And fortunately for him, there are more people who finally see him and understand him aside from Rev, his best friend, like Juliette, Alan and also his mom.
I just want to say that ‘You shouldn’t judge others suddenly from what you see or what you hear because every coin has two sides and it might be the only side of him / her that you know.’
This is my favorite quote from this book :”When everything goes to hell around you, the only way to go is forward.”
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*Price drop to $1.99 at Amazon US today, 8/1/18*
Brigid Kemmerer does it again with a heartfelt, moving YA romance featuring a winning cast of characters. Get ready to feel things, folks!
I'm a huge
Brigid Kemmerer fan, and I talk about her books to anyone who will listen. Her
Elemental Series has not one but TWO books on my very exclusive all-time-favorites list, and I know what a true talent this author is.
Letters to the Lost reminds me very much of a
Katie McGarry book in a good way. It is very angsty and a little depressing, but it never pushed me over my "heavy" limit. It did, however, make me want to hug the two MCs (and Rev, the best friend) very, very tightly.
The best thing about
Letters to the Lost is how compulsively readable it is. Brigid Kemmerer has a great sense of flow and pacing, and things never lagged, never grew dull. She kept everything swiftly moving, yet she really let the characters shine. The romance felt very organic and inevitable, which I always love. Though the book is YA (and the romance stays in strictly PG territory), the book never felt juvenile. It felt real and important, something that is often tricky to pull off.
Sure, the concept isn't the most original in the world. I swear I've read a book with a similar plot-line, actually, but I couldn't place it. However, despite the fact that the story-line felt familiar, I thought it was an excellent read. And I CANNOT be any more excited for Rev's story. I mean, he practically stole the book, so a story from his POV would be divine. I think this is a series to watch.
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review* -
(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley.)
“There is agony in that picture. Every time I look at it, I think, “I know exactly how she feels.””
This was a YA contemporary story, about two people brought together by grief.
Juliet was an interesting character, and it was clear that losing her mum had really destroyed her. I did think that the letter writing seemed to help her though, especially when Declan started writing back! Declan was another interesting character, if a little rough around the edges, and I really wanted to know more about why he had done what he had done to end up doing community service.
The storyline in this was about Juliet writing letters to her dead mother and leaving them at her grave, and Declan finding them and replying. At first Juliet was shocked, but once they started talking to each other over email, and realised that they both were hurting over losing someone, they seemed to start supporting each other, which was nice to see. There was a little bit of mystery to the story, and a couple of plot points which were a little easy to guess, but this was an enjoyable story overall. I wouldn’t call this a romance though, as we basically got no romance at all until the very, very end.
The ending to this was quite good, and I liked the way that things turned out for Juliet and Declan.
7 out of 10
