I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer Published by Bloomsbury Children's on April 6th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 393
Format: E-Arc
Source: Netgalley
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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. This emotional, compulsively-readable romance will sweep everyone off their feet.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading Letters to the Lost. But whatever it was it wasn’t this. This was a beautiful, amazing and well written book that just screamed perfection. I knew this was a good one from the very first page, from that moment I was hooked and I could have stayed up all night to read it.
This is an emotional read from start to finish. There is humour but its dark and deadly and sarcastic. If you’re after a happy book, I recommend that you pick up a different book. But if you after something with feeling. With the ability to capture your imagination and your heart then this is the book for you.
I loved Declan and Juliet. I felt that their connection through the letter was real and honest. Both needed the secretiveness of the letters to spill their secrets. To grieve. To move on and connect with the world again. Both had been so closed off before, this was a chance to open up to things they both have kept hidden for so long.
I felt that Juliet’s grief was real. Yet despite the pain, she remained so strong and determined to carry on. You could tell how much her mum meant to her and you could easily see what sort of mother-daughter bond they had. Declan was a little more difficult to read. But in so many ways I felt more sorry for him than for Juliet. Because in a way he had lost not only his sister but his whole family.
Letters to the Lost is a book full of sweet moments and heartbreak. This is a book that will literally sweep you off your feet. Hope is a key ingredient to this book, and it is hope that you will find in every page. Even if you weren’t looking for it.
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