Letters to the Lost

by Brigid Kemmerer

"Juliet Young has always written letters to her mother, a world famous photojournalist--even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. When Declan finds a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist the urge to write back. Soon, he is sharing his pain with a perfect stranger. When real life interferes with their secret life of letters, Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart"--

• ISBN10: 1681190087
• ISBN13: 9781681190082
• Publish Date: 4 April 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
• Imprint: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Raven]

Ahh. A contemporary romance without a love triangle, petty drama, and with fleshed out side characters? This book in a unicorn in a library.

I loved everything about this. It covers deep topics like death and acceptance through grieving. The characters are believable and loveable. I spent most of the book falling in love with the best friend, Rev and wishing he was the male lead instead. I know the second book is about him, and it actually makes me scared to read it, because I love him that much, I can't bare to be disappointed, I so hope it's just as good as this one.

There were so many amazing quotes from this as well. It really makes you think and consider your own views on death and grieving. I was really really impressed.

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

Wow. Just... W. O. W.

I have it on good authority that this has moved up through the ranks for good, effortlessly gliding past all my other favorite contemporaries, without hesitation, but funnily enough, without realization until now... up to slot No. 1. I was just too engrossed in Letters to the Lost to notice it sneaking up on me all the while.
Because of A Curse So Dark and Lonely & AHSFAB and then now this?

...Kemmerer is now 100% an auto-buy, auto-sort to ‘favorite authors’ shelf. No questions asked.

I recommend this 1000%. I love Brigid Kemmerer so, so, so much. I can’t say that enough. I think she is absolutely brilliant- such a talented writer. A sorceress of emotional manipulation- evoking emotions you didn’t even know were lurking around in your soul, awaiting an out... until BAM! There they are.

So; I just wrote 2-3 sentences & then deleted them, both around 10 times (each a different combination of the same reactions & emotions; all variations on the same theme)....
This book was so perfect that I have this overwhelming, currently insurmountable, need to GET. THIS. RIGHT.
So many feelings, and thoughts, and words, and just, raw emotions, are bouncing around in my head and heart right now.
I can’t stomach doing this book any sort of accidental injustice by not getting my thoughts in order & my heart under lock and key
(because PHEW am I F E E L I N G at the moment- there are too many feels whirling around all at once, with the intensity level dialed all the way up to “supernatural disaster.” I cannot in good conscience unleash what I am feeling quite yet, see: “supernatural disaster” levels of intensity).

I need to wait until the affect of this book has faded just a bit. I have to get this one just RIGHT;
I need to do this glorious book, and my own feelings, justice.
If I can’t... i hope somehow that this declaration, in its own right, somehow will?
Until then... RTC

[Nessa Luna]

3,5 stars

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

You may be wondering how I ended up reading a YA contemporary romance novel since we all know this isn't my normal kind of read. Last month I went to my first ever book club meeting. The first month we read a YA fantasy, which is right up my alley. This month the club selected Letters to the Lost and here we are.

Letters to the Lost is about Juliet, a teenager whose mom died tragically in a car accident on her way home from a work trip. Juliet has always blamed herself for begging her mom to return early and continues to cope by writing letters and leaving them at her mom's grave. One day there's a response to one of her letters and, after a brief period of anger over her privacy being intruded upon, Juliet begins to write to the mysterious person known only as The Dark.

Of course, the mysterious other person is the romantic interest, also known as Declan. Declan has his own issues after his sister died and his father went to jail. Basically, they both have stuff to work through. But Declan has a reputation for being a bad guy at school and that's all Juliet can see him as. As they write to each other anonymously, they being to catch feelings, drama ensues, etc.

Juliet was a great character who was super easy to sympathize with! I could totally understand her actions and how she could blame herself. I can't imagine losing my mom, especially if I felt like it could be my fault in some way. I also understood the difficulty Juliet had with taking up hobbies she'd previously enjoyed. I think the author did a great job of painting a picture of a young girl who was grieving.

Declan was also a sympathetic character, but I did have a hard time with his obvious anger issues and the way that no one seemed to go out of their way to help him work through his issues. I hated the way that he treated people and had no desire to be anything other than what everyone expected. I can understand why he had the anger issues that he did, but I have a difficult time with characters who are so aggressive all the time. I was glad that he was eventually able to let down some walls.

The mystery pen pal storyline was definitely intriguing and I think it's why I was able to enjoy this book when I really am not a fan of contemporary romance. I liked the added level of non-angsty drama and how the anonymous connection allowed two people who would never have been friends get to know each other. I didn't care for how it started to drag out a bit near the end, though.

Although the direction the book ended up going was a bit predictable, I did still enjoy it and I kept listening, wanting to know how things would wrap up. Speaking of which, I really did want there to be a bit more resolution to both these characters' stories. The ending was fine, I guess, but after such a long book, I'd hope for a bit more... something. I did see that there's a second book in the series, but I haven't decided whether to pick it up yet.

Overall, I did enjoy this YA contemporary romance that I never, ever would have read without a book club forcing me to do it. I did find it a bit predictable and drawn out, and I never really fell in love with Declan, although it seems like everyone else swoons over him. Still, if I had to read a contemporary romance, I'm glad it was this one!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

Every once in a while I come across a YA book that completely surprises me and has me wondering why I didn't pick it up sooner. LETTERS TO THE LOST is one of those books.

Declan and Juliet absolutely broke my heart, sometimes equally from the sheer volume of crap they've each had to deal with to how they treated each other. These two teenagers were in desperate need to someone to listen to them and help them wade through everything they were dealing with. What they found was sometimes the written word helped you uncover the person to take that journey with you.

While both of these characters broke my heart, I think Declan broke it more. He was dealt such a crappy hand and only trusted his best friend to have his back. Everyone who should have cared about him and been able to help him seemed to turn their back on him. Everyone saw the troubled bad ass kid who was destined for prison, instead of the kid who'd lost so much and needed someone to remind him he was loved and worth attention. It's no wonder he acted out like he did. But we got to see the real Declan through his written words. He couldn't hide behind his bluster on virtual paper and we saw the person he truly was.

Juliet was trying to live up to her own expectation that she be as "great" as her mother. She spent a lot of time during this book feeling like a huge failure because nothing she could do could ever live up to the greatness of her mother. Juliet's letters were more about discovering who she was. "The Dark" helped Juliet by being the person she could talk to. To work out whatever was running through her head. Helping her understand it's ok to be different.

This book is absolutely breath-taking. The push and pull with the characters, the lost and heartbreak compel you to keep turning the page and frequently reach for a tissue to wipe your eyes. The story is heartbreaking but by the end, you're left with not doubt that Juliet and Declan have been found.

[Jo]

4.5 Stars.

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

I've been a huge fan of Brigid Kemmerer since I first read Storm, the first book in the Elemental series, back in 2012. So when I was sent a proof of Letters to the Lost for review, I was super excited. And I am so, so happy I can continue raving about Kemmerer's brilliant writing, because this was just beautiful.

It's been quite a while since I've read anything by Kemmerer. Thicker Than Water, a standalone novel I believe, was released after the Elemental series came to an end. I have it, but I'm yet to read it, and I think it was because the Elemental series was so good, and I was just really upset that the series ended. I guess I kind of worried that it might not be as good? But when Letters to the Lost landed in my lap, I was overjoyed. It was kind of a little reminder, "Hey, Jo, you do know Brigid Kemmerer has written other books, right?" And I was so excited to read it!

Letters to the Lost is Kemmerer's first foray into contemporary romance; the Elemental series is paranormal/urban fantasy, but I'm unsure of the genre of Thicker Than Water. It didn't worry me that Kemmerer had switched genres for Letters to the Lost, because, although the Elemental series is paranormal/urban fantasy, there were always real life elements to the stories - not just romance, but real issues. And I was right to not be worried. If anything, I should have maybe expected Letters to the Lost to be a lot more emotional and hard-hitting. I expected it to be a sweet story of romance blossoming as Juliet and Declan bonded over their grief, through their letters. And although that is what happens, there's also so much else going on, for both characters.

Declan's little sister Kerry died four years ago, when their dad was drink driving, and Declan blames himself. His mother has remarried, and he feels like an outsider in his own home. Alan, his step-father gives him so much crap, expecting him to mess up and so something wrong, time and again. His mother has pretty much closed herself off to him. How do you cope when you're struggling with grief  and guilt, your mother doesn't want to know, and your step-father is just waiting for you to put a foot wrong? Juliet is also dealing with guilt over her mother's death. Her mother was a photographer who worked in war zones, and Juliet had begged her to come home early. She did, and then she was killed in a hit and run. If Juliet hadn't asked her mum to come home early, she wouldn't have been in that taxi, and she wouldn't have died. Juliet herself is a pretty talented photographer, but she hasn't been able to touch a camera since, out of guilt and grief, and out of not feeling that she would ever be as good as her mum.

As I said, it's a hell of a lot more emotional and hard-hitting than I expected, especially in regards to Declan's story. I got so angry and how he was being treated, how his family just didn't seem to care. I was so upset for him. He was hurting, and has been for such a long time, and he just seems to get rejection after rejection from those who are supposed to love him. He's carrying too much weight, too much guilt over something that should have never been his problem in the first place, and it upset me so much more than I can express. Four years. He's been dealing with this for four years, and no-one has told him it wasn't his fault. Thank god for Frank Melendez, who Declan works for at community service, and for Mrs. Hillard, his English teacher who sees him and gives him a chance, rather than dismissing him as a delinquent, a lost cause who will amount to nothing. And thank god for the connection he finds through writing to Juliet.

If I had anything negative to say about this book, it would be the ending. It ended far too quickly for me. All the things that were wrong were suddenly not quite as bad too quickly, too easily. And for a romance, I just wish it hadn't ended quite where it ended. I would have liked to have seen more, to have seen what came after that. Thankfully, there is going to be a companion novel, as Rev, Declan's best friend, will be getting his own book, More Than We Can Tell, and I am so glad! Not only because he is such an awesome character with a terrible, traumatic past, but he was just so lovely. And being Declan's best friend, and considering how much of a part he played in Declan's story, I'm assuming Declan will play as big a part in Rev's story, in which case, I'll get to know more about what happened after the ending of Letters to the Lost.

This book is beautiful, moving, heartbreaking, but also incredibly sweet. I loved the romance between Juliet and Declan, but I loved their own individual stories more, and how they were able to help each other with their own problems. Such a fantastic story. And I loved getting back to Kemmerer's writing so much, I immediately started reading Thicker Than Water straight after finishing. A wonderful, wonderful book.

[whisperingchapters]

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

Juliet and Declan go to the same school, they know who each other is, but have never really interacted much before. Juliet was always writing letters to her mom when her mom would travel and she kept doing it even after her mom passed away. She leaves a letter at the cemetery and Declan finds it. Reading Juliet's letter, he related a bit to Juliet so he decides to write a letter back and leave it on her mom's grave. When Juliet finds it, she's furious because someone read something personal of hers. But as Cemetery Girl and The Dark write to each other, they keep getting closer. Also, Juliet and Declan start talking more and more without knowing that they are the ones corresponding to one another.

"We're all united by grief, and somehow divided by the same thing."

I loved the idea of writing letters to someone, not really knowing who they are. The reason is that we see how Juliet and Declan open up to one another, not knowing who's who. They were able to share things they wouldn't share with other people and they found relief and comfort in each other. They had something in common and that's what brought them closer even more. I actually thought this book would be full on romance, what with the letters idea, but it actually wasn't.

I loved that this focused more on family and loss, rather than the romance. Not only that, it also focused a lot on Juliet and Declan's friendship. They went from not talking to each other, to interacting here and there, to forming a friendship and later on, declaring their feelings to one another. It was a sweet slow-burn not friends-to friends-to something more romance and it brought a little bit of lightness to this heart-breaking yet beautiful story.

The story has so much depth! I wasn't really expecting that angle but wow. It really was a painful story and it broke my heart as I read it. But guys, it's so wonderful. At times, I forgot this book is for the YA audience with how much depth it has and the topics that are discussed. The grief that Juliet and Declan have and how they deal with it in their own way... It was sad and it brought tears to my eyes. I was glad when they started writing letters to one another because, as I said before, they were able to share things they normally wouldn't. And they were so open about everything going on in their lives. Declan's story broke my heart the most. He's trying to move on from the loss of his dad and sister. It was sad reading about his breakdown and just how he's dealing with life and how alone he is.

I keep saying this story is painful and sad and heartbreaking. While it is all of those things, it is also a very hopeful story. Brigid Kemmerer did a wonderful job with the story of each character and how everything unraveled. Letters to the Lost is a thought-provoking, deeply emotional, heart-breaking yet hopeful story that will make you reflect about loss, family and friendship.

I received an ARC from the publisher via mail for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

[Kelly]

Juliet was judgmental, abrasive and incredibly entitled. Characters experiencing emotional turmoil aren't often held to account in young adult and as a reader, it's often appreciated when a character is shown tolerance. Juliet's narrative begins with comparing herself to a photograph of a child in the Middle East conflict zone. I wasn't impressed.

Throughout her narrative, Juliet speaks of her mother fondly, a political photographer who has explored significant world events through her camera lens. Her mother was wonderfully accomplished but absent throughout her daughter's life, leaving Juliet's father to raise her. Once her mother passed, her father becomes distant and emotionally absent and Juliet refuses to engage with him. Juliet's emotional support was wonderful although she was passive aggressively describing Rowan's mother as a young mother and negated why Rowan hasn't rebelled. An amateur photographer herself, Juliet hasn't engaged since her mother's passing but negatively critiques the work of her fellow peers. Her interactions with Declan were judgmental and often incredibly cruel.

Declan is completing community service at the cemetery as a result of driving under the influence and endangering lives while behind the wheel. Declan is bravado, his facade ensures he is emotionally abandoned, allowed to be consumed by his loss. With his father imprisoned, Declan's mother has since remarried and he despises his stepfather. Declan's narrative is confrontational and touches on issues of alcoholism, domestic violence, child and juvenile abuse. Declan also engages in antisocial behaviour, he deliberately attempts to intimidate Juliet in an aggressive manner.

The interactions between Juliet and Declan anonymously were wonderful, sharing their lives through the art of the written word. As communication becomes frequent, Juliet begun to spend less hours sitting beside her mother's final resting place. The two teens begin to gravitate towards one another. Although they're attracted to one another, the romance is incredibly subtle.

It was wonderfully written and captivating but Juliet was incredibly entitled and self indulgent. Letters to the Lost was poignant exploration of the many facets of the grieving process. Unfortunately not without it's issues.

[Sam@WLABB]

Juliet and Declan were both suffering from great losses and they carried a great deal of guilt related to these losses. Both were dealing with it in their own way. Juliet was writing letters to her dead mother and withdrew from life. Declan took a more self destructive path, but neither were really healing until they began corresponding with each other.

I want to fall into him. I want to let someone else carry this weight, even if it's just for a little bit.

I will start with the most important part for me - the feels. There were so many times when I experienced chills or had to blink away tears. Both Juliet and Declan had lost someone who was important to them. They had loved these people. They missed these people. They believed they played a role in the death of these people. That's a huge burden to bear. My heart just ached for them. For Declan, the pain was multiplied by the way he had become ostracized by his peers, his mother, and his stepfather. There were so many times that I wanted to simultaneously slap him and hug him. It wasn't all sad though, there were also many times that I smiled, sighed, and laughed. I thought Kemmerer did a great job building that balance into the story.

And yes...I can't help myself. Declan is prickly and explosive and sharp, but buried deep below all that is a boy who's caring and protective and loyal.

I became invested in both main characters quite quickly. They were so broken and wounded, but Kemmerer slowly showed us how they were healing once The Dark and Cemetery Girl (their online alter egos) began their relationship. It didn't happen all at once, but the people around them started seeing some positive changes, and I enjoyed looking for those small steps towards them becoming whole again as well.

I should be thanking you. I followed your lead and did something unexpected. You're right. It was terrifying. Let's do it again.

I had so much ire with respect to their parents. Both Juliet's dad and Declan's mom really dropped the ball, and allowed their children to climb into this hole of grief. I will thank Kemmerer a thousand times for all the wonderful auxiliary characters she assembled as a support system for Declan and Juliet. So, thank you for Rev and his parents for their endless love and affection. Thank you for Frank for his wisdom and understanding. Thank you for Rowan and her mom for always being there and giving Juliet a home away from home. I am even going to thank you for Mr. Gerardi and Mrs. Hillard, the two teachers who never gave up on these kids. It was quite beautiful the way all these different types of relationships were explored, and also that Kemmerer allowed these relationships to grow and change throughout the story as our MCs grew and changed.

And right there, in the middle of his own crisis, Rev knows exactly what I need to hear.

There were also so many wonderful ideas and concepts that I adored. Juliet and Declan discussed this idea of people only seeing a "snapshot" of you and basing their opinions on this brief glimpse of you. That you are more than this part that people choose to see, and that you can do more than what they expect of you.

"We were wrong," she says. "You make your own path."

This quote is quite a powerful statement, and this was a gift Juliet gave to Declan. When he thought he was not able to rise above his mistakes, she reminded him that he can make his own path.

You were the first person to see all of me, Juliet. The first person who made me feel like I was worth more than a reputation and a record.

Overall: A touching story of survival, redemption, and healing, filled with some really beautiful messages about making your own path and not letting one bad decision decide your future.

**I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book

This review and others can be found at We Live and Breathe Books

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