Letters to the Lost

by Brigid Kemmerer

[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.