juanablanco's review against another edition
3.0
esta muy bien representada la superacion por la muerte de la hermana
medio infantiles los personajes
escrito increiblemente bien dios esta muy bueno y es muy original q este escrito en cartas para famosos q le gustaban a la hermana
medio infantiles los personajes
escrito increiblemente bien dios esta muy bueno y es muy original q este escrito en cartas para famosos q le gustaban a la hermana
kantrim's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
It took me a very long time to read this book. I had to set it down for weeks at a time just because I couldn't handle it sometimes. This book is sad. If you are looking for a happy go-lucky book, do not even attempt to read this book.
This book made me question everything I thought I knew about being a sister and experiencing, love, and life, and loss.
This book is also not exactly an easy read because of how much the author makes you think.
I think the only flaw of this book is that I could agree with some of the stuff that was said through out this book, but at the same time, I agreed completely. Which never usually happens with me and books.
This book hit me on a personal level and I loved it.
It's on my list of books I'll never forget.
It took me a very long time to read this book. I had to set it down for weeks at a time just because I couldn't handle it sometimes. This book is sad. If you are looking for a happy go-lucky book, do not even attempt to read this book.
This book made me question everything I thought I knew about being a sister and experiencing, love, and life, and loss.
This book is also not exactly an easy read because of how much the author makes you think.
I think the only flaw of this book is that I could agree with some of the stuff that was said through out this book, but at the same time, I agreed completely. Which never usually happens with me and books.
This book hit me on a personal level and I loved it.
It's on my list of books I'll never forget.
foxybrain's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
Finished reading: May 10th 2016
“There are a lot of human experiences that challenge the limits of our language,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons that we have poetry.”
Spoiler
I've heard a lot of mixed things about this book ever since it first came out, so it's easy to say I was a bit hesitant to read it myself. To be honest I wasn't sure whether to read this book at all... But since I already had an e-copy and it came up as one of my TBR jar picks, I decided to just give it a go and see how things turn out. Love Letters To The Dead didn't end up being a particularly bad read, but I wasn't blown away by it either. While the whole 'chapters in the form of letters' idea seems rather original, it does look quite similar to The Perks of Being A Wallflower. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as always with a comparison there is a winner and a loser and things aren't looking good for this Love Letters To The Dead. What I did enjoy is that the main character Laurel writes her letters to famous deceased people that are related to whatever happens in the story: Kurt Cobain, E.E. Cummings, Janis Joplin, Amelia Earhart, Amy Winehouse... Those elements (especially the music and poetry references) were a nice touch to an otherwise quite repetitive story. Because that is what the rest of the plot basically is: a repetition of the same letter idea where Laurel is trying to figure out how to deal with the death of her sister. Laurel blames herself for her death, although she takes a long time revealing why that is. This was actually quite annoying, both because it made the story drag and the actual plot twist was not that great either.
Laurel has been struggling to deal with the death of her sister May, and even decided to go to a different high school to avoid the stares full of pity. Laurel blames herself for May's death, but isn't ready to tell the truth about what happened yet as much as she doesn't really know how to grieve for May either. An English assignment marks the beginning of a journey where she starts writing letters to famous dead people about both her feelings and what happens to her during her days. Slowly Laurel starts to accept the past and how life can go on without May... Starting high school, new friendships, learning to live with the new family situation, falling in love; life does go on even after such a terrible experience. But how do you really mourn for someone you haven't forgiven yet? Can Laurel finally make peace with what happened?
I was almost afraid to read Love Letters To The Dead after hearing so many mixed opinions. And while I didn't think it was a particularly bad read, I wasn't blown away by it either... Some elements like the music and poetry references were really interesting, but others (repetitive plot, 'big secret' plot twist) made me enjoy this story a lot less than I thought I would. Would I recommend this novel by Ava Dellaira? With all those mixed reviews out there, I guess I would leave that up to your own decision.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
dyanavelz's review against another edition
5.0
No sé si de verdad es ya uno de mis libros favoritos. También soy de las que consideran su libro favorito al último libro que acaban de leer y que ha cautivado.
Fue muy personal, pero no me sentí intrusa en la vida de Laurel, tampoco me sentí su amiga, de hecho nunca olvidé que se trataba de ficción (aunque es una historia que bien podría ser no ficción). Me identifiqué mucho, con más de un personaje. Y a pesar de que son adolescentes y yo ya podría considerarme una adulto sin dudas, aprendí/recordé mucho.
De hecho es una historia que no recomendaría a adolescentes, sino a adultos perdidos/desubicados, recordé cómo, cuándo y porqué de mis calamidades existenciales y de las de mis amistades, y reconsideré mucho las decisiones que tomamos, que no fueron ni buenas ni malas, simplemente hicimos lo que necesitamos y creímos merecer.
Bueno, estoy escribiendo tonterías.
En sí es una historia muy extraña, es propiamente lo que expresa el título y un poco más.
Creo que sí es de mis libros favoritos, me ilustró y me unió más a personajes que he admirado desde hace tanto, aproximadamente desde la misma edad de Laurel, y me impactó mucho. Es un tipo de novela que haría llorar, o al menos, logrará conmover a cualquier ser humano, sin importar edad ni personalidad.
Fue muy personal, pero no me sentí intrusa en la vida de Laurel, tampoco me sentí su amiga, de hecho nunca olvidé que se trataba de ficción (aunque es una historia que bien podría ser no ficción). Me identifiqué mucho, con más de un personaje. Y a pesar de que son adolescentes y yo ya podría considerarme una adulto sin dudas, aprendí/recordé mucho.
De hecho es una historia que no recomendaría a adolescentes, sino a adultos perdidos/desubicados, recordé cómo, cuándo y porqué de mis calamidades existenciales y de las de mis amistades, y reconsideré mucho las decisiones que tomamos, que no fueron ni buenas ni malas, simplemente hicimos lo que necesitamos y creímos merecer.
Bueno, estoy escribiendo tonterías.
En sí es una historia muy extraña, es propiamente lo que expresa el título y un poco más.
Creo que sí es de mis libros favoritos, me ilustró y me unió más a personajes que he admirado desde hace tanto, aproximadamente desde la misma edad de Laurel, y me impactó mucho. Es un tipo de novela que haría llorar, o al menos, logrará conmover a cualquier ser humano, sin importar edad ni personalidad.
cabeswaeter's review against another edition
5.0
This book gets very mixed reviews, and part of the reason is probably that you /have/ to relate to the main character Laurel, to find this great. That might go for most books, but Laurel might not be relatble at all to older readers, and even a big part of the hig school audience. She's the kind of girl some readers might think pathetic if you have never felt a teensy tiny bit like her. (You don't need a dead big sister to feel like her at all, though. You probably just need a pretty normal high school eperience. If you liked The perks of being a wallflower or Saint anything, chances are you'll like this one too.)
Laurel writes her letters somewhat clumsily, the enjoyment of this book comes from enjoyment of the story, and to some extent the words, but Laurel really writes as a teenager. She is not often poetic, and when you stumble over lines that are quoteworthy, they are often disrupted by using language and commas like only a teenager would. While some might find this disturbing, I only found it to be very true to Laurel as a 15-year old who is writing letters she's certain no one will ever read. Personally, I never wrote poetic shit in my diaries, because I'd rather die than let anyone read them, and they were just a safe space for ranting.
Even with some flaws, I really enjoyed this story, and I related so much to Laurel and the people aroud her.
I do really like this type of books, coming of age stories with healing teenagers, and that definetley affects my opinion, but taste is after all personal.
Laurel writes her letters somewhat clumsily, the enjoyment of this book comes from enjoyment of the story, and to some extent the words, but Laurel really writes as a teenager. She is not often poetic, and when you stumble over lines that are quoteworthy, they are often disrupted by using language and commas like only a teenager would. While some might find this disturbing, I only found it to be very true to Laurel as a 15-year old who is writing letters she's certain no one will ever read. Personally, I never wrote poetic shit in my diaries, because I'd rather die than let anyone read them, and they were just a safe space for ranting.
Even with some flaws, I really enjoyed this story, and I related so much to Laurel and the people aroud her.
I do really like this type of books, coming of age stories with healing teenagers, and that definetley affects my opinion, but taste is after all personal.
reabailey's review against another edition
5.0
Loved aaallllll of it!!!!!! Such a beautifully written story about a young girl dealing with the sad loss of her sister and trying to find herself. I want to read it again! The writer is so good at connecting you to the characters easily the main character Laurel. Just very highly recommend from me!
valreads_everyday's review against another edition
4.0
It was a good book but a few things frustrated me about the main character that I see happening in so many YA books and it's the NOT TALKING. I get why Laurel, the main character in this book, didn't want to talk but it still made me anxious and desperate for her to just let it out.
It also reminded me a lot of "The sky is everywhere" by Jandi Nelson, the format was different obviously but there where a lot of things that just reminded me of it aside from the obvious one that is that both girls lost their sisters.
Anyways, overall I enjoyed myself, but I did think that I was going to love it and the truth is I didn't. I liked it though, and there are a few quotes that I really enjoyed but it wasn't what I thought it'd be.
It also reminded me a lot of "The sky is everywhere" by Jandi Nelson, the format was different obviously but there where a lot of things that just reminded me of it aside from the obvious one that is that both girls lost their sisters.
Anyways, overall I enjoyed myself, but I did think that I was going to love it and the truth is I didn't. I liked it though, and there are a few quotes that I really enjoyed but it wasn't what I thought it'd be.