A review by therealsouls
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

5 stars. WE πŸ‘ NEED πŸ‘ MORE πŸ‘ OF πŸ‘ THESE πŸ‘ TYPES πŸ‘ OF πŸ‘ NOVELS

But I need another heart because this one is broken.

"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 now my favourite book. It's a story of grief, trust, and the places from which hope can emerge. When Declan Murphy (juvenile delinquent) replies to Juliet Young's letter written to her dead mother on her tombstone, an unexpected relationship starts to form. Juliet and Declan are anonymous, yet they learn more about each other's hardships and backstories. Through these letters, they support and encourage each other through these times. And that's what's so beautiful about it. It's a breathtaking YA sad romance between a boy and girl both suffering from grief with strong character development throughout the novel.

 β€œWhen everything goes to hell around you, the only way to go is forward.” 

Unlike any novel, "Letters to the Lost" is original. No cheesy tropes. There were so many metaphors, characters, and moments to unravel. This novel screams creativity on every single page! For example, Juliet's coping mechanism of writing letters to her dead mother. Who thinks of that?! How photos maintain a substantial significance throughout, who thinks of that?! Any other author would use some banality instead.

"Rev, I could kiss you."
"Brush your teeth first."
(this is just a goofy lil moment that deserved a spot on the review)

As well as that, you never got bored; there was always a cookie in this jar. Or a piece of broccoli for a heartbreaker. "Letters To The Lost" is an all-in-one kit: romance, anger, sadness, happiness, laughter, and so on. Even though sadness is the facade, there's hope hiding under it. And a good chuckle, too!

If you have not read this novel already, read it! It's not 1000 pages long, but still a journey of a lifetime. Two, actually. Two which you'll connect with, admire, and love with your entire being. Two which will lead you from the rock bottoms of adversity to the mountaintops of faith, and everything in between. I hope you'll love it as much as I do.

Thank you for this, Brigid Kemmerer.
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