I cried. I actually cried at this book. This is going to sound really cheesy, but this spoke to me on so many levels... Letters to the Lost is about confronting your own demons, about facing loss, dealing with family problems, friendship, and love. It is a beautiful young adult contemporary that deals with so many issues.

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.

Let me get one negative out of the way first... There's a trope. There's the bad-boy who has had a troubled past, he's brooding, he's attractive, yet he has a kind heart that only the girl can see and he's actually misunderstood. So yeah, that's the trope that is in this book. However, Kemmerer doesn't convey it as a trope. She works it to her advantage and the character of Declan is probably one of my favourites in this book and I loved all of the characters within Letters to the Lost.

Talking of characters, all of the characters within this book were amazing - even the secondary characters. All of them had major character development that was important to themselves personal and also important to the story. The character of Declan had a huuugggeee character arc and I love being able to witness how he managed the world around him, how he struggled with his own guilt and his own depression, how he used his own struggles to help Juliet. Juliet's character arc was her coming to terms with the loss of her mother and trying to find a way to get through it, but not by losing herself completely in the loss, she gets through it by acceptance, by understanding, and by leaning on those around her for support. I also loved the character of Rev. He was a secondary character yet he had so much depth to him. I would love to see a novella or even a whole novel from his perspective because even though he was on the sidelines for this book, he still had a key role.



"Sometimes you get to a point where it hurts too much, and you'll do anything to get rid of the pain."
- Brigid Kemmerer, Letters to the Lost




I also loved the format of the book. The book was first told through a series of letters for the first part of the chapter, and then when the letter had finished, the chapter would carry on from the other person's perspective after reading the letter. Does that make sense? I don't feel like I worded that well at all... Letters then turn into emails, which then switches to text messaging and then back to emails. I love it when authors use different formats within their book to tell the story; I feel like it adds a whole new element to storytelling.

Even though there were two characters who had romantic feelings for one another, there was no romantic actions; no sexual content. And I found this a breath of fresh air. Kemmerer focuses on the mental chemistry between two people rather than physical chemistry. She focuses on the connection that two people share and how they use that connection to help each other through the darkest of times.

Overall - if you can't tell already - I loved this book. I devoured it. I finished it in one sitting and then automatically started it again once I had finished. Even though there is the stereotypical trope of the bad boy, I enjoyed reading from his perspective and how he developed. I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy just so I can read it again.



Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Released 6th April


Trigger warnings: depression, war imagery, loss of family, domestic abuse

I am complete sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, and having that plus letter writing to a 'stranger' who is someone you loathe in real life? There was no chance I wasn't going to love this book. Not only did we have a great romantic plot line, this book also has what felt like a real and honest depiction of loss and heartbreak. Both Juliet and Declan's stories completely destroyed me, and both of the characters felt like real teenagers, who made mistakes and weren't perfect, but matured and grew throughout the story. Rev really intrigued me (while breaking my heart) and is a character i'd love to know more about. All up, this was fantastic and I would definitely recommend.

I absolutely adored everything about this elegantly written novel and it is certain to be amongst my top picks of the year, if not the top. When I say everything I mean everything, right down to the gorgeous front cover of it. The story moved me to tears and I now feel its loss keenly. I will never forget the absorbing story, the beautifully crafted characters or the insight and compassion of the lyrical and beguiling storytelling. This author is new to me but this will definitely not be the last of her novels that I read.
‘Letters to the Lost’ is described in the blurb as being a dark, contemporary Young Adult romance, but I am way past my teenage years and well into my seventh decade. It touched me more than any other novel has in ages. The basic story is about two teenagers who communicate first by letter and then by email without realising that they know each other at school. They have both been bereaved of a close family member and are overwhelmed by their loss; feeling responsibility and guilt. In the anonymity of their online correspondence and the security of their safe places, they confide in each other, opening up like blooming flowers in each other’s virtual company. As the relationship deepens they offer one another support and heartfelt online advice, still ignorant of their true identity and using pseudonyms and specially created email accounts especially for them to communicate. But the story reaches far further than this and is truly gripping, spectacular and satisfying.
The two main characters are adorable in the fragility and compassion of their friendship. My heart went out to them in the innocence and complexity of their distress. Of course part of their problem was that their familial relationships were damaged as grief took hold of each family member. As the story unwound I wished so much that I could intervene. My motherly instincts and feelings of empathy were raging, but alas I was only an onlooker. I loved the inclusion of friendly teachers who acted spontaneously as mentors to both Juliet and Declan. Brigid Kemmerer has to be congratulated on this novel not only for its superlative content and vision but also for the meticulous research undertaken to bestow realism and factual accuracy to her novel. I would like to thank NetGalley and Bloomsbury Children’s Books for my copy of ‘Letters to the Lost’, sent out to me in return for an honest review. It’s an all round and very well deserved 5* review from me. If it could be any higher it would be. I can wholeheartedly recommend this novel for readers of all ages and I would categorise it as unmissable and remarkable.

I loved this, my mother always said about people "never judge a book by its cover" and this book really shows just that. Just because you can't see scars doesn't mean they don't have an ongoing battle of a scared heart. Beautifully written

Think you've read all you can about strangers writing letters to each other? Think again.

This is a special book. The writing in this is superb and author Kemmerer has done a spectacular job at bleeding emotion into every page. I was really taken with Juliet and Declan's story and their journey held my attention from start to end. Written with heart and featuring a mix of complex, uplifting, funny and downright sad moments, Letters to the Lost is a must read for the YA lover.

Full review to come...

How do I put into words how much I loved this book? It wrecked me. I genuinely cannot remember the last time I cried over a book, but this one made me cry at least twice and tear up many times more.

Letters to the Lost is the story of Juliet and Declan, both of whom have lost someone in their family, as they start exchanging letters after Declan responds to one Juliet has written and left on her mother's grave. It's an emotional bruiser of a book, with suckerpunches coming basically every page, no holds barred. It does this all the while being a far from complex story - it's about two people finding refuge in each other, while not knowing who the other is.

It's written in dual POV, so you get to put yourself in the shoes of each person. Which is good, because a lot of times when you have a dickhead character, like Declan is painted as in Juliet's POV to begin with, you don't get a sense of how they actually are because it's single POV. And that makes any sort of character development, unless very explicitly done, hard to believe. There was one time where I was a bit confused about who's POV it was, but that was just because it didn't change when I expected it to have (there was a reason behind it though).

A lot of things about this book really messed me up. Specifically, the ones based around the family relationships. There were some scenes, mostly revolving around Declan and his family relationships, that really got to me, and those were the times I ended up crying.

I don't know if I'll read another book this year that messes me up as much as this one (although Jeff Zentner's new one is out soon and just the blurb tells me I'm going to end up in tears). I read it in only a few hours too, and then had to wait for about an hour before I could leave my room because of all the crying. It's definitely one I'll be coming back to over and over.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me preview this book. I found this book really moving and well written

This book made an absolute mess of me. It was wonderful, thought-provoking and hopeful. But it was also dark, philosophical and upsetting. It is nothing like what the blurb might initially lead you to believe - Juliet is writing letters to her dead mother, but the story isn't about that. This is the story of how a young girl who is deeply affected by her mother's tragic death, manages to find a way back by connecting with an anonymous writer who knows exactly what it is to feel loss.

Declan is the kind of boy you might misjudge. He's the kind of boy Juliet does misjudge throughout the book without knowing he is the guy she pours her heart out to in her letters. He is mowing lawns in the cemetery for community service - he was found guilty of drink driving. All the kids at school know about it, and of course they label him as "that kid" to avoid. Even his step-father seems to find him a waste of space. He's bad news. Except that's not strictly true. And if this book does only one thing, it will teach you not to judge a person based on one snapshot, one moment in their life. I absolutely loved this message.

In fact, the most powerful thing about this book for me was that it elicited such strong emotions from me. This was largely because of the preconceived ideas other people had about Declan because of a single mistake he made. His mother is completely oblivious to his struggles, his step-father is abrasive and pushes him out of their family unit so easily - and it's all so unfair because their mistakes were just as significant but appear to be entirely blameless. He is utterly alone, and yet has more support than he can see. His chapters, and letters, were so frustrating but also were some of my favourites because of it.. You know you're reading a good book when you are so attached to the story that you become emotional for the characters.

There are also lots of incredibly clever ideas in this book. I like the idea that a single day, the same day, can be so many different things to so many different people. Something so tragic to one person, can be an entirely different kind of tragedy for someone looking from a different angle. Kemmerer writes so beautifully. I found myself highlighting so many poignant, or pretty, statements in the book that really meant something to me; these kinds of books are the kind I want to read over and over again. This author seems to really capture what it is to feel the pain attributed to loss, despite it being so different for everyone, and this makes it such an emotional read for anyone who can relate, and probably those who are lucky enough to not be able to yet.

This book really made me think. It's exactly what I enjoy in a book - I want to question what I know; I want the book to make me wonder about things I thought I understood. It is partly a romance, loosely, but it is so much more, asking questions about what it means to make a mistake, what it is to look from another position, and it excels at demonstrating how precious the time we have with those we love is. It will make you angry at the injustice of it all, but it is such a fantastic read because of it. I definitely recommend it.

Declan is doing community service mowing the cemetery lawn after being drunk and driving into a building luckily, no one was hurt.

Juliet lost her war zone photographer mum some months ago, but writing notes to her and leaving them at the cemetery is the only way she's coping.

When Declan writes back to one of her notes left at her mums grave, it sparks off a conversation between the two unlikely to connect face to face (due to reputations).
Through the endless back and forth of the notes they realise each other has a front up, a facade to show the world one side of them whilst really there's more to both characters that each discovers after events in which they end up face to face.
By confiding in each other their darkest secrets online and by notes, makes them realise just how much they kept to themselves and how brave each of them are.

I have to say the book deals so well with the way death can affect us and impact our lives. This book is for anyone who has ever felt like they have no one when they have everyone around them.

Heartbreaking and uplifting, Letters To The Lost is a glorious story of two teens finding each other in the midst of crisis and learning to look past the facades of those around them.

Juliet is supposed to be moving on after the death of her mother. That's what everyone around her expects. But she can't stop visiting her mother's grave or leaving letters for her. Declan is serving his community service sentence mowing lawns at the local cemetery. When he finds a letter at the base of a grave he doesn't expect the words to hit deep inside. Writing back is impetuous but it sparks a written relationship that might just be the thing to hold him together when the rest of his world threatens to explode.

I wasn't expecting it, but this book turned into a bit of a "You've Got Mail" retelling, but with a whole lot more angst and heartbreak. There have been many, many novels who claim to be the next "You've Got Mail" and I don't think one of them has ever pulled it off like this book does. Letters To The Lost doesn't boast that similarity, but it takes the best bits of that iconic written relationship - two people writing to each other, one finding out before the other, two opposites attracting and repelling at the same time - and adds deeper layers. I loved it.

It is well known that I love Brigid Kemmerer's writing. She could make any story great and I love what she has done with Letters To the Lost. It is the perfect mix of sad, touching, funny, eye opening, and downright enjoyable. I love stories where the protagonists must fight to overcome their situations. Both Declan and Juliet have tales that would knock down and keep down lesser souls. Instead they rail, they fight. The world might judge them for their attitude, but for them survival is everything. Connecting with a stranger who understands, in some way, their pain is amazing. They also learn to look beyond that first judgement, both of themselves and the people around them.

I love Juliet and Declan's relationship, both face-to-face and written. On the page they can be brutally, totally honest with each other. But when face-to-face the walls they have put up to protect themselves prevent them from seeing beyond the harsh exteriors and even harsher words they throw at each other.

But romance is not all this layered novel has to offer. I loved the exploration of family in this book. Supportive family relationships, family who are not as perfect as they seem, family secrets, family tragedy, family heartbreak, family that is founded outside of blood, family found in friendship and brotherhood. The cast of secondary characters is particularly strong in Letters To The Lost. Both Declan and Juliet have a support best-friend who plays an important part in this story. I also liked the roles of two particular teachers and Declan's community service supervisor. It's awesome to see such positive adult roles.

Letters To The Lost is a beautiful and touching romance about finding hope and safety in honesty, friendship, and starting over.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Letters To The Lost by Brigid Kemmerer had many heartfelt, emotional scenes that often pulled at the heartstrings.
Review copy received from the Publisher