Brigid Kemmerer

Brigid Kemmerer pens a new must-read story of two teens struggling under the burden of secrets, and the love that sets them free.

More Than We Can Tell

The book was good, I like how the author told Rev's story and showed us the contrast between his family and biological father. I wish Emma's character was more complex and layered. She didn't seem very emotionally intelligent and sometimes said things that was out of line. I also wish we got more information about her internet troll, but instead it seemed like he was only used as a point for Ethan's character

Lulu Evensen

Krystyna 

I was so happy that Rev got his own story. I was a little hesitant because Emma was a gamer and that’s not really my cup of tea; I don’t find it super relatable. However, it didn’t take away from the story at all. I thought this one was less of a romance story than Letters to the Lost. The reader gets more of Rev’s character background and family dynamic. You delve deeper into his life and it is a great time. It is a raw, emotional, and beautiful book. This story never really hit a lull for me; there is something always happening that keeps the reader wanting to turn the page. The last part of the book left me surprisingly shocked. The characters are fantastic. This story is soooooo good! I love Brigid Kemmerer’s writing in these books. If you haven’t read either of these books…please do so!

Caroline Oestergaard

Actual rating more like 3,5 stars. 

This was good. Very captivating and easy to read. Loved Rev: his character, attitude, complex past and character development. Wasn’t so keen on Emma as a character though, she pissed me off a little throughout. Not to say she didn’t have her good sides though. 
Overall a really good story, although a few parts (the Ethan ones) probably could have been left out without it affecting the plot much.

Amelie

Such an amazing second book! It's so easy to just give it the same plotline as Letters to the Lost (the book right before it, and my favorite book ever), but this is such a great spin. I'm so happy for Rev...

amaniabdul

this was a fast paced in my opinion bc I'm a fast reader but there was some parts that confused me and frustrated me

Krystal 

Sofie

I glance over at Rev. Every time I’m with him, I want to stare. Some of that is because he keeps so much hidden. All I ever see is the edge of his jaw, the sculpted arch of his lips, the line of his nose. His eyes, always in shadow.

I think of gaming, where I’m in control and no one sees the real me. I wonder if the computer is my version of the hoodie.


More Than We Can Tell follows Rev, Declan's best friend from Letters to the Lost, and Emma, a shy gamer girl who keeps running into Rev behind their local church. It delves into Rev's traumatic past that was hinted at in book 1 (and boy, does Kemmerer go there!), as well as Emma's experiences being a girl in the male-dominated field of video games.

This book was intense. I was so curious about Rev after reading Declan and Juliet's story, and safe to say, I was not disappointed. He is such an incredibly nuanced character. Usually I am not a fan of books with too much God-iness, too many religious themes and whatnot, but it made complete sense with Rev's character. It helped my understand him and his history with his abusive father. My heart broke for him.

And Emma! Obviously, she makes some mistakes. But she's a teenager going through something very similar to my own teenage experience, so I understood her motivations. And she was the perfect person to bring Rev out of his shell. I loved their chapters together, and the love story was even a bit more satisfying than D and J since we actually get a bit more detail with the romance. 

The Declan and Juliet cameos were perfection. We obviously saw more of D, considering he's Rev's best friend, and he's just as wonderful as I remember. 

I wouldn't be opposed to another companion novel featuring Cait (Emma's best friend). Brigid? What do you say?

Overall, a heart wrenching romance that delves even more into themes of grief, of trauma, and family. A strong companion novel that I definitely recommend if you've read Letters to the Lost!

This is a story about learning to be fearless and set your secrets free. An intense and gripping novel that will speak to fans of John Green and Jennifer Niven. Rev works hard to keep the demons of the time before his adoption at bay ... until a letter from his father after his 18th birthday brings the trauma of his childhood hurtling back. Emma escapes real life by perfecting the online game she built from scratch. Coding is way easier than facing her parents' nasty relationship or the growing distance with her best friend ... But when an online troll's harassment starts to escalate, she fears for her safety. When Rev and Emma meet, they're buckling under the weight of their secrets. Though both of them find it hard to put their problems into words, they connect instantly and deeply. Rev and Emma's problems might be worlds apart, but they promise to help each other no matter what. But promises are made to be tested and some things hurt more than we can tell.

Becky

Afte4r adoring Letters to the Lost I waited far too long to read Rev's story and that's my bad but it was really good and just what I'd hoped to get for Rev.

Review is the softest guy with whole lot of issues because of his father's abuse when he was a child. Despite being 18 it's hard to move past that scared little boy he was and he was still struggling. He worried what the abuse meant for him but he was surrounded by good friends and amazing family which helped him slowly accept himself. This was helped along by a new foster kid (Matthew who I want to know more about) but also by Emma who he accidentally met when having a breakdown and a connection grew.

I liked Emma but this book is very much Rev's book. I respected there was a significant conversation to be had in this book about online troll and about girls in the gaming community and the abuse they can receive online. And Emma's story also provided an opportunity for some significant conversation about who you trust online. I liked those parts and although Emma wasn't my favourite person all the time I really liked her story and I liked her interesactions with Rev driving him a little out of his comfort zone and making him think.

I really liked this book and it was exactly what I'd hoped for with Rev's book. Also, I totally love his name and the origins of it. Excellent addition to his story.

laura

I really loved this book so much. I loved both Rev and emma stories so much. I also really enjoyed the tiebacks to letters of the lost. This book was such a fast pace read and I was emotionally invested in the story. I really loved both characters POV and how we dealt with both the gaming industry and also rev abusive past. I have such a soft spot for rev and loved how adoption and fostering was such a strong part of this novel. This book is def. a tear jerker with so many unexpected twists and turns. I really hope we get Matt, book eventually!

Jelke Lenaerts

received a galley of this through Netgalley

trigger warning: physical abuse, PTSD, panic attacks, sexual harrasment 

When reading Letters to the Lost I constantly wanted to know more about Rev's backstory and this book gave that to me and delivered very well. I cried, I laughed, if you loved Letters to the Lost you'll definetly like this. It just didn't live up exactly to Letters to the Lost but I still REALLY enjoyed it.

full review: https://jelkelenaerts.blogspot.be/201...

Sophie Elaina 

I was thrilled when my request on NetGalley for this book was accepted and I am even more thrilled now that I've read it, because this was a seriously wonderful read. This is filled with both an extremely deep and impactful plot and a lovely set of characters that are so well developed. Since reading Letters to the Lost I've been waiting for more from Brigid Kemmerer. That book was one of the best books I read last year so the fact that this was almost as good is phenomenal. I do think I still prefer it to More Than We Can Tell, but I can't pick any faults with this book though as it was so well written. I just preferred the storyline in LTTL.

“We all push sometimes, just to make sure someone is on the other side, pushing back.” 

The book follows Rev Fletcher a guy battling demons from his past that threaten to become a present problem in his life. While he has supportive adoptive parents he still struggles to confide in them when he receives a letter from his abusive father and the trauma from his childhood suddenly comes rushing back. And Emma; a girl who spends most of her time working on her own computer game that she built, hiding from the fact her parents marriage is crumpling. Without anyone to confide in about the online harassment she constantly is the recipient of, everything begins to get a little to much for her to handle. When Emma and Rev meet, they both see in each other someone whom they could lift the burden of their secrets on to. But will their trust in each other be enough?

I loved how the author put so much into developing the family relationships in addition to the relationship between Rev and Emma, it's something I often feel is lacking in young adult literature so this was one of my favourite parts of the book. We didn't get a quick brush over, we got the depth I've been looking for in a book for what seems like the longest time. Also I have to say Brigid Kemmerer is fantastic at character building, because both Emma and Rev are characters I won't easily forget, just as Duncan and Juliet are characters I will always find myself thinking about. I wasn't taken straight away by Emma but it didn't take me long to warm to her character. On the other hand, I was instantly gripped when I read from Rev's point of view. We got a little bit of a hint at Rev's character first in Letter's to the Lost which is what at first excited me about MTWCT; getting to read from his perspective, but I have to say that I was not expecting things to go in the direction they did. It was different but also brought recognition to abuse in a way that really makes you think. I think that made this a very important read and is just one of the many reasons I will be recommending this book to everyone that I know.

“Sometimes events are set in motion from so far away that it’s almost impossible to draw connections until well after the fact.”

Overall the plot was slower than I would have liked, yet it just worked. I think that the fact that it kept at that pace and didn't jump around too much made it very enjoyable in my opinion. And when it did pick up in places it wasn't jarring, and flowed well, if that makes sense. In addition, the writing was both beautiful without being overly flowery and also, straight to the point, which is something I always enjoy. So if you're not a fan of extremely complex writing or the more simple kind this might be the perfect in-between for you. It also meant that this was a very quick read I finished over the course of a day. 

“He says the Internet makes too many people loud, and too many people silent, but the loud ones are all we hear... We have to ask questions to hear the silent people.”

More Than We Can Tell is a very character driven story so there wasn't much in terms of world building, or complex plot development, however the little amount we did get was done amazingly well and didn't deter from the focus of the story; the characters. The flashbacks also worked well and I think they added a lot to the story, without them this would definitely not have worked as well.

“You are not stubborn and rebellious. You are kind. You are thoughtful."

As a whole, this book was fabulous and if you can't already tell; I loved it!

*4.5 Stars

(Trigger warning for physical and emotional abuse, graphic violence and online bullying.)

Thank you to Brigid Kemmerer, Bloomsbury and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this beautiful book!

Visit my blog for more reviews and bookish posts: https://www.sophieelaina.com/

Ciska van Bokhorst

Finished in one day. Just could'nt stop reading. I really liked Emma (kick ass) and Rev. Declan has also a big part. Some important themes are waved trough out the book. Very well done. No "whining" teenagers. But "normal" thinking ones. Hope that the Dutch fans get an translation. Read this one thanks to Netgalley!

Manon van Heumen

Leonie

With loving adoptive parents by his side, Rev Fletcher has managed to keep the demons of his past at bay. . . until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back. Emma Blue's parents are constantly fighting, and her only escape is the computer game she built from scratch. But when a cruel online troll's harassment escalates, she not only loses confidence but starts to fear for her safety. When Rev and Emma meet, they're both longing to lift the burden of their secrets. They connect instantly and deeply, promising to help each other no matter what. But soon Rev and Emma's secrets threaten to crush them, and they'll need more than a promise to find their way out. From the author of Letters to the Lost comes a new compulsively readable story for fans of Nicola Yoon.

More Than We Can Tell

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