Name: Sophie Elaina 's review of Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
Item: Letters to the Lost
Rating: 5
Author: Sophie Elaina

Brigid Kemmerer

Juliet Young always writes 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 Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

Letters to the Lost

Sarah 

Sophie Elaina 

"Juliet Young has always written letters to her mother, a world famous photojournalist--even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. When Declan finds a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist the urge to write back. Soon, he is sharing his pain with a perfect stranger. When real life interferes with their secret life of letters, Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart"--

Letters to the lost

Jacey Manning

adriana safia

i feel like i want to read this for the first time again :/ so recklessly beautiful

This book was perfect, in every way. I fell in love with Declan's character and related to Juliet. I love everything about this book. 

I can't believe it took me this long to pick it up, I'm just glad I did

It made me feel things, and it's so rare I actually feel it

Thank you Brigid for writing this masterpiece

Lulu Evensen

Where do I even start

This book was perfect, in every way. I fell in love with Declan's character and related to Juliet. I love everything about this book. 

I can't believe it took me this long to pick it up, I'm just glad I did

It made me feel things, and it's so rare I actually feel it

Thank you Brigid for writing this masterpiece

aleecia 🫧🫖🪻

Beautiful! This book was wonderful. I loved it and would read it a thousand more times 👍

Nessa Luna

Krystyna 

This book is definitely one of my favorite YA books now. It was raw and emotional and definitely tugged at your heartstrings. This story deals with grief, loss, friendship, forgiveness, and family. It is a ball of emotions that you could easily consume in one sitting. Both of the main characters had so much of a backstory that you learned about; while also getting the current story between them. It was well-written and I loved the format. It consisted of the storyline, letters, and emails. It also had awesome side characters, like Rev. I am so glad there is a companion book that features Rev’s story.

I really liked this love story. It did what it came here to do, and I made me feel things.

Ami Is Dreaming Again

haley bertsch

4
Very to all the boys I’ve loved before and that one bully book
Very senior year ashton in a “you better not die on me”. “I could’ve done it”. “Can I kiss you?”
Kinda way

🧸

When i first picked up this book, i really didnt know i'd cry this much, i knew it was sad obviously but not to the point that i would be crying even after i finish it.

Declan's story affected me so much. The more he talked about his story the more i felt so bad for him and cant help crying for him. The way no one stopped and asked him why is he like this? Why does he push people away from him? Everyone thought hes a bad person and no one dared to understand him not even juliet. she didnt want to believe the letter guy is him because it was not what she expected him to be. I mean what do you expect from someone who went through hell but survived? he's not going to go to school smiling like an idiot (spoiler btw) when he fucking tried to kill himself months ago.

I really dont like juliet's character, shes so immature and hypocrite maybe bc of her age and im not really expecting a teen to be a perfect person but there were so many times she could have done better things than to make declan hates himself more. I hated the way she treated him. She constantly kept judging him every time she opened her mouth which made me hate her. At some point while reading this book, i started thinking she does not deserve him AT ALL and i still stand by that.

The scene i loved the most is the conversation between declan and his stepfather. I ugly cried so much and now my eyes are swollen. He defended declan more than his own mother (btw i hate her too). Like everyone did at first, i despised him but now i feel like he was the only person who cared to defend declan and call out his parents for what they did to him. 

Declan, alan and rev are the only characters i liked.

Rose Verdon

i would of probably given this 4&1/2 stars! i love it, so much raw emotion and complicated stories in this book + a happy ending!!

Sven Test

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.

Mia Tuccio

Livia

So, if you think that I'm going to be okay with their story finished, then YOU'RE WRONG.

I loved this book. I love their story, the pain their struggling with, their loss and grief, and how much they want to make everything right. I love how they both find each other in the darkest time of their lives, being able to talk to each other about anything, and finding comfort in one another. And I hate that they have to go through all those shit. I made the mistake of reading the last 50-ish pages of the book while getting ready in the morning, because i smudge my mascara a little bit because i cried.

I just wished we could see more of Juliet and Declan, after that faithful last chapter. We deserved it after all the pain Brigid Kemmerer put us through.

grayson wroe

this was so mf fire. slow burn and angst that didnt rip my heart out. has such a great flow and never got boring

Juliet's mother recently died in a car accident and she's having trouble moving on. She's been writing letters to her everyday, leaving them in the cemetery at her gravestone. One day, someone writes back, stoking her ire for having invaded her privacy and prompting her to write back to let them know just how much she doesn't appreciate it. Declan got drunk and plowed his dad's truck into the side of a building a month ago. His punishment is cleaning up the cemetery twice a week. He reads a letter left on one of the gravestones and is moved to reply. Soon, the two of them have an ongoing anonymous conversation where they both feel comfortable opening up in a way they never have before through the safety of anonymity. 

This book is about the struggle in moving past grief, about the ways that the labels other people force on us limit our choices, and about the powerful catharsis that comes from being completely honest with another person. Juliet's grief is raw and unattractive to everyone who just wants her to move on and act normally. She spends too much time in the cemetery, the letters she writes to her mother are weird and unhealthy. She just needs to get over it already. But grief isn't pretty and everyone heals in their own way. Juliet has her own reasons for wanting to write to her mother postmortem and it's not until she gets another avenue of expression in her letters to Declan that her need to write her mother lessens. But that first step of writing to her mother was necessary to get to that second step of writing to Declan. Sometimes you need that illogical response to move towards something better for you. Opening up completely was so healing for Juliet and Declan both. Having the opportunity to actually tell their own story, in their own way, without the cloud of prejudices and assumptions between them helped them both so much. Everyone needs a space like that to be honest without judgment. 

And speaking of prejudice, I LOVED the way that assumptions and labels were used and pushed back against throughout the book. Declan has a reputation, one that he hasn't necessarily earned, that he has to deal with during every interaction. While he certainly doesn't have the most engaging manner, he nonetheless doesn't deserve all the negative rumors that circle about him. Honestly, the way everyone talks about him, the way Alan especially talks about him, had me reading Declan as black or Latino. The instant suspicion of him, the over-inflated sense of his "criminality" scans better with the way that boys of color routinely get treated, rather than the way white boys get treated. And this is especially true given that he's more victim than perpetrator in a lot of situations, from something as small as Juliet running into him in the hallway to the way his parents abused his trust vis a vis the driving situation. I loved that both Juliet and Mr. Melendez immediately let him know that what he was asked to do was wrong. He was a kid, he shouldn't have been responsible for covering up his father's drinking. His mother should have been the one responsible, not him. Even better was when Alan told him so as well. That conversation between Declan and Alan was so powerful and so important to his growth. I definitely teared up reading it because that is exactly what Declan needed. But it's also a conversation that couldn't have happened without all the previous conversations that helped Declan be more willing to try with his mom and Alan. Both Declan and Alan needed a new impetus to restart their relationship and try to get along better.

Jo Young

I loved this book. The story line is so interesting and I loved the little twists and turns the characters went through together and by themselves to get to the end.

Fire Eyes

Definitely a page turner, loved every minute of it.

Alexa Writes

Read & Reviewed from Aug 2018

When I picked up this book I was expecting a cheesy teenage romance. Wow was I wrong and so glad for it. What I got was an emotional story on labels, grief, love, acceptance and friendship with twists along the way. It’s a charming story that has realistic characters and reactions and just keeps you captivated from the moment you pick it up. Honestly an amazing read that I would recommend to anybody.

Kasey Mabey

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!
-
Thank you for making this book as it helped me and my mental health during lockdown :)
 I think the plot of the story was extremely clever, and it definitely pulled on my heart strings. I got this book about a year ago but did not have the motivation to read it. But then one day in isolation, I was bored out of my brain and decided to read it. And I am so glad that I did!

- POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!

In regards to characters - I absolutely loved the contrast between Declan and Juilet 
Juliet is a girl who is going through a hard time dealing with the grief of her mother. I liked how her grief was portrayed, as I am going through a loss myself, I could really relate with her emotions. I loved the idea that she carried on writing letters to her mother, as I thought it was very unique. The book seemed very old school, showing the point that two people can fall in love through letters - in society nowadays more young adults are connected to their phones and the internet. So this story was such a beautiful romance book as well as a book that carried a lot of serious topics and, in my opinion, was very emotional. 
-
I think if you like romance and teen fiction you should 100% read this book as it will go down as one of my favourites :)

OH MY GOD? i started reading this book expecting it to be a cute romance, but it turned out to be a heavy romance talking about how to move on from grief, acceptance, friendships, relationships, misunderstandings, and judgement and LABELS, & STEREOTYPES. Declan isn’t a “bad boy” like the playboy stereotypes in books, he was much more, just a soul that needed love and affection. such a beautifully written book, I- I have no words. it’s the fact that i saw both the main characters for who they are and not as just a character. some parts of the book had me stopping and thinking deeply, and reflecting. the plot twist made me jump out of my chair. so many unexpected twists in the story like holy hell- 

Juliet and Declan’s relationship is definitely one of my favourites. they didn’t have much interaction (which sounds weird ik) but they don’t need much to show how much the other means to them. 

Mrs. Hilliard reminds me of Seema ma’am, she genuinely cares and wants the better for her students. And I just thought I’d put that in. 

I started this book at 8 in the morning and completed it about an hour back (2 in the afternoon), literaly couldn’t put the book down. Only thing I don’t like is the fact that I felt robbed towards the end of the story. I need more of those two!! PLSSS. 
But yes I recommend all of you to read the book 100%. DEFINITELY WORTH IT 

Sofie

Note to self: don't wait to long to wrote a review because your MEMORY IS AWFUL.

_________

  You can see it on her face. Her reality is being ripped away, and she knows it.
Her mother is gone, and she knows it.
There is agony in that picture.
Every time I look at it, I think, “I know exactly how she feels.”


TW: Cheating, Grief, Drunk Driving, Death of Parent, Death, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt

The book has been on my tar for a while. I was even recommended it by some friends on here a few times. And still, I hesitated. maybe it was the cover (it's very 2010, you gotta admit). Maybe I didn't think it would be anything special.

But I was wrong.

I was gripped from Juliet's first letter. She has an incredible way with words, and her grief was palpable in every word. Declan's too, when he wrote back. I loved their correspondence, then their friendship. I think I also have a major soft spot for secret pen-pals. There's something so romantic about connecting with someone's words, their inner most thoughts and worries and insecurities, about the magic of anonymity. A girl can dream, I guess.

The story itself was tragic and riveting and heart-wrenching. I wanted to badly for these characters to find each other, but I too was drawn in by these anonymous letters. I didn't want to lose that connection too soon, either. I wanted to see our MCs figure it out for themselves. It definitely helped that as the two grew closer in their letters, fate brought them together time and time again in real life. 

I also have a secret soft spot for (view spoiler)[pen-pal situation where the guy finds out the other's identity first. Seeing Declan grapple with whether or not he should tell Juliet who he is, seeing him still want that connection with her even after he discovered her identity, gives me butterflies. (hide spoiler)].

Thank you to everyone who recommended this to me. I'm sorry it took me so long. You were right.

Becky

I would have read this book in a day if it wasn't for my having to go out and be social. I was hooked from the first letter Juliet wrote and was Googling the photographs mentioned throughout. It was the kind of book where you're hooked and interested in the lives of the characters almost immediately. I spent sections of the book in near tears and other times I was emailing and absorbed in the teenage drama.

Thank you Bloomsbury for sending me an early digital copy in exchange for a honest review.
 
After reading the summary of Letters to the Lost on Goodreads I was very intrigued and excited to read this book. 
 
Info: Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-travelling 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.
 
Letters to the lost deals with many sensitive subjects that I believe are very important and need to be discussed more. I feel like the way Brigid Kemmerer dealt with emotional scenes was amazing and the way she could bring humour into the story made it wonderful to read and I think that the contrast is essential to why this book actually works.
 
"You can't make your own path with your eyes closed"
 
I loved the way the relationship between Declan and Juliet starts in a completely different place from where it ends. If you enjoy slow burning, relationships that are full of angst and that are actually done well, you will love this book! The friendships were so well written and you get to see both female and male friendships and how they actually stick together and support each other no matter what. That is one of my favourite things about the entire book. Rev's character was very intriguing and the one thing I was a little disappointed about was that we didn't get to see more of him, but I've seen that there may possibly be a companion novel coming centred around his character so I'm super excited for that!
 
The character progression is amazing and I don't feel like there was ever a moment while I was reading it that I got bored. The plot just kept moving and went in directions I was not expecting. I really found it refreshing how we got to see through both of the main protagonists eyes so clearly and got to see exactly what the characters were thinking. I also found it really easy to distinguish who's point of view I was reading from and that on its own made the story flow together amazingly well. The plot of this book is very character driven so if you don't enjoy that in a book then you may not enjoy this, but if you do I would highly recommend it. I really found that it worked and overall found it very enjoyable.
 
I will definitely be picking up a physical copy upon its release because I loved this book so much!

Sophie Elaina &
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

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