Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Letters to the Lost

My favorite part was how real the characters became in the ...

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2017

Guys. I was not prepared for how unputdownable this book would be for me. I read it in about 3 sittings, despite having a baby and deadlines and a filthy house and all of the other things.

Juliet and Declan's story grabbed me from the very first page. I found myself saying "just one more chapter" again and again and again, only to find myself 50 or 100 pages further into the book. My favorite part was how real the characters became in the space of just a few lines - their pain, their vulnerability, their hope, all of it. You're not only rooting for them as a potential couple but as individuals who desperately need healing separately, too.

In fact, I just all around loved that the romance (though strong) wasn't the focus of the story. That we get to know their families, their friends, their teachers, mentors, etc, and that each one of them feels as real as the two leads. Our lives aren't made up of one person, they're made up of a dozen people, all of whom have roles to play.

LETTERS TO THE LOST reminds us that sometimes people let us down, but that doesn't mean that we get to stop trying, or stop digging beneath the snapshot they present the world. Not if they matter to us. Because the only way to heal, to move forward, is to truly understand that although everyone has flaws, and makes mistakes, everyone also has the potential to surprise us in the best way possible.

I loved it. 100%.

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Tara

a boy with a bad reputation, starts corresponding with Juliet Young after he ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2017

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Letters to the Lost is a story that is based on letters and emails but isn't limited to them. Declan Murphy, a boy with a bad reputation, starts corresponding with Juliet Young after he finds a letter she wrote to her mother in a cemetery. They don't know one another's identities, but this anonymity makes it easier to tell one another truths about themselves and their lives.

I like the characters. This book is definitely a character novel rather than a plot-based novel. Things happened, but the plot is much less important than what is going on inside each of them. My favorite. Declan and his best friend Rev are the standouts for me. I loved Rev so much that I wouldn't mind a sequel for him. I never want that. There was just something heartbreaking about his tough/vulnerable dichotomy. I appreciate that Brigid Kemmerer allowed her characters to be flawed. Declan has a habit of taking offense and losing his temper sometimes without reason, and Juliet is sometimes self-absorbed and judgmental. The writing is strong enough that you understand their poor choices and aren't frustrated by them.

There is a strong theme of reputation and expectations. How do we respond to how the people around us see us? What does it take for perspectives to change? Both Declan and Juliet are constrained by a predetermined definition of who they are. The definition is partly defined and upheld by themselves. Much of their journey lies in figuring out that both they and the people around them are infinitely more complex that the narrow vision that they have of them.

Recently there was a situation at my school where a student asked for help dealing with a home situation. One thing that my school really values and puts a premium on is relationships. And while day to day it does make for a great learning and working environment, more importantly, it allowed a twelve-year-old boy to know that if he reached out, he would get help. Bear with me. I swear this relates to Letters to the Lost. I happened to be finishing up this book at the time and what I found both unusual and heartening was the amount of positive, healthy adult interaction. Shout out to the English teacher who differentiates an assignment because of *gasp that it what the student needs. How often does that happen in YA? Especially in a book that deals with death, abuse, foster care, and let's face it, high school. Sometimes there MIGHT just be one adult who cares but overall adults are not to be trusted. In this book, almost every adult when clearly communicated with had the best of intentions and was willing to support and help as best they could. There needs to be more of this in YA. YA is supposed to be for teenagers. Or preteens such as my students. Adults might like it and read it but we are are the not the target audience. When all the books show adults as monsters, users, incompetent, or absent what message are we sending them? Especially those that need help? I am glad that Letters to the Lost managed to subvert that trope.

Brigid Kemmerer's other books seem to be something along the line of YA elemental urban fantasy. I am not super interested in them but I will be on the lookout for her next book.

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AmyCliber

So good!

Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2017

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I can't say enough good things about this book. Initially I was apprehensive because I didn't feel like I could face a story about death and loss, but it really went beyond that to illustrate how much easier it can sometimes be to connect to someone when you're not seeing them face to face; when you can anonymously pour out your feelings without worrying about the impression you're making during the give and take of a conversation. How you can see someone differently when you don't have a visual and how a person standing in front of you can be completely invisible under certain circumstances. How there's more to a person once you scratch the surface. The story and plot were so well paced and intriguing that I read it in one night. I couldn't wait to see what the next letter said and how each character would respond and how the relationship between the two strangers would unfold and evolve. The main characters were complex and realistic and their journey had such a great undercurrent of suspense that I couldn't put it down. And just when I thought things were drawing to a close (they're going to figure it out and get together and kiss and stuff!), there was a TWIST! I gasped. Out loud. At 2 in the morning. So good! Highly recommend for teens and adults.

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Mom2Two

Not enough words exist to describe this book

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2020

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This book turned me inside out. It is one of the most deeply human books I've ever read. I would recommend it to anyone. It is a harrowing read, as there is incredible grief in this story. But real grief. This is how it feels to lose, to feel lost and worthless and alone, and also how it feels to see the first glimmer of light in the darkness, to feel the hand that grasps the one you were wildly flailing in search of just one thing to hold on to. It's also a beautiful story of love, of families who break and struggle to find their way back to each other. This story will pull you in so thoroughly it is hard to emerge. I would encourage anyone who can handle strong emotion to read this book. It will break your heart, and lift it up, and hopefully help you look beyond the masks we wear and be more open to the people around you on a daily basis. Wonderful, powerful writing.

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Bella Kraft

Hit Home for Me

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2017

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I received Letters to the Lost out of the generous heart of Brigid Kemmerer after we had talked back and forth about her book. I talked to her over twitter about how I couldn’t wait to read it due to how cathartic I think it might be for me given it’s synopsis surrounding a teenage girl having lost her mother at a very young age. For the both of them. I was given an ARC to Netgalley but then about a week or so later I was sent an early hard copy that was signed by Brigid herself.
I, truly, can’t describe how touched I was to receive something like this. I have been given other book copies from authors before but nothing that meant so much to me as this did. Those feelings only became more overwhelming as I read and finished LTTL.

I know most book reviews are supposed to give a general look at the book and praise it. Make you want to read it and so on. But LTTL was different for me. I wasn’t wrong when I said this book would be cathartic for me. I knew going into it that there was a very large chance I would have a hard time getting through it, the words would stir feelings in me that I hadn’t dealt with on my own, I could even potentially cry. Which I did. It’s because of this that I am grateful for Letters to the Lost. I’m not saying to completely healed me of the grief over the loss of my mother some 18 years ago, but the words and thought processes in this book has given me a chance to look at my decisions and grief, itself, a different way.

For that I say Thank You, Brigid Kemmerer. You’ve done more for me in one book than most therapists have done in a few hundred sessions. I’ll always volunteer as tribute to read your books and back your stories 100% because of this. Letters to the Lost will forever stay on my list of Favorite and Re-Readable books. There aren’t many of those.

Let me start by saying I gave Letters to the Lost 4 stars. Now that’s not to say it isn’t deserving of of five. It is. The four is my own personal issues with the book itself. They’re minor, however, but in the end they sort of add up to take away one full star.

Note: There are spoilers in this post, so stop now if you haven’t read this book. It’s too good of a read to spoil!!

Letter to the Lost is a plot I haven’t seen done before. It’s about two lost teens wrapped in their own teenage crap on top of personal tragedies that are weighing them down. Almost to the point of destruction. But they communicate through hand written letters left in a cemetery all while not knowing who the other is.

That being said, one of the main issues I had was how long it took for ‘The Dark’ and ‘Cemetery Girl’ to figure out who each other were. There were so many opportunities for Juliet to be, forgive me, not BLONDE and just put two and two together and realize DECLAN IS ‘The Dark’. Almost to the point I wanted to throw the book. Half of that was frustration, half of that was I wanted them together because when Declan isn’t being a self-destructive jerk he really is a book-boyfriend I want for myself!

A second point is Rev. I LOVE Rev. He was a little creepy at first but once he got more lines and you got to know his home life a bit more he opened up to be a very interesting character. So interesting I WANTED MORE. Now, I know Brigid is making a book JUST for Rev, but had I not known that I would have been upset because I believe it’s Rev and his past history that really grounds Declan a lot of time. Thus it would have been nice to have more on him so you could join in on that bond with Rev and Declan to love their duo even more.

Declan’s step-father was a third, and the most irritating, point for me. He and Declan were such a toxic mix of anger and spite and rejection their scenes were hard to read for me because I’ve been in a family situation that was similar. Declan couldn’t do ANYTHING right! I wanted to punch the guy in the face!! But even after knowing everything Declan did in his past and living, practically, in a car shop for his dad, who is gone now, his damn step-father still wouldn’t let him help at first. Like What. The. Hell. Man?! Get off your damn high horse! On top of that, his sudden turn around and suddenly they’re having a calm heart to heart and he’s wanting to be a family man?! At first I thought it was a rouse, and while I was glad Declan was getting to say what was finally needing to say, the turn around in the dad seemed a little rushed. But I was also glad it was happening? So I’m sort of 50-50 on that whole thing?

There was a twist towards the end with Juliet and concerning her mother that really.. threw me. Honestly, it didn’t sit well with me or the pit of my stomach after I finished the book. It was one of the reasons I had to give myself a day or so to sit with the book before I wrote this and gave a truly honest review. While I understand it was for drama purposes and for Juliet to truly have an outstanding moment to relieve her grief and figure things out, I feel like another plot somehow might have worked better. I’m not the writer so I couldn’t tell what to replace it with, but I feel like I felt the pain that Juliet did and it hurt me. Which may be had been the point all along. It just felt painful for me like Juliet going through it. Awkward even.

My favorite thing I am grateful for, however, is how Brigid handled the romance. Through out the whole book the romance was there but it was more of a back burner situation. Which only made you want to have the MC’s get together that much more. It was handled so well and so beautifully that I wish more authors wrote like that. Have it there, hovering, but not the main focus but then it happens anyway in a way that’s.. more realistic. It was wonderful to read because you rooted for Declan and Juliet so much.

Letters to the Lost has a lot of ups and downs, happiness and frustrations. It sticks in my brain and makes me feel like there’s hope at the end of the tragic moments that happen in life. Brigid Kemmerer is an amazing writer and I can’t wait to see what else she brings to the table.

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Destiny B.

“One day isn't your whole life. A day is just a day.”

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2018

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I’d heard somewhat mixed reviews from my friends on this book, but after learning that the ARC of Brigid’s I’d been approved for, More Than We Can Tell, is meant to be read after this one, I decided to go ahead and read it – and I couldn’t put it down. Don’t get me wrong, Letters is an incredibly sad story filled with grief, pain, and regret, but there’s also something tremendously heart-warming and comforting in Brigid’s writing.

“What you wrote implies that you understand agony. I don’t think you do. If you did, you wouldn’t have interfered with mine.”

I’m such a sucker for romances and friendships that form through written correspondence, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done while being intermingled with an enemies-to-lovers trope, and this book executes it in such a fun, captivating way. From the start, Juliet and Declan can hardly stand each other – Juliet is self-absorbed and terrified of his large stature and stoic, harsh mannerisms, while Declan has written her off as just another pretty girl who thinks she’s out of his league.

“When everything goes to hell around you, the only way to go is forward.”

While I honestly loved Declan from the beginning – I have such a soft spot for angsty, hurting “bad boys” – Juliet was fairly unlikable at the start, mostly due to the way she treats the people around her. She’s hurting, and her mother’s passing is recent, so she lashes out constantly, whether it’s at Declan, her father, or her friends. The thing about her behavior, though, is you can’t help but empathize for her even when she’s at her worst.

“One day isn't your whole life. A day is just a day.”

It takes some time for Juliet to come around, but Declan is the shining star of character development in this story, if you ask me. In the beginning, he’s at the edge of a cliff, and it’s taking everything in him to make it through one day at a time. He’s living with guilt that nobody should bear, being harassed by his step-father and forgotten by his mother in the wake of his younger sister’s passing. There were moments in his narrative where I was so worried about what would happen to him, but he becomes so strong, and under all the pain and rage is this mushy little teddy bear that just wants to protect the people he loves.

Sometimes I think fate conspires against us. Or maybe fate conspires with us.

Of course, I can’t review this book without talking about Declan’s best friend, Rev, who is hilarious, awkward, precious, and a delightful addition to every scene he’s in. I loved his character so much, and I didn’t realize until after finishing this book that he’s the star of the follow-up story, so now I’m twice as excited for that one as I already was. I can’t wait to see where life takes him next, and to get to know him and his sordid past a little bit better.

“You’re okay,” he says again. I like that, how he’s so sure. Not, “Are you okay?” No question about it. You’re okay.

If you enjoy YA contemporaries about grief and healing, or if you’re just like me and you can’t resist a good falling-in-love-through-emails trope, pick this one up right away – you won’t regret it.

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Julianna Knutson

Hallmark Feels!

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2017

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Letters to the Lost is a great story that certainly engages the reader. I couldn't stop reading whenever I ended a chapter. Every chance a I got, I would pick up where I left off and get absorbed into the story that time seemed to pass a lot faster. Declan and Juliet both lean on each other...but they don't even know it. Instead when they see each other, they have a bit of a "hostile" reaction to each other. Until one push in the right direction brings them together while finding answers regarding their own questions.

Highly recommend to those who enjoy emotional reads while loving the romance feel of a hallmark movie being played out.

Tempting Sexy Thoughts

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Sabby2802

Epic Young Adult at its best!!!😊

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2018

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This was the most fantastic, epic, thrilling and emotional book ive ever read! Its my first time reading this author and i am amazed, and pleased at her writing. This book was well planned! I love the plot, i loved the characters...they were real in every sense of the word.
This is one of those books that leaves an imprint on your heart, absolutely stunning. Of course you need tissues to read it.
Juliet recently loss her mom and the only way she knows how to cope is by writing her letters and leaving them at her gravesite in the cemetry when she visits. Its her new normal and its been working fine until someone replies to her letter. This will set off a series of conversations sent through emails with someone Juliet only know as"The Dark".
Here enters Declan Murphy, the schools most notorious "bad boy" who Juliet will literally have a few run ins with. But as conversations get more frequent, time is running out and "The Dark" will soon have to come clean or run the risk of Juliet uncovering the truth..... i throughly enjoyed this book and i absolutely cannot wait for Rev's book!!!

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Lisa and Jeff Albright @booksloveandunderstanding

Beautiful YA story

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2020

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This is such a sweet story about two lost and lonely souls that manage to find each other despite their differences. Juliet and Declan meet through a letter Juliet leaves at her mother's gravesite, and Declan ends up responding with an anonymous letter of his own. They exchange letters for months without knowing who the other really is, revealing their innermost thoughts. Everything could change when they discover their real identities and that possibility is what drives this beautiful story.
...
I loved these two characters, I loved the story, and I loved the writing. The author takes you on an emotional journey and I laughed and cried throughout the book. Her writing is fluid and the character development is solid. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

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Sue's Reviews

BEAUTIFUL!! I simply could not put this one down. Five shining stars.

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2017

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I was immediately intrigued by the unique style and expressive language as Declan and Juliet shared their deepest thoughts and feelings with each other. I ached to make things better for them as I hoped they would somehow get together in person (and they did!). I simply could not put this one down--even read through every meal until it was done. My only tiny criticism is Alan's abrupt change from mean and nasty stepfather to apologetic and caring at the end; I'd despised him through the whole book and couldn't quite accept the transformation. I loved the English teacher, Mrs. Hillard, for encouraging Declan and giving him confidence in his abilities. Rev was my other favorite--what a great friend! He deserves his own story (hint to the author). I'll be buying Letters to the Lost for a special teen in my life. Thanks for a beautiful book!

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5 star		81%
4 star		14%
3 star		2%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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