Letters to the Lost

By Brigid Kemmerer

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'A tale of modern star-crossed love' - School Library Journal

'Romance readers will stay up late to finish this very satisfying and heartfelt read' - Booklist
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Secret letters spark true love in this emotionally compelling romance from the author of the New York Times bestselling Cursebreaker series.
A Zoella Book Club Pick
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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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Apr 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781408883518

Brigid Kemmerer

Brigid Kemmerer is the author of the New York Times bestseller Defy the Night, the New York Times bestselling Cursebreaker series, which includes A Curse So Dark and Lonely, A Heart So Fierce and Broken, and A Vow So Bold and Deadly, and Forging Silver into Stars. She has also written the contemporary young adult romances Call It What You Want, More Than We Can Tell, and Letters to the Lost, as well as paranormal young adult stories, including the Elemental series and Thicker Than Water. A full-time writer, Brigid lives in the Baltimore area with her family. www.brigidkemmerer.com @BrigidKemmerer

Reviews for Letters to the Lost

[Gillian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Woah! I love the emotions that were written out in this book. The use of poetry and photos helped to make this so real.

[Gi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everything about this book is perfect! I love it so much. I know from the deepest of my heart that this one gonna be one of my favorite YA

[Ellena Fitzgibbon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was such an great book couldn't put my phone down for a second.i loved the plot and it was wrote amazingly .

[Noraini · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"You were the first person to see all of me, Juliet. The first person who made me feel like I was worth more than a reputation and a record. That's the hardest part of losing Cemetery Girl. I don't know if anyone will look at me that same way again."

It all started with a letter on the gravestone. From a stranger who wrote back the answer at the letter that was not supposed to be answered because the recipient was dead. To a couple who now know everything about each other secrets and make their paths.

Juliet the Cemetery Girl who lost her mother because of car accident always comes to the cemetery and writes letters to her dead mother. Juliet who was very active in photography club at her high school starts to back off from the society because camera and pictures had made her reminded more of her late mother. Her mother was a professional camerawoman who took pictures of people in war and misery for the people of the world to interpret the meaning of life. She loved her so much and her sudden lost was really unbearable for Juliet to bear. Until one day, when she discovered the hidden secret relationship of her mother and her editor, Ian where she felt she had been deceived by her mother.

The Dark guy, Declan Murphy who lost her sister because of the cancer, not the cancer, actually, because of his drunken father. Her mother who had married a new guy, Alan and his father who had gone into prison gave a really big impact on him. His action who was trying to kill himself by his father's truck on his mother's wedding had brought him into a community sentence for 100 hours by mowing the lawn of the cemetery ground.

The fate of losing their dearest one had crossed the path between them. The feeling of emptiness of losing the touch of the loved one and the guilt that tied in the heart because of not being able to protect their loved one had brought them down. The cemetery was where the story started.

> A day is just a day.

> One day isn't your whole life.

> Every moment is meaningful.

> Everyone needs someone to talk to.

> It's life. When everything goes to hell around you, the only way to go is forward.

> Just because you can't do it now doesn't mean you can't do it ever.

[fionaanne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes a 5-star read turns out less engaging than I remember but this was just as good as I recall it being the first time.

[Ashli-Paige Hughes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book, fell in love with the characters. I couldn’t put it down.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed the format of this book; I loved how a letter from one was being read by the other and how the story was told through alternating perspectives. Obviously though I loved a lot more than that since lots of books are told using that method.I liked the believability of the issues both Juliet and Declan struggled with. I liked how confrontational they were when they met and how open they were when they wrote. I liked the angst and the surprises. It has a “You’ve got mail” feel to it because one of them finds out who the other is, but chooses to continue the written correspondence and not reveal the truth about who they are. I picked this book up because I wanted to read more by this author after reading “A curse so dark and lonely” and “A heart so fierce and broken.” Kemmerer is definitely my new favourite YA author.Highly recommended.

[headinherbooks_27 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the way the book demonstrates how our view of others can hinder our associations with them. If somebody makes a mistake, does that make them an awful person forever. On the off chance that somebody is reclusive does that mean they are cold or uninterested, maybe they are just hurting inside. I enjoyed this book. Shows how we can be judgmental to others and to ourselves.

[Rida Khushi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Lord knows this book did things to my heart I cannot explain with words. Although my favourite book by Brigid will always be Call It What You Want, Letters to the Lost and its sequel have a very, very special place in my heart.

[nu5bibliophile · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the way the book demonstrates how our view of others can hinder our associations with them. If somebody makes a mistake, does that make them an awful person forever. On the off chance that somebody is reclusive does that mean they are cold or uninterested, maybe they are just hurting inside. I enjoyed this book. Shows how we can be judgmental to others and to ourselves.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a touching, moving romance "Letters to the Lost" turned out to be. Filled with heartache and pain, the novel focused on two teenagers brought together through grief Even though the plot moved at a slower pace than what I usually like, I found myself avidly turning the pages as the drama intensified.Both Juliet and Declan were very sympathetic characters and their emotions were both raw and believable which came through in their letters/emails to each other. The fact that they didn't know who they were writing to was an important factor for both of them as they gradually opened up to each other, found solace and formed an emotional connection. While they weren't perfect and made silly mistakes, both Declan and Juliet grew and matured throughout the book.I also liked that the two protagonists had very supportive friends. Declan's best (only) friend, Rev, was a fabulous character with his own tragic past, and I hope the author writes his story in the future as I would like to learn more about him.Dealing with loss, family, trust, friendship, prejudice and letting go, "Letters to the Lost" was a refreshing, heartwarming read.

[acargile-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel is on the 2019 Lone Star list; it is realistic fiction.Declan finds a letter at the cemetery about a girl with blood everywhere:“At first you see the horror because it’s so perfectly etched in the girl’s expression.Then you see the blood. The flowers. The gun. The boots.Some of your photographs are equally gripping. I should probably be thinking of your work. It seems wrong to be leaning against your headstone and thinking about someone else’s talent.I can’t help it.You can see it on her face. Her reality if being ripped away, and she knows it.There is agony in that picture.Every time I look at it, I think, “I know exactly how she feels.”Declan responds on the paper with “Me too.” This begins a writing dialogue between Declan and Juliet. This is a novel where information is revealed over time. It’s not something I can write much about because you’ll miss out on the discovery of each person’s truths. Juliet is lonely because her mom is gone. Her father isn’t coping well either so she feels alone. She’s given up photography because she can no longer hold a camera--it’s too painful. Her mother was a famous news photographer who traveled the world going to hotspots to show people what is happening around the globe. Juliet knows that people expect her to “get over it,” but she can’t get past the trauma. Declan is doing community service--you’ll learn why as the book progresses. Because he doesn’t really know how to talk without “barking,” people think he’s a difficult kid and don’t give him any chances. No one listens to him. His responses to the letter writer give him a chance to tell his truth--to be heard. They don’t know who the other person is, but they do wonder if they know each other from school. Because each person feels a connection, they are afraid to learn each other’s identity because it might spoil this feeling of connection that they don’t have anywhere else.I loved this book. I read it straight through and found the pacing and writing believable, moving, and honest. It’s a great selection for Lone Star.

[simplykelina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite Booktubers recommend this. I actually had it on my shelf, so I thought I would pick it up. As I started reading, I thought “Ok, this is living up to the hype.” This started off so strong. We have Declan and Jules who write letters back and forth to one another around their losses. I liked the mystery around what happened to Declan and I devoured the first half. Then the story moved into a modern day Cinderella story. No, for real! Have you seen the movie with Hilary Duff? Two people messaging each other and not knowing that person is. That is what it turned into for me which I did not mind. It did start to drag a little in the middle, but picked back up towards the end.This had a plot twist that was not really a plot twist. I did not see it coming as something that could have happened. This will make sense once you read this, as I do not want to give it away. But, my jaw dropped and I said NO! That cannot be. There is another plot twist which I wish did not happen and that the story did not go in that direction, but it did not take away from me liking the story.I thought this book was going to emotional break me. However; I kept waiting for that moment, and it never came. Yes, it was sad and sad what the characters went through, but it lacked that emotional pull that I was looking forward too.I really loved the side characters in this especially Frank and Rev. I loved how Frank becomes a father figure for Declan and as he was talking to him I found myself saying, “You go Frank” out loud! I just loved him. I also really loved Rev. I also really loved Rev, and I am so excited that there is a companion novel around his story. Overall, this had its ups and downs but I ended up really enjoying it. I will definitely be picking up the next book that follows Rev soon!

[Mukvipa S. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG!!!! THIS IS SO FREAKING GOOD.

Can a picture ever tell the whole story?

I love the concept of this book, we wouldn't know how true the story is,
or what kind of a person they are just we know some part of their life.

this is amazing, every family's issues in this book made my heart ache.

[ilonita50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's the best, it's wonderfully beautiful, so much captured in the book, I loved it!I received the e-arc for an honest review, thanks a million!Letters to the lost is beautiful YA literature, it is about finding way how to overcome grief, guilt, see and learn the story from another perspective. It's Ya, but it was intriguing interesting this is something great when the story can get all of my attention. It was heart-aching to read the pain that was revealed by both main characters Juliet and Declan. Both have lost somebody from their family, Juliet her mum in car accident and without a chance to say goodbye, and Declan his little sister and dad in one. Both meet by accident, well, not meet directly but they start writing anonymous letters to each other and hide them in graveyard, discussing important topics via hypothetical questions. More and more they realize they are students in one school, in contrast they have met in real but then they are sharp to each other as everybody else, having stereotypes taking place about who may one is. I loved that the book proved there's surface underneath the "front face", that not everyone seems who you think they are. I love the reality point and both families, it was heartbreaking but realistic.My new favorite, plus I really enjoy the cover!

[twileteyes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read this basically in one sitting, from about 6PM to 12:30AM only stopping to eat and to settle the baby. This was believable, with moments that had me laughing out loud literally, as well as crying; several times I thought I had guessed a plot twist but was wrong which is actually nice.

[annabastos-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This may not have made me cry but it was certainly emotional from beginning to end.

Declan finds a letter Juliet had left by her mother's grave and identifies himself so much with her words he can't help but answering it. Despite a little aggravated by having her letter read by a stranger, Juliet comes to confide in him as the two continue an exchange of secret, regrets and doubts.

It deserved 3.5.

I liked how both characters were built, and this says a lot. I was sure I wasn't going to stand any of the characters—I was more in this for the story. Grieving girl and rebel boy aren't my thing. And I can't even say they aren't exactly that. Nevertheless, something touched me already from the first chapters, I really cared a lot for the two. That said, the best thing in this book is watching firsthand them learn how to deal with their pain. Character development for the win.

Some of the conflict was overdone. Perhaps the two could really be so blind not to see the flaws in their preconceptions, but I just couldn't buy it. But this wasn't so bad to a point I felt frustrated for them. Another complaint of mine is how neatly things seemed to fit by the end. It wasn't that the conclusion was too farfetched but after hearing so many of their thoughts and analyzing their feelings for the whole book, the ending could have gone deeper.

This was an easy read. Even though the secret letter exchange plot has been overdone these past few years, and this book didn't bring a special twist to it, at least the characters weren't so dumb (I mean, I kept wondering why they didn't ask around who in their school had lost a mother or a sister but they weren't that keen to find out their identities, either).

When I say easy, however, it doesn't mean the plot is that light. I was ready for worse but both characters are still in a dark place in their lives. It features parental abuse, suicide attempts and the such. You shouldn't read it if that is a trigger for you. The book is not really graphic and it doesn't seem to try to shock the reader but the thematic is there. It's a dark plot but not so heavy, don't worry. I liked how the author stayed between the too light and the too strong. She was certainly sensitive in that aspect. This is a good pick for a book club, if you keep in mind the darker themes.

At the same time, because she probably opted to play it safe, the book is simply that, a nice book. The plot is well built but there isn't any shine to it. It made me not want to stop reading but it still lacked here and there.

As long as you like YA's, I don't think you'll hate it but I don't think you'll love it. This was a good release, and I liked the take on the letter exchange. There was some mystery, there was some romance, there was some drama. And that mixture came out fine—which is rare. It just didn't go beyond. I do look forward for more from this author, that is true.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.