Review - Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Letters to the Lost

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Pages: 400

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Release Date: 6th April 2017

Blurb from Goodreads: 

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.

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My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley*

Juliet Young leaves letters at her mother's grave, carrying on the tradition they had when her mother travelled around the world to take photographs in war zones. She never expected anyone to reply to one of her letters.

Declan Murphy has also lost someone - his sister - and finds one of Juliet's letters while doing community service mowing the grass at the local cemetery. He writes back, not knowing that by doing so Declan will create an outlet for their grief, and that the two of them will find someone that they can both confide in. The duo also think that they're writing to complete strangers but in fact they go to the same school.

Can Declan make peace with his mother and step-father?

Will he stop blaming himself for his sister's death?

Will Juliet be able to take up photography again when every time she sees a camera she thinks of her mother?

Letters to the Lost was an emotional, heartfelt read. I wasn't actually expecting it to get to me as much as it did - when I wasn't smiling I was blinking back tears.

I loved the characters in this - Juliet, Declan and Rev especially. They were all compelling, realistic and relatable. None of them were perfect and I really enjoyed reading as they interacted with each other.

The plot was engaging and I couldn't wait to see what would happen when Juliet and Declan realised who they were actually writing to.

The writing style was easy to follow and held my attention from the first page.

Overall this was a very enjoyable read that I would recommend.