Review - More Than We Can Tell (Letters to the Lost, #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: More Than We Can Tell (Letters to the Lost, #2)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Pages: 415

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books

Release Date: 8th March 2018

Blurb from Goodreads: 

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.

 

 Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

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

Adopted at a young age after escaping from his abusive father, Rev works hard to battle his demons. Then a letter arrives from his father on Rev's eighteenth birthday, threatening to bring back buried memories.

Emma loves gaming and coding, just like her father. She has built her own online game and escapes there to get away from her bickering parents. But then a troll starts harassing Emma and threatening her safety.

When Rev and Emma meet they both have their own problems, but maybe together they can overcome them.

What does Rev's father want from him?

Will the troll harassing Emma get bored and go away?

I really enjoyed Letters to the Lost, so when I heard that there was a sequel/companion novel coming out I was excited to read it.

I loved both Rev and Emma as well as other characters like Declan and Rev's adopted parents. Rev and Emma were both likeable and realistic protagonists.

The plot was interesting and held my attention. I felt sorry for both Rev and Emma and really liked their interactions.

The writing style made it easy to zoom through the pages.

While I didn't like this as much as Letters to the Lost, I still enjoyed it.

Overall this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

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.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

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.

Review - Storm (Elemental, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Storm (Elemental, #1)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Pages: 320

Publisher: Much-in-Little

Release date: 17th April 2014

Blurb from Goodreads:

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake.

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys; all the ones she doesn't want. When she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot, everything is about to change. Chris is different from the guys at school... really different. He can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. The brothers are powerful and dangerous. And now that Becca knows the truth, so is she.
When the mysterious new kid, Hunter, turns up, Becca thinks she can trust him. But when he goes head-to-head with Chris, Becca's left wondering who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US 

My Review:

 *I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley*

3.5/5 stars

Becca Chandler is the object of unwanted attention at school. 

One evening she stops a fight in the school car park, rescuing Chris Merrick. 

Becca soon learns that Chris isn't like other guys and neither are his brothers - they can each control an element. 

They're powerful and people want them dead.

Then a new guy, Hunter, starts at school. 

Chris and Hunter fight over Becca but can she trust them? 

Or are they hiding secrets from her?

I really enjoyed this. I was hooked from the beginning and found this really easy to read. 

The characters were likeable and I connected easily with them. 

I felt sorry for Becca because she didn't deserve what happened to her. 

The plot was good and wasn't predictable - I didn't see the surprises at the end coming. 

I was slightly disappointed to find there was a love triangle but it wasn't over the top and there was no insta-love (thank God). 

Overall I enjoyed this book and while it didn't amaze me I would recommend it.