When Declan, a troubled teen doing community service at the local cemetery finds a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist the urge to write back. They quickly find themselves opening up to a complete stranger and form a strong, beautiful connection. Their letters start to help each other navigate their grief, loneliness, family pressures, and the guilt that continue to shape their lives. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers and when real life starts to interfere they discover truths that might tear them apart.
This story is hauntingly beautiful and has such important messages about grief, healing, forgiveness and life after loss. The writing is emotional, powerful and feels deeply authentic, capturing me from the very first page. The story is told through a dual POV, which I absolutely loved and felt added so much depth to the narrative. The characters are wonderfully complex and incredibly realistic, and by the end I felt as though I knew them intimately.
It is a book that has stayed with me ever since my first read close to ten years ago now, and I guarantee it will stay with you too. It is still one of the best books I have ever read! The novel deals with some heavy themes, but I feel it is suitable for mature young teens and is a book that anyone aged 13+ could connect with and enjoy.
“One day isn't your whole life. A day is just a day.”
Title: Letters to the Lost
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: 4 April 2017
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781408883525
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult Fiction
