Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on April 4th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 400
Amazon|IndieBound|B&N
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.
You’ve Got Mail!
Earlier this year I ended up reading four books, including LETTERS TO THE LOST, that centered around a teen couple getting to know each other via “letters.” Some of the stories very clearly had a You’ve Got Mail/Shop Around the Corner vibe, and others were simply epistolary love stories, but still, it was too great a trend to pass up writing about it! Here’s a breakdown of my letters-based YA romance marathon in case you want to read them all in a month too!
LETTERS TO THE LOST by Brigid Kammerer: As you’ve read above, this story is about Juliet Taylor, who leaves letters to her dead mother, a world-traveling conflict photographer, on her tombstone. But one day when Juliet returns to the grave, someone has read — and answered! — the very private letter. School outcast Declan Murphy helps the cemetery’s groundskeeper to fulfill court-ordered community. He answers a grieving girl’s letter to her mother, and they begin a heartfelt exchange. In real life, Juliet and Declan have no idea they’re the secret pen pals. In fact, they’re fairly ugly toward each other… at first. “I stayed up incredibly late at night to finish this book because I could absolutely not put it down. I was so invested and when I finished I was in awe of the story I just read. ” –Sarah on Goodreads
ALEX, APPROXIMATELY by Jenn Bennett: Bailey aka “Mink” Rydell ends up moving to the same town where her online crush and fellow classic-movie lover “Alex” lives one summer. Bailey decides to surprise Alex by looking for him, but in the process works at a house museum where she begins a love-hate relationship with handsome security guard and former surfer Porter Roth. “YA romance at its finest. Porter is ALL THE SWOONS.” –Danielle on Goodreads
P.S. I LIKE YOU by Kasie West: One day in chemistry class, Lily writes obscure song lyrics on her desk, and the next day she realizes someone else has finished the lyrics. So, Lily begins to scribble more, and soon she looks forward to class just to see what her anonymous pen pal has written. But trying to figure out who the guy could be ends up in unexpected places for Lily, including one guy she usually can’t stand. “ The hate to love was PERFECT, and I loved the true meaning behind everything.” –Brittany on Goodreads
TELL ME THREE THINGS by Julie Buxbaum: After mother-less Jessie’s father remarries a widow from Los Angeles and starts junior year at a posh private school, she starts an online exchange with a stranger who realizes she could use a guide to the close-knit, gossipy school. As Jessie virtually gets to know “Somebody/Nobody,” in real life she’s partnered with school mystery Ethan in English class. –“Tell Me Three Things is poignant and refreshing; you’ll fall in love with it, I guarantee.” –Keertana on Goodreads
If you’re up for a spoiler, or have already seen YOU’VE GOT MAIL, here’s the “big reveal” scene, just because I love it:
About the author:
BRIGID KEMMERER is author of LETTERS TO THE LOST (Bloomsbury; April 4, 2017), a dark, contemporary Young Adult romance; THICKER THAN WATER (Kensington, December 29, 2015), a New Adult paranormal mystery with elements of romance; and the YALSA-nominated Elemental series of five Young Adult novels and three e-novellas which Kirkus Reviews calls “refreshingly human paranormal romance” and School Library Journal describes as “a new take on the supernatural genre.” She lives in the Baltimore area with her husband and four sons.
Follow Brigid: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram
LETTERS TO THE LOST Giveaway Time!
Three lucky Blog Tour readers will receive finished copies of LETTERS TO THE LOST. Must have a U.S.-based address to be eligible for the giveaway.
Blog Tour Schedule:
3/27: Reading Teen
3/28: Teen Lit Rocks
3/29: Love Is Not a Triangle
3/30: Lost In Lit
3/31: The Irish Banana Review
4/3: Addicted 2 Novels
4/4: Alexa Loves Books
4/5: Novel Novice
4/6: Bookhounds YA
4/7: Pure Imagination
Sounds very intriguiging, and I love most any book with written letters as part of the plot. Thanks for hosting!
Yes, it’s an intriguing premise, and you should check it out, as well as all the books mentioned above 🙂