Sunday 8 May 2016

Love Letters to the Dead

Title: Love Letter to the Dead
Author: Ava Dellaira
Type: Paperback
Read: 19th April - 24th April 2016
Rating: 4/5
Published: 1st May 2014 by Hot Key Books

It begins as an assignment for English class: write a letter to a dead person - any dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain - he died young, and so did Laurel's sister May - so maybe he'll understand a bit of what Laurel is going through. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people - Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart... it's like she can't stop. And she'd certainly never dream of handing them in to her teacher. She writes about what it's like going to a new high school, meeting new friends, falling in love for the first time - and how her family has shattered since May died.

But much as Laurel might find writing the letters cathartic, she can't keep real life out forever. The ghosts of her past won't be contained between the lines of a page, and she will have to come to terms with growing up, the agony of losing a beloved sister, and the realisation that only you can shape your destiny.

I had this book on my shelf for ages and everytime I get round to picking a new read, this drawn my attention. It was time I listened.

Laurel is given a task of writing a letter to any dead person, about anything. So she chooses Kurt Cobain. But then Laurel doesn't stop at one letter, she continues. It's almost like a self help. From reading the letters, we see Laurel grieve for the past, the things that have happened and the stuff that really shouldn't. The things she wants and we see the things she needs.

It's a book about growing up, grieving and learning to find out who you are. It's really touching and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Laurel is such a complex character that you sometimes just want to give her hugs.


Go Get it From: Amazon UKBook DepositoryWaterstones | Wordery
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