Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Letters to the Lost

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 stars)

Review:

A beautiful teenage story filled with emotion, discussing loss and figuring oneself out through friendship.

Following the story, each chapter introduces a letter or message. A boy named Declan Murphy was supposed to be tidying up the cemetery until he stumbled upon a sealed envelope across a newly made gravestone for Zoe Rebecca Thorne, a mother and wife. After looking at the name, he stares towards the date of her death, recognising that a significant moment in his life may have caused loss to a family. Declan has been completing his duty of community service for a few months after his arrest for drink driving.

We follow two perspectives towards loss, with the other being the daughter of Zoe Thorne, Juliet Young. Her mother was a war photographer and was killed a few hours before coming home. Juliet notices the envelope present on the grave. Normally, the staff would have cleaned and tidied up discarded personal items, but it seems that the envelope was left open. Someone has replied to her letter.

Under the names The Dark and Cemetery Girl, you may not realise that these strangers go to the same school as each other. In fact, they are from the same grade but have no clue who they are talking to. They reply with their darkest secrets and thoughts, but are unsure who is writing on the other end.

Understanding that both go to the same school, I thought the story would lead to a common ending, just like similar books, but one plot makes its presence unique from the rest. The pupils at the high school view Declan as dangerous. A senior-class reject. All students, including Juliet, understand that he has a criminal record, but not for what, and is always getting into trouble, making her feel frightened around him.

Will they discover who each other are and how will they react?

Kemmerer has written a wonderful book, focusing on struggling topics with grief, anxiety and loneliness. Each character design has intriguing importance to help each other, even towards the end of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of writing and believe it can help others with similar feelings as the characters have towards losing loved ones.