Love Letters to the Dead
A Novel
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4.5 • 209 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
“Dear Ava, I loved your book.” —Award-winning actress Emma Watson
Reminiscent of John Green, Kathleen Glasgow, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Ava Dellaira writes about grief, love, and family with a haunting and often heartbreaking beauty in this emotionally stirring, critically acclaimed debut novel.
It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did.
Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more—though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her.
Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was—lovely and amazing and deeply flawed—can she begin to discover her own path.
Praise for Love Letters to the Dead:
“Love Letters to the Dead is more than a stunning debut. It is the announcement of a bold new literary voice.” —Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“A heart-wrenching celebration of love and friendship and family.” —Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Shout
“Love Letters to the Dead leaves an indelible mark.” —Gayle Forman, author of If I Stay
“Really, just go read it.” —The Guardian
★ “Fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han, get ready.” ―Booklist, starred review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Everything Laurel knows about high school, she learned from her older sister, but after May's death, Laurel has to start freshman year on her own. After getting an assignment to write to someone who's died, Laurel keeps going, and the book is structured as a journal in letters to Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, River Phoenix, Judy Garland, and others. Laurel uses the letters to talk about both the past and the unfolding present, especially the friends she makes, who are also struggling with the problems that played a role in May's life and death. Debut author Dellaira gives Laurel a poet's eye: when she first makes eye contact with the boy she has a crush on, it feels like "fireflies lighting under my skin." Although Dellaria writes beautifully, the pervading melancholy feels one-note at times, and the letter format can get wearying, especially when Laurel tells the recipients about their own careers, the epistolary equivalent of expository dialogue. That said, Laurel and her friends' struggles and hard-won successes are poignant, and seeing Laurel begin to forgive herself and May is extremely moving. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
Love Letters to the Dead
This book is good but the plot,characters, and themes are very similar to 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'. The authors were friends.
Love Letters to the Dead
I think I over-loved this book!
So beautifully written
Would definitely recommend! I love how each character was created, with so much thought and love. You will not be disappointed