Book in Review: Love Letters to The Dead by Ava Dellaira
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Author: Ava Dellaira
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Hardcover: 323 pages
Rating: 4/5
Laurel was given an assignment in her English class to write a letter to a dead person. She wrote more than just one letter to more than just one dead person. Through the letters we are able to see her life. She adjusts to her new school. She meets new people and gets new friends. She finds herself a boyfriend. At first we think it's pretty normal but as you go on, you realize that something's not right. What is wrong in Laurel's life? What's going on? Will her secrets stop her from going further in her relationship with Sky?
This book was really good. The writing was beautiful and never boring. When the secret was revealed, I wasn't really shocked since the author has already dropped a lot of clues. That didn't ruin the book though since I didn't really mind.
I loved how the author wrote the book. I think that if the book wasn't written in letter form, it wouldn't be as great. I loved how the book didn't try to gloss over what happened to Laurel but didn't give too much information either. The moments wherein Laurel and May are shown together were definitely my favorite parts of the book. May seemed like such a great sister and you could see that Laurel adored her. As for Laurel's friends, they were great but to be perfectly honest, I didn't like them all that much. Sky seems great too but I feel like the author wasn't able to show much about him, Hannah, Natalie, and Laurel's other friends.
The romance wasn't the biggest part of the story which I thought was perfect since I really wanted the book to focus on Laurel and how she manages to get over the things that happened to her. I loved how her mother and father aren't perfect but you can tell that they are trying. Aunt Amy was one of my favorite characters since I could see how much she cared of Laurel. She may be a bit too strict but you know that it isn't without reason.
Since Laurel thinks that May is perfect and the book is written in her POV, you could see why Laurel would adore her sister so much. The author wrote the book in the way that you could see why Laurel thinks that her sister is perfect while letting us know that she wasn't even close. The author let us see how messed up Laurel is subtly so that when we do realize that she's that crazy, we're too interested in the story to stop. Dellaira has talent. I could see that in her book. The way she wrote it was simple but you could still feel how complicated the situation was. Laurel was able to get over the whole situation without romance being the reason why. So many books make the hero or heroine solve the problem because of their relationships so I was very glad to see a book that wasn't like that.
The plot wasn't the most unique but the way it was written made the book worth reading. I really enjoyed it and would like to thank the author for providing an arc of the book. I think that people who would like to see more about how strong the bond between sisters really is should read this. People who are just looking for a good book, well, this one's for you too. And for those who want to read something meaningful and deep, this would be perfect for you.
Have you read Love Letters to Ther Dead? What did you think about it? Leave a comment!
5 comments
I've never heard of it before, but it sure seems like an interesting book! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Great review, Audrey :)
ReplyDeleteI loved this book. It was emotional and made me weep a lot, but I really loved it. Brilliant review!
ReplyDeleteLovely review, Audrey! I also saw a couple of people also saying that the plot isn't unique (that it reminds them too much of Perks), but still, I'm going to read this book! :) Hopefully I'll enjoy it as much as you did. :D
ReplyDeleteI wasn't completely won over by this book. I love the concept, but it ultimately left me feeling dissatisfied, methinks. It was interesting to read your thoughts on it though. I do think it was an ambitious write, for sure! And moving. Very moving.
ReplyDeleteI have an ARC of this book and am dying to read it! I just need to catch up on my review books. I love that this book also shows the bonds between sisters. The people who are dead whom Laurel chose to write to was what really grabbed my attention. Great review!
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