RATING: 4/5
BLURB: “It begins as an assignment for English class: write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain – he died young, and so did Laurel’s sister May – so maybe he’ll understand what Laurel is going through. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people – Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart, Amy Winehouse…it’s like she can’t stop. She writes about her new high school, her new friends, her first love – and her shattered life. But the ghosts of Laurel’s past can’t be contained between the lines of a page forever. She must face up to them – before they consume her.”
REVIEW: This book has had a few highly critical reviews on Goodreads, so I went into it with pretty low expectations. It certainly exceeded them, however, as I personally really enjoyed this novel! As someone who has been grieving, and is still not entirely past it, I found Dellaira’s depiction of grief, as expressed by Laurel’s character, to be very relatable, and considering grieving is such a complex process that differentiates greatly between people, I think this is an impressive feat for any writer to achieve. The novel tells the story of Laurel through the letters she writes to a variety of dead celebrities and historical figures. Through Laurel’s letters we learn of her struggles to accept the death of her older sister May the previous year, and how it has torn her family and changed the dynamic since – Laurel’s relationship with her Dad was one I found particularly moving. We also learn about Laurel’s new life upon transferring to her new school, particularly her friends and the boy she develops a crush on. She reveals nothing about her sister even to her two closest friends, Natalie and Hannah, and they struggle with problems of their own as they develop feelings for each other and try to face the social stigma that these feelings are a victim to. With Sky, however, Laurel is able to be most herself, as Sky seems to understand and empathise with some of what she is going through and how it has damaged her; it is clear to the reader that Laurel has severe anxiety problems, even though she doesn’t neccessarily realise this herself, and these problems make it a struggle for her and Sky to progress in their relationship – particularly as Laurel refuses to confess to him her previous childhood traumas and how May’s death has added to these. I think the characters in this novel are so well-written in that they all seem so real; they are relatable and the reader can empathise with all of them and their different situations. I think Dellaira’s depiction of grief and loss in this novel are its best and most impressive quality, and I would recommend it, particularly to those who have been through similar experiences.
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