Letters to the Lost

Juliet has been in fog since her mother died in May.  It doesn't seem right that someone so vibrant and alive could die in a freak car accident.  Her mom was a photojournalist who documented the pain and beauty of the world, and now she's stuck with her boring father and her grief, so she writes letters to her mom and leaves them on her grave.

Declan is trouble.  People are afraid of him for his dark looks and barely controlled temper, but his probation and community service that really take it to the next level.  He feels responsible for the deaths of his father and sister, and he can't let the grief and guilt go, especially not with a distant mother and angry stepfather at home.  His community service assignment is to mow grass at the cemetery.  That's where he sees the letter.  He doesn't know who it's from, but he recognizes the pain it expresses, so he decides to write back.

What starts with reluctant letter writing soon becomes an email exchange, and these two troubled teens find themselves connecting in a real way despite the anonymity. 

Brigid Kemmerer's novel is perfect for Sarah Dessen fans and anyone who likes a side of anguish with your romance.  The bad boy thing doesn't really work for me, but I get that it does for other people.  I really love how Kemmerer plays with perception vs. reality in this novel, but the wrap up with Declan's family was a little too fast for me.  I'm sure the story will continue in the next book.  Recommended for grades 8 and up.