Two novels written by NYT best selling American author, Brigid Kemmerer.
By | Adriana Daconceicao
Letters to the Lost is a standalone novel written by Brigid Kemmerer, an American author with 18 distinct works under her belt. The genre this book falls under is Young Adult, and the plot follows the lives of two teenagers: Juliet Young and Declan Murphy.
Juliet writes letters to her mother, and continues to do so even after her passing, as a way to cope with the difficult loss.
Declan spends most of his time completing court-ordered community service. The two cross paths after Declan finds and reads a letter Juliet leaves at her mother’s grave and he can’t stop himself from replying.
Soon enough, the two are opening up to each other as complete strangers, but are finding an unforeseen connection. Although they don’t know who the writer is on the other side, they do in fact know each other. As they try to navigate school and family, truths come up in their lives that could tear them apart just after sparks begin to fly.
Overall, this was an interesting read that held my attention and curiosity throughout. There are some heavy themes to the story, but that makes it all the more intriguing. If you’re looking for a quick read but with some substance, this could be for you.
More Than We Can Tell is another standalone novel by Brigid Kemmerer that exists in the same universe as Letters to the Lost and falls under the same genre. The main characters, Rev Fletcher and Emma Blue appear briefly in the previous novel as side characters, but here we get to look in on their lives and see things from their perspectives. It follows similar themes to Letters to the Lost in the sense that the two characters come together over initially anonymous means, and later come to rely on one another after opening up to each other.
Rev Fletcher is dealing with issues resurfacing from his past. With the support of his adoptive parents, he tries to keep them at bay until childhood traumas come rushing back.
Emma Blue looks to technology and coding while trying to avoid the ever-present, not so discreet, divorce her parents are going through. While turning to her programming as an escape, online harassment escalates and leaves her frightened of what might happen.
After coming together, the two bond over shared troubles, and when circumstances change and dangers arise, their trust in each other is tested and stretched to the limits.
Like Letters to the Lost, this is a quick read with substance as Kemmerer uses her emotional storytelling to draw the reader in and keep them captivated.