Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart. (Pub Date: Apr 4, 2017)
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
This may not have made me cry but it was certainly emotional from beginning to end.
Declan finds a letter Juliet had left by her mother's grave and identifies himself so much with her words he can't help but answering it. Despite a little aggravated by having her letter read by a stranger, Juliet comes to confide in him as the two continue an exchange of secret, regrets and doubts.
It deserved 3.5.
I liked how both characters were built, and this says a lot. I was sure I wasn't going to stand any of the characters—I was more in this for the story. Grieving girl and rebel boy aren't my thing. And I can't even say they aren't exactly that. Nevertheless, something touched me already from the first chapters, I really cared a lot for the two. That said, the best thing in this book is watching firsthand them learn how to deal with their pain. Character development for the win.
Some of the conflict was overdone. Perhaps the two could really be so blind not to see the flaws in their preconceptions, but I just couldn't buy it. But this wasn't so bad to a point I felt frustrated for them. Another complaint of mine is how neatly things seemed to fit by the end. It wasn't that the conclusion was too farfetched but after hearing so many of their thoughts and analyzing their feelings for the whole book, the ending could have gone deeper.
This was an easy read. Even though the secret letter exchange plot has been overdone these past few years, and this book didn't bring a special twist to it, at least the characters weren't so dumb (I mean, I kept wondering why they didn't ask around who in their school had lost a mother or a sister but they weren't that keen to find out their identities, either).
When I say easy, however, it doesn't mean the plot is that light. I was ready for worse but both characters are still in a dark place in their lives. It features parental abuse, suicide attempts and the such. You shouldn't read it if that is a trigger for you. The book is not really graphic and it doesn't seem to try to shock the reader but the thematic is there. It's a dark plot but not so heavy, don't worry. I liked how the author stayed between the too light and the too strong. She was certainly sensitive in that aspect. This is a good pick for a book club, if you keep in mind the darker themes.
At the same time, because she probably opted to play it safe, the book is simply that, a nice book. The plot is well built but there isn't any shine to it. It made me not want to stop reading but it still lacked here and there.
As long as you like YA's, I don't think you'll hate it but I don't think you'll love it. This was a good release, and I liked the take on the letter exchange. There was some mystery, there was some romance, there was some drama. And that mixture came out fine—which is rare. It just didn't go beyond. I do look forward for more from this author, that is true.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
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