Author: Ava Dellaira
Genre: Young Adult
Publication: May 1st 2014 by Hot Key Books
Purchase at: Book Depository; Amazon; Barnes & Noble
It begins as an assignment for English class: write a letter to a dead person - any dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain - he died young, and so did Laurel's sister May - so maybe he'll understand a bit of what Laurel is going through. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people - Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart... it's like she can't stop. And she'd certainly never dream of handing them in to her teacher. She writes about what it's like going to a new high school, meeting new friends, falling in love for the first time - and how her family has shattered since May died.
But much as Laurel might find writing the letters cathartic, she can't keep real life out forever. The ghosts of her past won't be contained between the lines of a page, and she will have to come to terms with growing up, the agony of losing a beloved sister, and the realisation that only you can shape your destiny.
The first time that I saw this book on Stay Bookish's blog, I fell in love with it. The title itself, cover and the synopsis, it made me drool. Plus, it immediately tried to kill me when the synopsis said of Kurt Cobain. Oh feels. Nobody knows how much I love his band, Nirvana.
On reading this, I can hear all the songs Laurel's listening to even though I am not plugging my earphones to my ears. I can feel her ache and get weakened. It is the best thing an author can gave to me. Hands down to Ava.
May, I love you with everything I am. For so long, I just wanted to be like you. But I had to figure out that I am someone too, and now I can carry you, your heart with mine, everywhere I go.
Laurel's love to her sister was infinite that she turned out to be writing to famous dead people. It was said that Why it was entitled Love Letters to The Dead when it's not love letters but a sort of diary or a journal? but to me, it was really a love letter to May. May was dead. I would really prefer to write letters to Kurt Cobain, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Bishop, Amelia Earheart, River Phoenix and Janis Joplin than to May. Why? Because it would hurt like hell. She was dear to Laurel. Her model. And writing to these dead people would help ease out the pain and drain the memories. They are like listening and writing back at you through their music and great encouragements with whatever their history brought.
You can be noble and brave and beautiful and still find yourself falling.I have read some reviews and unfortunately Love Letters To The Dead is being compared to Perk's of Being A Wallflower. I have not read the book, only watched the movie, so I cannot tell which is better or what. But I think Ava really was inspired by Stephen Chbosky's because when there was a Twitter chat with them, Ava told one of those who questioned her that she was really (told?) spurred with Stephen to write a book. Only that this is all I could remember from the virtual event.
Sometimes when we say things, we hear silence. Or only echoes. Like screaming from inside. And that’s really lonely. But that only happens when we weren’t really listening. It means we weren’t ready to listen yet. Because every time we speak, there is a voice. There is the world that answers back.Love Letters To The Dead really entertained me well. It is the kind of book I am aiming to read most but it would be boring not to try other genre. (Hehe.) Reading this book would bring you the utmost of a teenager dwelling the death of her love one. A howling read and superb writing.
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