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A review by sashana
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
4.0
To say that [b:Love Letters to the Dead|18140047|Love Letters to the Dead|Ava Dellaira|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1390036655s/18140047.jpg|25484455] caught me off guard would be a huge understatement. Seriously, I experienced so many conflicting emotions while reading and not all of them were pleasant. If I had to rate the first 100 pages alone, it would probably earn 2 stars and be filed away under ‘over hyped’. But there is more to a story than beginnings and first impressions, there is also the middle and an end. If I had to rate the final 200 pages of this book I would give it a solid 5 stars. Do you see my dilemma here?
Pre-Reading thoughts
➜ I was very excited to read Love Letters to the Dead. Many authors and celebrities raved about how awesome it was months before its release. Emma Watson even tweeted her praise. How could I not be excited to read Love Letters to the Dead?
While Reading (Page 1 – 120ish)
➜ The first 100 pages of this book were painful to read. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, which is critical for books that aim to tackle serious issues. When I did start feeling something for the characters it ranged from dislike to annoyance. I couldn’t bring myself to sympathize with a group of kids who seemed to be going out of their wait to make bad decisions.
➜ Another problem that I experienced is that for the first few pages I felt like the author was trying too hard to be deep. Sometimes it felt like she was trying to string together a series of quotable sentences and, as a result, everything came off as calculated and unauthentic. Reading didn’t feel effortless and I feel like this contributed, in part, to me not connecting to the characters.
While Reading Continued (Page 130ish to End)
➜ This is where things get confusing folks. Stay with me. Up until this point I was drowning while reading [b:Love Letters to the Dead|18140047|Love Letters to the Dead|Ava Dellaira|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1390036655s/18140047.jpg|25484455] . I was bored out of my mind. Reading each sentence felt like pulling teeth. I started to despise the characters. And then something strange happened…I couldn’t stop reading. And then I couldn’t stop crying. And I started to like the characters. More than that, I began hope for them as if they were real people. I honestly can’t explain why I suddenly started to enjoy [b:Love Letters to the Dead|18140047|Love Letters to the Dead|Ava Dellaira|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1390036655s/18140047.jpg|25484455] . All I can say is that I became so immersed in the lives of Laurel and her friends that I stayed up until 4AM reading.
Pre-Reading thoughts
➜ I was very excited to read Love Letters to the Dead. Many authors and celebrities raved about how awesome it was months before its release. Emma Watson even tweeted her praise. How could I not be excited to read Love Letters to the Dead?
While Reading (Page 1 – 120ish)
➜ The first 100 pages of this book were painful to read. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, which is critical for books that aim to tackle serious issues. When I did start feeling something for the characters it ranged from dislike to annoyance. I couldn’t bring myself to sympathize with a group of kids who seemed to be going out of their wait to make bad decisions.
➜ Another problem that I experienced is that for the first few pages I felt like the author was trying too hard to be deep. Sometimes it felt like she was trying to string together a series of quotable sentences and, as a result, everything came off as calculated and unauthentic. Reading didn’t feel effortless and I feel like this contributed, in part, to me not connecting to the characters.
While Reading Continued (Page 130ish to End)
➜ This is where things get confusing folks. Stay with me. Up until this point I was drowning while reading [b:Love Letters to the Dead|18140047|Love Letters to the Dead|Ava Dellaira|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1390036655s/18140047.jpg|25484455] . I was bored out of my mind. Reading each sentence felt like pulling teeth. I started to despise the characters. And then something strange happened…I couldn’t stop reading. And then I couldn’t stop crying. And I started to like the characters. More than that, I began hope for them as if they were real people. I honestly can’t explain why I suddenly started to enjoy [b:Love Letters to the Dead|18140047|Love Letters to the Dead|Ava Dellaira|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1390036655s/18140047.jpg|25484455] . All I can say is that I became so immersed in the lives of Laurel and her friends that I stayed up until 4AM reading.