Book Review: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Deleira

Synopsis:
It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person.
Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like
May. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to the deadto people like Janis Joplin,
Heath Ledger, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehousethough she never gives a single one of
them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating the choppy waters of
new friendships, learning to live with her splintering family, falling in love for the first time,
and, most important, trying to grieve for May. But how do you mourn for someone you
haven't forgiven?
It's not until Laurel has written the truth about what happened to herself that she can finally
accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the
person she waslovely and amazing and deeply flawedcan she truly start to discover her
own path.
In a voice that's as lyrical and as true as a favorite song, Ava Dellaira writes about one girl's
journey through life's challenges with a haunting and often heartbreaking beauty.
Review:

Dear Ava Deleira,

I cant help myself to compare your book, Love Letters to the Dead with Stephen Chboskys
The Perks of Being a Wallflower. You see, Ava, you wrote about a kid struggling to fit in at
high school right after her sister died which very much sound like Charlie who has to adapt
into this new world after his best friend committed suicide.
Plus, you wrote your book in epistolary style which I again saw as a sort of ripping-off
Chboskys work. Even the characters in Love Letters to the Dead somehow mirrors the Perks
of Being a Wallflower people but unlike Charlie and his friends, Laurels circle is less
sophisticated and less classy. It is indeed like reading a copycat book.
You see, I had a similar experience with Violet Haberdashers Knightley Academy and Secret
Prince which are a bit like the Harry Potter series. But unlike Haberdashers book, which is a
good Harry Potter read-a-like, your book lacks the luster and greatness of Perks of Being a
Wallflower.
It actually took me a lot of restraint not to press on my Kindle home button but to continue
reading Laurels letter to famous dead people. That is one of the things I dont like about it.
It somehow tries to be cool by using these amazing people as the recipient of Laurels letter.
But on the contrary, Laurels letters doesnt feel like letters. It just feels like Im reading a
regular first point of view narration that reading an epistolary novels. But on the other side,
the writing style sometimes improve and it indeed feels like a real letter. I especially like the
Laurels Letter to John Keats in which she talks about his poem. That was the point when I
started to have this love-hate thing about your book. You see, at one point the letters suck
then another one would came and it is great but would then be followed by a sucky one. You
also have this pabitin effect (sort of like cliffhanging for non-Filipino readers) going on. It is
like you are giving allusions on Laurels letter but does not equate to excitement to read on
what really happened but I just got me to think, damn, get it over with. Also, when the
climactic part comes your novel failed to hook me up. It was all meh and all I wanted to do

at that time is to drag my ass down so I can finish your book and I could start reading The
100 series by Kass Morgan or maybe The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black.
On the brighter side, I like your characters but then I think that throwing a bunch of kids with
dysfunctional families and make them band together is a bit over the top. Oh, by the way I
like your characters but not Laurel. You see, I would rather read more about Natalies
struggle as a teenage lesbian or maybe Hannahs story why she is sort of a polyamorous or
Mays real life and not what Laurel thinks she is, or how Sky survives everyday life living with
his mother, or the drama and cheesy-ness of Kristen and Tristans love story. I would rather
have them than Laurel.
Id like you to know, Ava, that I cant relate with Laurel. I cant sympathize with her. If you
want Laurel to be annoying then Ill give you a round of applause because she did annoy me.
Laurel is insensitive, annoying and selfish. She has a sister complex and thinks that May is
the best person in the world and is blinded by who May really is, a broken girl just like her.
And when someone like her teacher Mrs. Buster tried to help her she pushes them away. But
then, as I read the final letters of the book, when all the secrets and stuff is out, I kind of pity
her. She is likable at that point because she somehow lessened her worse qualities.
Id also like you to know that I only finished reading this book because I was already done
with my binge watching of The 100 TV series and was just waiting for the season finale. Also,
I would not recommend this book to my friends because I did not like it but I also did not
hate it but I know that a wasted a lot of time reading your Love Letters to the Dead.
Also, I would rather encourage the people I know and those who would read this letter to just
watch the series, Once Upon a Time or The 100.
Still thanking you,
Jesson Lagman.