When reading Love Letters to the Dead, I wasn’t entirely sure which way the author would take the novel, since it is written in letters.  I thought that the author would choose to make the book in the form of a diary; however, the author chose to use the letters to completely unravel the characters' every thought, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  

Laurel, the main character, wrote letters to those she admired and connected with deeply.  Some of her choices in people were Kurt Cobain because May, Laurel’s sister, loved him.   Just like Kurt, May had died young too, leaving Laurel to admire and hold onto anything that her sister had loved.   

After the death of May, Laurel decided she would switch schools so that the grief of her sister wouldn’t follow her around in the forms of people’s condolences.  Laurel had planned to keep her head down and try to stay unnoticed at school until her eyes met Sky.  Sky was the mysterious bad boy, popular because of his confidence and looks, but yet unknown by everyone.  

For me, reading a book with romance is what hooks me because it’s always interesting to see how their story will turn out.  I loved that the author chose to make the connection between the two characters so strong but put obstacles in between them.  The inability for Laurel to open up to people is one of the many challenges the relationship between the two characters faced.

Furthermore, I  admired the uniqueness of using letters to tell the entire story.  I think that the use of letters to share Laurel’s journey made it more personal and it felt like I was there with her two best friends Hannah and Natalie.  I think that Laurel writing to those she admired gave the reader a better understanding of who Laurel truly was.  The way she thought and expressed herself was all given in the letters.  Every traumatic memory, thought, feeling, experience was somehow related and connected to those she admired.   

On the other hand, I didn’t like when the author would chop the letters up into sections.  One minute Laurel would be talking about an experience and then the next a new letter to a different person would be started.  So she would have to redress the person and get into details about their life and make connections, rather than just continuing the story with each.  

Overall, I thought that the book Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira was a very hooking story.  I think that the book does a very good job of making situations relatable to the reader.  Laurel’s thoughts being revealed in such detail about her boyfriend and friends is so comparable and things that I feel go unsaid.  Being in high school it’s considered weird or creepy if you say you really like a guy and talk about the way you feel.  In the book Laurel throws away the norms and expresses her every emotion without giving a care.  I would definitely recommend this book to those who want a thought and emotional provoking book, as well as wanting a book where you become best friends with Laurel.