Waiting on Wednesday: Love Letters to the Dead

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Publisher: FSG BYR
Publish Date: April 1, 2014
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 336

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because she thought he’d understand since he died young just like her sister, May, did. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people—Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more—although she never gives a single one of them to her teacher.

She writes about what it’s like going to a new school, meeting new friends, falling in love for the first time, how her family splinters apart after May dies. She even writes about the abuse she suffered—while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May, and to see her as the person she was: lovely and amazing and deeply flawed.
Remember how I said I love my contemporary books to be all dark and twisty and hauntingly real? Well, from that premise, it sure sounds like Love Letters to the Dead fits the bill exactly. I also have to say that I love the fact that the author is trained as a poet. This sort of promises us a sort of lyricism that makes reality real - but all more tangible and soulful. I have to be honest. I want this one. Really. Really. Bad. What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?

35 comments:

  1. Nice! Just saw this at another blog!

    Here's my WoW

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. Thanks, Jessica! It's hot on my to-read list, for sure :)

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  2. Omg, this one DOES sound super good! I love the concept of writing letters to a dead person (as creepy as that sounds). And the cover is so pretty! Awesome pick, Melissa!

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    1. Doesn't it?! I SO can't wait for it...I'm seriously coveting it now haha

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  3. I definitely want to give this a try :) I learn about it recently and really want to check it out!

    Janina
    My Haul!

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  4. I'm not a huge contemporary reader, but I have to admit that this one does appeal me. I just love the cover!

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    1. Renu, I'm usually not either, but there's something about edgy, darker contemps that really works for me - especially if they really touch on harder and more difficult issues :)

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  5. Okay... CREEPY title! But I love the synopsis.

    Thanks for sharing, Melissa! <33

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    1. Haha I thought it was, too, at first, but I think it's more powerful than creepy now! :)

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  6. I saw this cover last week on a WoW and it definitely intrigued me. The cover is so eye-catching!
    Great pick, Melissa! :)

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    1. Isn't it? The stars kind of remind me of Across the Universe, but the story is a 180 haha :)

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  7. I never hear about the books you pick, Melissa, so I love discovering new titles. Both the title and cover are adorable, so I'll definitely be looking out for this one.

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    1. I'm actually glad to hear that, Keertana! I try to find books that I haven't really seen too amped up in the blogosphere and bring them to light :)

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  8. This sounds so intriguing it's unreal (and how awesome is that cover?!)

    My WoW :)

    - Allie @ Little Birdie Books

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    1. Doesn't it though?! I'm so excited by just how potentially fabulous this could be!

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  9. This does sound really soulful. And I love the premise. The blurb is slightly humorous and deep at the same time. And that cover <3

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  10. This sounds interesting. Great pick!

    Check out my WOW at Fall Into Books

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  11. Your's is the 2nd WoW I've seen of this book today, Melissa! It DOES look very intriguing. And I like the cover:)Nice pick!

    my WoW

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    1. Thanks, Heather! I have to admit that I really, really, really covet this. Isn't that a sin or something?! ;)

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  12. I really like the cover of this one! I saw it on another WoW and I'm glad it's on my radar now!

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  13. This one sounds really good and I like the cover. I'm going ot add it to my TBR. Thanks for sharing!

    My WoW @ So Bookalicious

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  14. I just saw this one for the first time a few days ago. I love the concept and am definitely looking forward to this one too. Great pick!

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  15. I'm definitely going to have to pick this one up when it's released. I went looking for it on NetGalley, but it's not there. At least, not yet.

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  16. Doesn't it though? I think it's probably a pretty dang healthy way to cope though, too, in the grand scheme of things haha

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  17. Haven't heard from this one but I NEED IT and wow, that cover.

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  18. I just heard about this one and am definitely intrigued! The cover's so pretty and I love the idea of finding yourself through letters to the dead.

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  19. Okay, anytime a book has the word "DEAD" in it, I check out, because I have trouble with relationships between dead and alive people. BUT I didn't realize until I saw the description, that this isn't that kind of book at all. What intrigues, me is that the character writes to dead people that we have all heard of, and many lived through the breaking news when it happened. I'm very curious about these letters and the flow of the book. I wonder if it's completely epistolary? Also when you said that the author is a poet, I was SOLD. I love to die for prose, and I can imagine this one having it. Putting this book on my TBR asap.

    Have you read Lovely, Dark and Deep? That author is also a poet and the language was gorgeous.

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  20. Thank you for sharing this book. Like you, I like my ya contemporary "dark" and serious (even though I like to lighten it up every once in a while). I immediately added this to my Goodreads TBR.

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  21. This is scheduled to be one of my WoWs in the next week or so. You beat me to it! It looks so good. Great pick. Thanks for visiting my WoW.

    LisaILJ @ I’ll Tumble for YA

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  22. I think the concept of writing letters to dead people is a startlingly unique one in YA and I am excited to check this one out.

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