I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on March 6th 2018
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: Netgalley
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*While this book exists in the same universe as Letters to the Lost, it is a standalone title.*
Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay...until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.
Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.
When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected. This must-read story will once again have readers falling for Brigid Kemmerer’s emotional storytelling.
Letters to the Lost was my absolute favorite read in 2017. It was everything I look for – angsty, sweet, touching, heartfelt, and unputdownable. I was ecstatic that one of the secondary characters would be getting a chance for their own story, which brings us to More Than We Can Tell!
Rev is that mysterious guy in school no one knows anything about. He wears dark hoodies everyday and hides himself from others. This book sort of peels back the many layers of Rev as we not only learn of the horrifying abuse he endured as a child at the hands of his father, but also how greatly it impacted him all these years later. It broke my heart with the gritty details, especially how it haunted him day and night when his father makes contact. It really shined a light on the psychological aftermath of abuse, especially at the hands of someone who was supposed to love and protect you. But oh how tender and thoughtful of a man Rev becomes! He has such a wonderful friendship with Declan that we get to see again, though from the opposite perspective. We also dig into his family life and I absolutely loved his adoptive parents! They are such amazing, loving, and patient people with huge hearts. A big part of the story was a new foster child entering their home and the effect it had on all of them. Matthew also has quite the troubled past and with Rev fighting his own demons it lead to a few moments of conflict. Matthew grabbed my heart and I can only hope that maybe someday we may get a story of his own!
On the other end of the story we have Emma, an incredibly talented gamer with the skills to develop her very own, a fact she is keeping from her parents. But when Emma runs into some online harassment from a fellow gamer, along with the disconnect she is feeling from her parents, she runs into Rev and in each other they discover someone they feel safe to confide in. Emma’s story was one I could completely empathize with and I feel that will be the case for many readers. With her parents on the brink of divorce, her whole world is quickly turning upside down.
Both characters come together in such a beautiful way and even when there are moments of uncertainty between them, their connection is undeniable. Who knew back-to-back heart-to-hearts and jiu-jitsu could be so romantic? The story is heavily focused on these two characters and the dangerous situations that arise in their lives and though the connection they develop plays an important role, there is so much more than a romance happening here.
I cannot express how beautiful this story was. It was just as impressive a read as Letters to the Lost and will absolutely be a favorite of 2018! Do yourselves a favor and grab a copy of this book asap! I’ll be over here with fingers crossed that perhaps someday we may return to these characters with a story for Matthew!
Nick
Yay! I loved this one too. I think this series is Brigid’s best yet. I loved loved loved Rev so much. And Emma was so great too. I hope we’ll see more of these characters in future books. Otherwise, I’m re-reading for sure. 🙂
Nick recently posted…STEM Girls & The Soft Boys That Love Them
Sara @ Forever 17 Books
Rev was just so amazing. The author said she was considering a Matthew book in the future. I hope she is able to do so! Then we can see glimpses of these amazing characters again!
Sam@WLABB
I am reading this book this week, and am so excited. I knew Rev would have a beautiful story, because he was so an incredible and beautiful person. I am excited to get to know him better, because he won my heart in Letters (and I can’t wait to be around his parents again, because they were fabulous too). Great review!
Sam@WLABB recently posted…Tell Me Something Tuesday: How Do You Find Time to Read?
Sara @ Forever 17 Books
Yay! I’m so glad you are reading it this week. I hope you love it as much as I did!
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra
I just finished writing my review for this book today. I loved it so much. I still need to go back and read Letters to the Lost, but it’s a priority now after reading this one.
Sara @ Forever 17 Books
OMG YES! You have to read Letters to the Lost asap!!!!!!
Bee @ Quite The Novel Idea
I’m actually starting this one today! It sounds wonderful and I haven’t read Bridget’s other contemporary books yet but I hear amazing things about them so I hope this is a good first one to read!
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Danielle Hammelef
I know now from your review that I am missing out on fabulous books by this author. I can’t wait to read them now as I love, love contemporary fiction like this that will tear me up (both kinds of tear BTW). Thanks for the review. I’m going to make sure I get her books this year and am putting them on my Mother’s Day NEED to READ list (my family knows me well and I got books for Mom’s Day last year).