More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer (Letters to the Lost book 2)

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer (Letters to the Lost book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! This book is a companion story to Letters to the Lost. You can read this one without having read the first book but there are several spoilers or scenes that will make more sense if you do. 

“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.” -taken from Goodreads.com

I loved learning more about Rev Fletcher's troubled childhood and how he has moved beyond it. Rev and Declan's friendship continues to shine through this book. Emma Blue was a character that I liked but I wanted to smack some sense into her at times. She made some stupid decisions but this is really Rev's book and his story propels everything forward.

Visit Brigid Kemmerer’s website.

The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Some secrets go too deep for words.”

“For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.”

I love JLA even though not all of her books are appropriate for high schoolers but thankful this one is. Readers will fall in love with Mallory and root for her to overcome her troubled past in the foster care system. Her biggest shock of her first day of high school is that she is reunited with her former foster “brother” Rider, who was her protector during the dark days they lived with Mr. Henry and Miss Becky. Readers cannot help but keep turning the pages to see how Mallory ended up with her adoptive parents, what happened the night he and Rider were separated and how she begins to blossom in her life.

Visit Jennifer L. Armentrout’s website.

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

TENNYSON:

Don’t get me started on The Bruiser.  He was voted “Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty” by the entire school. He’s the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about.  So why is my sister, Brontë dating him?  One of these days she’s going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it’s not going to end well.

BRONTË:

My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way – no right to threaten him.  There’s a reason why Brewster can’t have friends – why he can’t care about too many people.  Because when he cares about you, things start to happen.  Impossible things that can’t be explained.  I know, because they’re happening to me.

BREWSTER:

Stealer of screams and thief of anguish,  I am a criminal, but you can’t see it, blinded by your own relief as my body becomes a battlefield in a war that can’t be won.  Will I be the bullet that ends your pain, or will you end mine? Taken from http://www.storyman.com/books/bruiser/

This book had been on my TBR (to be read) pile since it came out. I finally got around to listening to it when it was the daily deal over on Audible. First of all, this book is not what I expected and I should have known better since it wasn’t my first Shusterman read. Brewster Rawlings is wrongly perceived by everyone at school. He is a loner and when you find out why, your heart will break. The Sternberger family is going through a major crisis of their own. When Brewster, Tennyson and Bronte begin to cross paths, things begin to get infinitely worse before anyone can start to see improvement. Brewster isn’t what either Sternberger twin expected.

Visit Neal Shusterman’s website.