Love Letters to the Dead/Ava Dellaira/323 pages (Epistolary Novel)

     Laurel is just starting high school but she has a lot of baggage.

Mom and Dad split a couple of years ago but Mom just moved to

California and Laurel spends one week with dad and the next

with her aunt.  Laurel's sister, May, was a major portion of her life until her death just months before.  One of the first assignments Laurel gets in school is to write a letter to a dead person.  From that point on, she writes to Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Judy Garland and so many more.  The letters are more like diary entries but slowly we learn about Laurel's life.

     At first, Laurel knows no one at school--but then she finds her niche with friends Hannah, Natalie and boyfriend, Sky.  She sometimes smokes, sometimes drinks and sneaks out of the house.  She often lies to her Dad or her aunt.  She is, however, functioning rather well--still missing her sister--but trying to find her way. Laurel's story finally comes out with all of her suppressed anger and guilt and a wonderful ending as things start to fall into place.
     This is a fantastic book.  All of the teen emotions and doubts, worries and problems are truthfully portrayed.  The letters that are written by Laurel could have been written by many of today's teens.  The situations are familiar to many families, especially those who have lost a child.  You'll be crying right alone with the characters and loving every poetic passage!