So I don’t know that I’ve ever really wanted to throw my kindle at the wall, which shocks me. So, as I’m reading Invisible Love Letter and this thought crosses my mind, I was a bit perplexed. For the first time, I truly wanted to toss one of my prized possessions at the wall. For that alone, Invisible Love Letter is a great read. I also don’t know that I’ve ever despised a female character this much. And once again I realize that the face that this story is eliciting this response points again what a great read it is.
So, here is where I’ll declare that Invisible Love Letter is a 2015 MUST READ.
Invisible Love Letter is a rare read where it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly inspired such feelings. The story follows Emilia's a tragic past, losing her mother then losing her father and more than once she says “he loved her more than he loved me” and I get that’s hard on a soul. But what was it about Emmy that drive me to the brink?
I have a real love-hate relationship with Emmy - meaning I LOVE to hate her. It’s almost comical. She’s never all that likeable, but we go into the story assuming she’s simply broken and redeemable. At first, she comes off as kinda bratty - which I’ll give over to her due to age. She’s jealous and acts out, forms an opinion which she then has to rationalize through. Then when things finally seem that they are headed down a good path, Em is headed towards a good life, she makes a complete idiot of herself. She sabotages her relationships, like ALL of her relationships. She makes poor decisions - most of which we can blame on her age, but that’s almost too nice as they are decisions that have such far reaching impacts and E just doesn’t get that it’s not ALL about her.
At about 30% I was anxious about the characters - didn’t really feel like we had Weston's story, and it’s obvious he’s crucial to the storyline. But then as events unfold, turns out we know enough, at least enough to form a positive opinion. I will say I didn't see the "womanizer" side of Weston. He has women around a lot, but he didn't come off as a massive jerk. In fact, I was firmly a fan of Westons' and its her treatment of him that makes Emmy as dislikable as she is. She doesn't want to take responsibility for anything - She lays everything off on Weston. She’s madly in love and terrified, makes poor decisions, then hides her head in the sand for four years. I’m not sure how she does it, but knowing there is likely possibility that he’ll be around (they share mutual friends) Whom she’s also lied to. And it gets worse.
Enter Jeremy. Jeremy is her salvation and I think she doesn't even see it, but she's using him as a way to guard her heart. Its hard to be torn about he leading man thing and with Jeremy, there is reason to not like him. In fact he does so much for her that you do like him, but she doesn’t deserve him at all. Ems lies are staggering and they add up quickly. She thinks if she is not asked the very specific question (which she makes sure no one would), that by not disclosing the whole story, she tells herself and us that she’s not lying. I’ll give Emmy this, she knows she has betrayed everyone, she knows she’s wrong, but undoing so many years of lies is truly going to change life as she knows it. Such delicious drama!
When I finished the book, my emotions were all over the place. Invisible Love Letter is probably one of my favorite reads this year and I’m itching for the follow-up Endless Love Letter. I’ll also say that Invisible Love Letter has made the rare list if books with almost completely irredeemable female leads, but one you WANT to see every second of their story.