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This is Not a Love Letter
by
One week. That's all Jessie said. A one-week break to get some perspective before graduation, before she and her boyfriend, Chris, would have to make all the big, scary decisions about their future--decisions they had been fighting about for weeks.
Then, Chris vanishes. The police think he's run away, but Jessie doesn't believe it. Chris is popular and good-looking, about ...more
Then, Chris vanishes. The police think he's run away, but Jessie doesn't believe it. Chris is popular and good-looking, about ...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
December 4th 2018
by Disney-Hyperion
(first published January 30th 2018)
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Kim Purcell
I know, right? I wonder these same questions. Sometimes the nice thing is when the reader can imagine the sequel themselves.
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Nov 13, 2017
Chelsea Humphrey
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
from-publisher,
netgalley
3.5 STARS
This book was all kinds of heavy; think heartbreaking and tragic, and the kind of resolution you feel as a reader you could have saved if only you could jump into the story and tell everyone where it all went wrong. As I’m sure you can tell by the title, Jessie is writing “journal entries” to “you” who is Chris, her boyfriend (although they were on a break). If you read the above blurb then you have all the information you need before going in, but prepare your heart my friends. This on ...more
This book was all kinds of heavy; think heartbreaking and tragic, and the kind of resolution you feel as a reader you could have saved if only you could jump into the story and tell everyone where it all went wrong. As I’m sure you can tell by the title, Jessie is writing “journal entries” to “you” who is Chris, her boyfriend (although they were on a break). If you read the above blurb then you have all the information you need before going in, but prepare your heart my friends. This on ...more
Dec 05, 2017
Dianne
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc-read,
coming-of-age,
dark-edgy,
didn-t-see-that-coming,
fabulous-reading,
grief,
gritty,
netgalley,
own,
racism
To keep both her heart and her mind from shattering, after Chris vanished, Jessie kept a running letter to him in her mind and in her heart. She told of her secrets, times they shared, emotions they shared and what she has been left with since he disappeared.
THIS IS NOT A LOVE LETTER is a labor of love, of need, a declarations of truths and emotions, hopes, fears and the guilt a seventeen-year-old girl feels for “not knowing.” It is Jessie’s way to find answers, to feel connected to Chris, to h ...more
THIS IS NOT A LOVE LETTER is a labor of love, of need, a declarations of truths and emotions, hopes, fears and the guilt a seventeen-year-old girl feels for “not knowing.” It is Jessie’s way to find answers, to feel connected to Chris, to h ...more
A week before their high school graduation, Jessie is awoken on Saturday morning with the news that her boyfriend, Chris, never came home from a run the night before. As searches are put underway and everyone tries to figure out where he could be and what could have happened, Jessie addresses her thoughts to Chris. He always sent her love letters, folded into paper airplanes. She never gave him any letters. And she’s not starting now, because this is definitely not a love letter. Right?This is ...more
Mini review:
DNF
I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I saw this book on Netgalley and liked the synopsis. So I requested it. Unfortunately it wasn't for me.
The writing style turned me off. And some of the wording was off. I liked how racial profiling was mentioned and racism. That was well done.
As I already know the ending I think everyone should read this. Highly recommend.
DNF
I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I saw this book on Netgalley and liked the synopsis. So I requested it. Unfortunately it wasn't for me.
The writing style turned me off. And some of the wording was off. I liked how racial profiling was mentioned and racism. That was well done.
As I already know the ending I think everyone should read this. Highly recommend.
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
When Chris, her straight A, athletic scholarship African American boyfriend disappears she simply can't believe the story the police come up with! Jessie blames herself for their one-week break, because she didn't stop him from running along the river, the same place where he was beat up 3 weeks previously. Now Jessie is writing Chris a letter of her own to tell him everything that’s happening while he’s gone and along the way face the guilt of ...more
This was sad... the book would've been so heartbreaking and heavy, if it wasn't for paragraphs like this:
My pee lasts for thirty-two seconds. My record is a hundred and seven. I wonder if you count your pee. We never talk about this stuff, but we should. Bathroom habits are fascinating. When you get back, I expect answers about all things bathroom related.
And sentences like this:
My eyes are slippery puddles.
*bursts out laughing*
THEY STOLE AWAY FROM THE STORY, LIKE, HOW DID THINGS THIS BIG SLIP ...more
My pee lasts for thirty-two seconds. My record is a hundred and seven. I wonder if you count your pee. We never talk about this stuff, but we should. Bathroom habits are fascinating. When you get back, I expect answers about all things bathroom related.
And sentences like this:
My eyes are slippery puddles.
*bursts out laughing*
THEY STOLE AWAY FROM THE STORY, LIKE, HOW DID THINGS THIS BIG SLIP ...more
I'm going to have a full review up on teenreads.com soon, but just wanted to give a few quick thoughts.
This was one of the worst written books I've ever read. The quotes below will show you the sheer lack of editing, and the overall just bad writing. Also, Purcell tries to add social commentary about racism in the story, but it's too surface level for it to even do anything. I could definitely tell that this was written by a white woman from Canada.
“My eyes are slippery puddles”
“My pee lasts f ...more
This was one of the worst written books I've ever read. The quotes below will show you the sheer lack of editing, and the overall just bad writing. Also, Purcell tries to add social commentary about racism in the story, but it's too surface level for it to even do anything. I could definitely tell that this was written by a white woman from Canada.
“My eyes are slippery puddles”
“My pee lasts f ...more
Absolutely beautiful. Again, I am blown away by Kim Purcell and her moving stories. All I have to say is that I found this book to be perfect and I was unable to put it down. “This is Not a Love Letter” is a must read and I rate it 5 stars.
Dec 07, 2017
Joleen (starlightbooktales)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley
Let me start by saying this is a Netgalley review, I received it for free for an honest review.
3.5 Stars
This letter style book was not my favorite, it had its moments. The letters are written by Jessie to her boyfriend Chris who has gone missing after a late-night run. In this letters, we get the history and background on the relationship and friendships surrounding the couple. Jessie searches for answers as to where her boyfriend who seemed to have it all could have gone. The pressure placed o ...more
3.5 Stars
This letter style book was not my favorite, it had its moments. The letters are written by Jessie to her boyfriend Chris who has gone missing after a late-night run. In this letters, we get the history and background on the relationship and friendships surrounding the couple. Jessie searches for answers as to where her boyfriend who seemed to have it all could have gone. The pressure placed o ...more
• Find my reviews here: Literary Meanderings
- - -
This Is Not A Love Letter was a great way to start off my year! I love mysteries. This book started the year off with a bang.
The book starts off with Chris already missing. He and Jessie are taking a “break” for one week to gain some perspective on their futures and their relationship. This was, of course, Jessie's idea. Chris wanted nothing to do with it. So, naturally, when Chris goes missing, Jessie thinks she may have scared him off by pushing ...more
Oct 27, 2017
Agnė
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
for-class,
contemporary,
mystery,
realistic-fiction,
young-adult,
fiction,
cultural,
first-reads,
mental-health
This Is Not a Love Letter is a socially conscious contemporary young adult mystery that takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride while addressing racial tensions, class issues, (view spoiler).
Chris, an African-American “Straight A Student, Super Athlete,” did not come back home after his Friday night run along the river. Just three weeks ago, while jogging along the same trail, he was jumped and beaten to a pulp by a group of rich white boys from ...more
Chris, an African-American “Straight A Student, Super Athlete,” did not come back home after his Friday night run along the river. Just three weeks ago, while jogging along the same trail, he was jumped and beaten to a pulp by a group of rich white boys from ...more
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!!
Sadly, Jessie never got the chance to ask Chris bathroom related questions.
I wasn't sure about this book at first (Jess keeps saying ...more
THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!!
My pee lasts for thirty-two seconds. My record is a hundred and seven. I wonder if you count your pee. We never talk about this stuff, but we should. Bathroom habits are fascinating. When you get back, I expect answers about all things bathroom related.
Sadly, Jessie never got the chance to ask Chris bathroom related questions.
I wasn't sure about this book at first (Jess keeps saying ...more
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review!*
Actual Rating: 3
The cover of this book is honestly so beautiful. And fitting too. And just from reading the premise, I knew this book would be a heart-breaker. The story is written like a letter, from Jessie to Chris. A week before graduation, Jessie told Chris they should go on a break, to "get some perspective" on their future. But then, Chris disappears, and Jessie remembers the three boys from the ...more
Actual Rating: 3
The cover of this book is honestly so beautiful. And fitting too. And just from reading the premise, I knew this book would be a heart-breaker. The story is written like a letter, from Jessie to Chris. A week before graduation, Jessie told Chris they should go on a break, to "get some perspective" on their future. But then, Chris disappears, and Jessie remembers the three boys from the ...more
Jan 31, 2018
Maureen
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
romance,
young-adult
When I read the book description of ‘This is Not a Love Letter’ when I first saw the book on Netgalley, I immediately found myself interested. I love reading a nice romance. And this book was supposedly a romance story with some suspense. A perfect combination, is you ask me. So when my request got accepted I was super excited.
‘This is Not a Love Letter’ is a book unlike any other I read. The book is written through the eyes of Jessie. To be correct, the book is supposedly written by Jessie. It’ ...more
‘This is Not a Love Letter’ is a book unlike any other I read. The book is written through the eyes of Jessie. To be correct, the book is supposedly written by Jessie. It’ ...more
3.5
This book is a heavy one so be warned going into it. The author brought in some rough topics such as mental health and racism.
The story focuses on the main character Jessie who is writing journal entries to her boyfriend Chris who has gone missing. I enjoyed this book and coming to the conclusion I had to hold back the tears.
I believe the downfall of the book was some parts dragging while others were to short. I was into the book and wanted to see how everything unraveled, however, it wasn’t ...more
This book is a heavy one so be warned going into it. The author brought in some rough topics such as mental health and racism.
The story focuses on the main character Jessie who is writing journal entries to her boyfriend Chris who has gone missing. I enjoyed this book and coming to the conclusion I had to hold back the tears.
I believe the downfall of the book was some parts dragging while others were to short. I was into the book and wanted to see how everything unraveled, however, it wasn’t ...more
Jul 18, 2017
Shannon
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-women-challenge-2017
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The storyline of this book is fantastic. It's suspenseful, heartbreaking, hopeful, all in one. The main character is incredibly relatable, even though she struggles with things a lot of teens don't have to handle, like an agoraphobic pack-rat mother. In a lot of novels featuring teens, I feel like the characters have kind of all-or-nothing personalities that don't really match real teens. They are either totally c ...more
The storyline of this book is fantastic. It's suspenseful, heartbreaking, hopeful, all in one. The main character is incredibly relatable, even though she struggles with things a lot of teens don't have to handle, like an agoraphobic pack-rat mother. In a lot of novels featuring teens, I feel like the characters have kind of all-or-nothing personalities that don't really match real teens. They are either totally c ...more
I can't even fathom writing a review right now. I am a mess. My heart is so completely shattered. I've never ever cried so hard while reading. My emotions are in shock. I will have to write my review tomorrow.
😭😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔
😭😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔
Mar 29, 2018
Paige (Illegal in 3 Countries)
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc
See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! I originally got an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley, but because it was missing both important text conversations and any passages after/on the same page as those convos, I bought a proper ebook of it and read that instead.
The strong points of and problems with This Is Not a Love Letter are easy to outline. Lord, this could have been great! For a while, it was great. Then it wasn't once I finished reading.
Purcell absolutely nailed Jessie's narra ...more
The strong points of and problems with This Is Not a Love Letter are easy to outline. Lord, this could have been great! For a while, it was great. Then it wasn't once I finished reading.
Purcell absolutely nailed Jessie's narra ...more
This book is incredibly devastating to read, and it really took a lot out of me, emotionally. The topics that it deals with are heartbreaking and heavy. The plot overall was interesting, but that is the only thing that make me keep reading.
I personally was not a fan of the writing style at all. I found it distracting and confusing because the main character was writing letters to her missing boyfriend and continuously referred to him as "you." Also, I just could not relate to the main character ...more
I personally was not a fan of the writing style at all. I found it distracting and confusing because the main character was writing letters to her missing boyfriend and continuously referred to him as "you." Also, I just could not relate to the main character ...more
This is not a love letter by Kim Purcell was surprising. It’s about a boy, Chris,
that goes missing and the character evolution of Jessie, his girlfriend, in form of a letter. I really enjoyed it, it kept my heart racing and aching. They are some trigger warnings for mental illnesses and self-arm. Thank you for the free ebook copy.
that goes missing and the character evolution of Jessie, his girlfriend, in form of a letter. I really enjoyed it, it kept my heart racing and aching. They are some trigger warnings for mental illnesses and self-arm. Thank you for the free ebook copy.
May 10, 2018
Khristina Chess
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya-pretty-good
This book has an unusual structure of being written to a missing person "you" that sometimes feels awkward and disruptive to the storytelling. I also wanted more backstory about Chris and felt something was left out, but maybe that was necessary for the mystery from Jesse's point of view. The setting was richly drawn and a vibrant part of the story. I knew this world. Overall, a good read.
I couldn’t put this book down! I read for 1 day straight while on a moving vehicle. From the first chapter until the end, it kept me wanting for more and longing for these lovers’ reunion. I like that Kim included 2 valid points, racism and mental illness, into the picture - it was done beautifully albeit not so much elaborated since it’s just a part of the whole book. What I liked the most is the potentially beautiful and lasting relationship between Jessie and Chris. Sure, they’re not the perf
...more
Although the title foreshadows that this will not be a romantic story, I went into this novel expecting a contemporary romance - but it hit so much harder than that. There are so many important themes covered in this novel, including but not limited to; racism, mental disorders, family dynamic, and friendship. I felt as though each of these was dealt with head-on and compassionately, however at times I felt that it was taking over the overall suspense of the novel.
Overall, I thought this was a ...more
Overall, I thought this was a ...more
TW: depression, suicide, racism
This is Not a Love Letter discusses difficult topics such as depression, suicide, and racism as you can see by the trigger warning I have provided. This is not a cute contemporary. If you are looking for something light-hearted, then I do not suggest picking up this book. I went through a whirlwind of emotions while reading this book. I was angry, sad, and very anxious while reading. It definitely was a book that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. My h ...more
This is Not a Love Letter discusses difficult topics such as depression, suicide, and racism as you can see by the trigger warning I have provided. This is not a cute contemporary. If you are looking for something light-hearted, then I do not suggest picking up this book. I went through a whirlwind of emotions while reading this book. I was angry, sad, and very anxious while reading. It definitely was a book that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. My h ...more
Dec 04, 2017
Janet
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
zz-2017ng-when-i-read,
kindle
I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher -
One week. That's all Jessie said. A one-week break to get some perspective before graduation, before she and her boyfriend, Chris, would have to make all the big, scary decisions about their future--decisions they had been fighting about for weeks.
Then, Chris vanishes. The police think he's run away, but Jessie doesn't believe it. Chris is popular and good-looking, about ...more
From the publisher -
One week. That's all Jessie said. A one-week break to get some perspective before graduation, before she and her boyfriend, Chris, would have to make all the big, scary decisions about their future--decisions they had been fighting about for weeks.
Then, Chris vanishes. The police think he's run away, but Jessie doesn't believe it. Chris is popular and good-looking, about ...more
Nov 07, 2017
Vicki (MyArmchairAdventures)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya
Thank you to @netgalley and @disneybooks for providing a copy of This is Not a Love Letter to me in exchange for my honest review. Jessie has told her boyfriend Chris that they need a one week break. Chris has been offered a baseball scholarship to college and he wants to marry Jessie right after high school while Jessie’s not sure that’s the best decision for their future. Then, Chris vanishes and the story unfolds as Jessie writes a letter to Chris telling him everything she should have told h
...more
I found this book after doing multiple random clicks on my local public library's homepage to get to their list of book club titles, and instead found some person's top picks of recently published books. I am here to tell you that this was the reading gods intervening because I needed something like this to read. My last books have been kind of ho-hum, and this was definitely not. I was fighting back tears at the end and loved the style of the book-Jessie, the narrator, is writing a letter to he
...more
Thank you @netgalley for providing me with the ARC of #ThisIsNotALoveLetter by @typingthumbs #KimPurcell.
Jessie wakes up one day to find out her boyfriend Chris is missing. He went for a run the night before and never made it back home. Jessie and Chris’s friends are doing everything the can to search for him. It comes to light that Chris was jumped by some guys for the color of him skin. He is an African American in a predominantly white town. It also comes out that Chris has been struggling w ...more
Jessie wakes up one day to find out her boyfriend Chris is missing. He went for a run the night before and never made it back home. Jessie and Chris’s friends are doing everything the can to search for him. It comes to light that Chris was jumped by some guys for the color of him skin. He is an African American in a predominantly white town. It also comes out that Chris has been struggling w ...more
This Is Not a Love Letter is an interesting YA novel. It follows Jessie, a girl about to graduate high school whose boyfriend just went missing. When Chris went missing, he and Jessie were on a break, a week-long break she requested to get some perspective about their futures. Chris went missing while he was running on a path by a river, and Jessie is almost sure it has something to do with the boys who assaulted him near the same river recently. In their small town, Chris is one of the few blac
...more
Jessie ask for a one week break from her bf and their relationship to get some perspective before they graduate from HS. Then Chris vanishes and the police think he ran away. Jessie doesn’t believe that.
Every Friday since they started dating Chris writes Jessie a love letter. So she starts writing to him to tell him what’s going on. It’s been a long while since a book has broken my heart and put it together again like this story.
I really enjoyed getting to know what Jessie was thinking and fig ...more
Every Friday since they started dating Chris writes Jessie a love letter. So she starts writing to him to tell him what’s going on. It’s been a long while since a book has broken my heart and put it together again like this story.
I really enjoyed getting to know what Jessie was thinking and fig ...more
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“As I ride down the street, I stare into people’s homes, at shadows shifting behind curtains, at backs of heads watching TV, at all the houses with trucks parked in yards, duplexes filled with cigarette smoke, people who will fight to make sure things stay exactly how they are. They hate new ideas. They don’t question anything. They see body parts and skin color, and they think what’s on the outside is what matters. But when people don’t look at the inside of others and they don’t look at the inside of themselves, they’re missing practically everything.”
—
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