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.

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 "you" and I got reeeeaaalllyy confused. Turns out "you" means Chris. :P) but then I got absorbed in the story and OH WHAT A HEARTBREAKING BOOK.

Jessie's my favorite in my character in this book because she's super relatable. She likes the feeling of digging out eye crusties. I LOVE DIGGING OUT EYE CRUSTIES TOO IT'S SO SATISFYING

Chris is a really sweet and considerate guy and when he goes missing, Jess and her friends try to find him. Jessie believes that he is still alive, but some of his friends think he took his own life. I really didn't expect his friends to be right all along!

When Jessie finds out about Chris's death, she cries. I cried along with her. It's so sad and I couldn't help it.

Will recommend to anyone who loves mystery and YA contemporary. (Reminder: prepare box of tissues before reading.)

Final ratings:
Plot: 5 out of 5 - SUSPENSE
Characters: 5 out of 5 - Jess's friends are all so supportive and thoughtful. Love them!
Writing: 2 out of 5
Interest: 2 out of 5
The Feels and emotions: 5 out of 5
Ending: 5 out of 5

After Jesse and her boyfriend break up, he goes missing while out on a run. No one really suspects he's missing except Jesse, who goes on the hunt to find out what happened to him. As a narrator, Jesse is relatable, conveys emotion, and is a teenager dealing with a lot of stuff but her ability to seek out Chris (her boyfriend) also shows her strength and loyalty. She wasn't without imperfections or flaws, which made her seem all the more real.

The writing style was well done with decent pacing that kept me reading. Although there are hints throughout the book that point to what really happened to Chris, it's done well enough that it isn't obvious. The ending was unexpected.

Two points I didn't like: Chris's race was, in my opinion, too force/overdone. A character can African American without having it stated all the time and while he was the only African American in a white town, it seemed to bother Jesse more than the other residents, which didn't feel authentic for me. I lived in several small towns that weren't accustomed to diversity and more than one person was definitely uncomfortable.

My other issue is Jesse's regrets/hindsight reflecting. I've never know a single teen who ruminates over the past or reflects on regrets made. It just doesn't feel like something a teen does. Everything I have read about teens (including for my psych course) is that they don't really live in the past or future. They are typically NOW kind of people. Of course, not every teen fits this bill but still, it makes Jesse seem older than what she really is.

Otherwise, a beautifully written story with twists and turns that I genuinely loved.

On a Friday night one week before graduation, Chris Kirk goes out for a run and doesn’t return. Jessie, his girlfriend, tells the story of what happens next in a letter she writes to Chris. Multilayered storytelling keeps the reader turning pages. If you liked The First Time She Drowned or Lock and Key, you’ll like this

This is an amazing book. It is about a subject that is hard to talk about. Depression happens to anyone. Even someone who has everything to live for. The result of depression can be suicide. Which is what a star athlete, going to college on a scholarship, smart, genuine young man had going for him. His name is Chris.
I was so sad for what the friends and family were going through.
The characters are amazing. They could be classmates that were part of our lives. The sorrow described is genuine. You can definitely feel the anguish and heartache that each felt over the loss of Chris. No one wanted to believe he had taken his own life. Yet, everyone took some if the blame upon their shoulders. In the end, it was a decision Chris made. No one, not Jessie, his girlfriend, his best friends, his family, could have stopped him.
Wonderful read
5 Stars

"There's nothing. No sign of him anywhere."

Jessie's boyfriend Chris disappears one night while on a run, just after Jessie suggested they take a break from each other. Everyone thinks he is just another teenage runaway, but Jessie knows differently - and she's out to prove it and find him.

It has been a while since I have read a book that kept me so on-edge. Kim Purcell's This is Not a Love Letter is one of those books that I just couldn't put down. The suspense kept me hooked right from the beginning, and touched upon a lot of social issues that are very relevant in our society today. This book definitely will bring out a lot of emotion in readers, and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary mystery or suspense books.

This Is Not A Love Letter is a mystery by Kim Purcell that is, in fact, written as a letter by the girlfriend a a missing teenage boy named Chris. Jessie takes readers on a wild ride as she tries to find Chris, and along the way she introduces readers to many possible suspects. This book was a quick read, and I enjoyed trying to figure out what happened to Chris. The characters were well developed and realistic, and the writing was engaging. Overall, I really enjoyed This is Not a Love Letter.

I almost didn't finish this book. I really wanted to put it down because I hated the point of view and the way it was done. But, I stuck with it, and the story kept me going. It's all about a girl named Jessie who tells her boyfriend, Chris, that they should take a break for a week, because he was getting too serious too fast. Then he disappears. Jessie and her friends look for him and eventually his mother calls the cops. Jessie is afraid that it was a hate crime. She thinks some guys that jumped him before might have done it again. Through out the book, she's talking to her boyfriend, telling him what he's missing and how much everyone is worried, how much she is worried. It's a mystery, going through this book, looking for Chris. Like I said, I almost didn't finish it, but the mystery kept me there.

This book deals with a lot of issues, racism, and bullying being the main topics. It also touches on mental illness, anxiety, depression, suicide. Jessie's mom is a hoarder. She's ashamed to let anyone into her house, and Jessie is the adult in the household. Her mom is usually passed out on sleep pills, leaving Jessie to pay the bills and do the shopping. Jessie is looked down upon for her looks and where she lives, so she seems like a very real, relatable character for me. I can remember specific incidents growing up where I was bullied because of where I lived. (Not that I lived anywhere awful. An old white house on a back road in Southern Kentucky.) It's real. Jessie is a great character and I really enjoyed reading about her and her struggles. She's the kind of person, I would be friends with.

If you want me to tell you if they ever found Chris… well, I'm not going to. Because you should read this book for yourself. And because maybe the mystery will be the only thing pulling you through the book? In the end, I'm glad I read it. While the beginning of the book nearly lost me, the last half of the book was very fast paced and I flew through it.

This is Not a Love Letter comes out in 2018 (Thanks NetGalley for an early review e-copy!)

This young adult book addresses many sensitive and timely topics. Written from the perspective of Jessie speaking to her missing boyfriend Chris, hence the title. When Chris goes missing many think he may have killed himself but Jessie is convinced that he's a victim of foul play. An emotional read but definitely one to read.

This Is Not a Love Letter by Kim Purcell is a riveting story about the disappearance of Chris, a star high school athlete and its effect on his family, friends, and the whole community. It is told through his girlfriend's thoughts and words. During the search, his friends learn about his being bullied by fellow students as well as the hidden racial prejudice in the community. The days go by and his girlfriend becomes increasingly desperate and guilt ridden because she believes she caused him to run away. Her desperation makes this tragic story even more compelling and hard to put down..

This is Not a Love Letter is a heartbreaking read, and the tone of the whole novel is dark, even the flashback scenes to happier times. Know this going in - maybe not a beach summer read.

I loved Jessie's voice and found her to be full of nuance. The second person point of view was an interesting choice. I think it worked - it kept me guessing what would happen at the end. Because she was writing to Chris, I hoped he would be okay. Because of this, the ending was particularly heartbreaking.

With 13 Reasons Why in the news lately, conversations about suicide are more important than ever. This book will certainly add to that effort.