What a stunning YA contemporary! More Than We Can Tell is told from two perspectives. You meet the MCs, Rev and Emma, right when new events trigger some major drama in their lives. Both feel they can’t or shouldn’t ask for help from friends and family. They randomly meet in their neighborhood and strike up a guarded but open friendship. I loved that this book didn’t center around the feelings between Rev and Emma and more on the kinship they feel with each other. Rev’s background is heartbreaking, leading him to be a loner-type, and Emma’s story is so real and relevant for our times. Eventually both find the strength to open up to loved ones and not just each other. I loved the supporting characters in this story: family members that own up to their mistakes, real unconditional love, and friendships that can stand the test of stress and time. Not every issue is tidied up in the end, which makes this more of a snapshot into their life, not just a sappy, happy ending.
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If you read Letters to the Lost last year, then you’ve already been introduced to Rev and his family. You do not have to read Letters to the Lost in order to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend it. You get to meet some of the characters before the drama.

I remember getting glimpses of Rev in Declan's book and I SO wanted to learn more about him. He was very mysterious but in a good way. After reading this book, I can tell you that my heart aches for this boy. I really appreciated learning about his past and seeing how it affected him growing up and how it still affects him daily right now.

I definitely connected with Rev a lot more and he was the reason why I still enjoyed this book. Emma, on the other hand, I not only couldn't connect with, I didn't really care for at all. I sympathized with her situation, but I couldn't stand how immature and mean she was. She lashed out a lot through this book to basically everyone who cared about her and found solace in all the wrong people. I suppose that often happens with teens since they believe that no one understands them and their struggles and heaven forbid they turn to their parents, who "totally ruin their lives". Sigh...I honestly wanted to shake some sense into this girl. All the mistakes she made, I totally saw coming and if nothing else, it reiterated the fact that I, as a parent, need to reinforce online safety and better communication with my kids, because this girl did not have a clue.

Overall, the story kind of dragged a bit for me. While I loved Declan and Juliet's story, I think it was because I couldn't connect to Emma that prevented me from really getting into this one. Like I said, I really liked Rev, even though he did bother me at times, it fits with his upbringing and he's honestly a lot more stable than someone else would be given his situation. I think if Rev intrigues you, you'll love getting to know him more. As far as the romance and the other main character, it leaves something to be desired.

Though this is a stand alone story, it takes place in the same world as Letters to the Lost and reading both of them really makes for a magical experience. I reread Letters to the Lost prior to reading this story, which is focused on Rev, who was introduced in his best friend Declan's story, Letters to the Lost. Rev Fletcher and Emma Blue take center stage in this story and they have their own beautiful story to tell. Full of emotion, this beautifully written story is that of Rev, adopted into a loving family from foster care after years of physical and mental abuse from his birth father. Rev's father who has been gone since he was seven is suddenly back and trying to reconnect. This causes a lot of emotional struggle for Rev as he tries to deal with his past and his present. The relationship he has with his adopted parents is solid and he feels guilt over keeping his father's attempt at connecting from them. Meanwhile, they have a new foster child and for the first time it is another teenage boy. In seeking refuge outside of his home, Rev finds himself connecting with Emma Blue, a girl from his school that he doesn't really know. Emma is a coder and has created a very popular game that she spends hours on, focused more on the game world than IRL. As Emma begins to be bullied and trolled by an online gamer, she finds herself struggling to keep her sanity (and her secret from her parents). Emma and Rev meet and connect and the story that follows is beautiful. This story is heavy with emotion and drama, and is well written. I was engaged in their issues and problems from the beginning. I also enjoyed the way that the characters from Kemmerer's first novel in this world were also periodically in this story. I will be highly recommending this to my school librarian and my students and I look forward to Kemmerer's next novel! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Last year Letters to the Lost was one of my top ten reads so it was pretty much a no brainer that More Than We Can Tell would be high on my priority list of must read books for 2018.

Throw in that this is Rev's story and yeah, I wasn't missing out on this for the world.

Kemmerer has done as amazing job of sliding right into the YA Contemporary genre. Not only was this just as beautiful, just as emotional as it's predecessor but I think it even went a step further.

The feels people, they are real.

I absolutely loved how beautiful this story ended up being. It wasn't your typical coming of age story, although it is that too. Instead this was one about not letting other peoples choices become ours and not letting others past determine our future.

About forgiving and letting go and moving on and becoming the best possible people we can under any circumstance.

So much happens in this and so much was just..felt. By the characters, by me. I truly loved this predecessor to Letters of the Lost and anyone who enjoyed it, must read this one as well.

* in the same universe as Letters To The Lost

Rev Fletcher is battling his past. With supportive foster parents he's managed to keep his past at bay. Until he gets a letter from his abusive father, bringing the horror right back again.

Emma Blue works on a computer game she's completely built from scratch. It's easier to work on her game than live in the real world where her parents relationship is crumbling to dust. She's excellent with any computer problem, except the problem she faces when an online troll starts harassing her.

Rev and Emma meet and want to help shoulder eachothers burdens. Their situations turn dangerous and their trust in eachother is tested.

**TRIGGER WARNING- FOR ABUSE AND BULLYING**

I have to be honest, I haven't read Letters to the Lost. But this book makes me immediately want to go buy it. The book starts off with super- smart Emma getting a bullying message on the game that she created, OtherLANDS. She has a dilemma on whether she should ban the player who sent it or just shrug it off, worrying that the ban will make the bully post how a girl gamer can't handle "smack talk". I honestly instantly bonded with her in that moment, as a female who games it's too common to have a male message you either being a disgusting pig or a bully. After a bit she started to irritate me. She harps on her friend about her makeup videos she does because her friend isn't playing OtherLANDS as much as she used to. That makes Emma a really crappy friend honestly, she obviously has her own thing and to not be okay with her friend having her own thing is extremely selfish. But I like how her personality sorted out in the end.

The twist towards the end was completely unexpected as well. It made me so anxious for Emma. But I loved the ending ❤

I loved the glimpses of Rev that we got in Letters to the Lost, so I was beyond excited to see he was getting his own story.

Rev is strong and good and struggles to believe that. Emma is smart and maybe lacking on personal interaction. Together they are broken, but find something they needed in each other. I loved seeing Geoff and Kristin and Declan and Juliet. Matthew was an interesting addition and I would have loved just a little bit more with him.

Plot wise, it is just as heart wrenching as I was expecting. There were a few things that happened that I wasn’t expecting and it was a delightful surprise. This book is quite a roller coaster of emotion and I enjoyed every page.

Overall, it was an angsty and captivating read. I’m not expecting there to be another book in this world, but if there is, I’m 1000000% here for it.

**Huge thanks to Bloomsbury for providing the arc free of charge**

I can honestly say that this book moved me like no other book has in a long time. Rev was a character that I wanted to succeed and be happy and he was easy to root for. He has not had an easy life, but he is lucky in that he has fantastic adoptive parents and a great relationship with his best friend (Declan, from Letters to the Lost).

I felt that Emma and Declan had a lot in common in that they weren't afraid to just put things out there and I think that is why Rev was drawn to Emma. She could see beyond the "Grim Reaper" stuff and see his good heart. She was a person to talk to when things in his life were turning upside down. Rev internalized a lot of stuff and he is a person who needed to get out of his own head and accept help from his great support system.

Emma had her own issues. She was like Rev in that she dealt with things on her own and had a hard time asking for help. Her parents definitely had their issues, but a lot of the problem was that communication between her parents and herself had completely broken down. I think her relationship with Rev helped her realize that she could ask for help, that she didn't have to do it alone.

This book also dealt with some heavy issues: Child abuse, girls in gaming and the misogyny that runs rampant there, the dangers of online gaming, and bullying. Even though these are heavy topics, this book felt hopeful. Most of this was because of Rev. He was such a good soul and I really loved his character.

Overall, this was a great book and I can see myself reading it again. I will definitely be referring it to my friends to read and this author has become an auto-buy other for me.

This was really good! While I didn't love it as much as the first, I still really enjoyed her writing and it's characters.

I can't give a full review because the file was corrupted and practically unreadable. I really wanted to read this one! :( But I couldn't get past all of the problems with the file formatting. Everytime an "Fi" or "Fl" appeared in the text there was an A instead and it was impossible to get through like that. I'm sorry! Happy to read and review if you'll send me another copy!

After reading Brigid's other book Letters to the Lost all I wanted was more story time for Rev. Well, I got it. More Than We Can Tell is the story of two teenagers grappling with difficult home lives. Emma's parents aren't who she wants them to be and Rev wishes his adoptive parents had always been. Emma and Rev struggle with their world they find each other. Set in the same world as Letters to the Lost, Kemmerer has built a world full of broken homes and hearts and takes her readers on a journey of healing, but not without a little bit of disaster for the pair.

Kemmerer's work is heartbreaking so prepare yourself for a difficult but ultimately rewarding ride with Emma and Rev.

More Than We Can Tell is a beautiful, moving story. This is an in-depth examination of the various ways that teens can encounter cyber-bullying and online attacks. With richly detailed characters, and realistically drawn situations, this is an important, thought-provoking book that teens will want to read.

I really liked this. I’m happy it was my first book of the year, so thank you Netgalley.

This is the first time I’m reading anything by this author and, as it said in the blurb, even though this is part of another book, it can be read as a standalone.

We are presented with two stories, Emma’s and Rev’s. The first is a girl who’s always been wrapped up in the gaming world, just like her dad. She’s smart and good at it, so much so, she’s even developed her own game, one people actually play. But with the good things that come with gaming, the bad came too. She’s been getting all this weird and awful messages from a troll, and no matter what she does, he always comes back. With the troll and everything else going on in her life, it seems like her world is falling apart. The only good thing might be those dog walks that end at the back of a church.

Then we have Rev. He’s such a good guy, always so attentive to everything, but also so broken inside. He had a rough childhood, and that might be an understatement, so he’s constantly battling the demon from his past, which decided to come back, full-force, and mess with his life. But there’s always a little bit of light in between all the dark, right? His lonely walks to the back of a church might be his.

Like I said, I really liked this book. It shows the lives of two different people with completely different problems and how they deal with them. These are teens, facing two realities that are way too real in our world. Seeing Rev being completely torn between his two realities, past and present, was something. He was so mature at times, and then you could see the kid in him, constantly seeking approval. I believe he was the best part of the whole story. Emma, even though I could understand her problems, I just couldn’t relate to her way of dealing with things. She felt kind of whiny and annoying at times. But then again, we all deal with things differently.

We all have demons and things we need to battle every day and most of us always try to fight them alone. Why is that? Seriously, why is it that everyone thinks we have to do everything on our own? It doesn’t necessarily make you stronger for it. That’s the issue these two characters have, and when they realize that they’re not, in fact, alone, everything becomes so much easier. So, here’s an advice to you: if you need help, with absolutely anything, ASK FOR IT. No matter how stupid or messed up you think your problem is, you are not alone.

The narrative was great. Well paced, not too fast, not too slow. I only had a bit of an issue with the formatting, since it was kind of messed up and ended up being kind of confusing at times. Also, there were a couple of things that were left unsaid, like just left on the back and we didn’t really get the answer to it. It felt like, we were left to guess or imagine what happened to it.

I’m pretty sure that Brigid saw my review of Letters to the Lost in which I explicitly stated that Rev needed his own book. And, of course, she listened. The good news is I didn’t need a box of Kleenex and a week in bed recovering after reading Rev’s story; the bad news is my heart still hurts for that boy. Like seriously hurts. Kremmerer says you don’t need to read Letters to the Lost before this story, where Rev and tidbits of his past are introduced, as he is the BFF of Declan. But, it’s not going to hurt. Especially when you get to the Declan/Rev show and having a bit more background of Declan and how their friendship works might help a bit. Rev is a pretty intense guy, but his adoptive parents and lots of exercise in the form of a punching bag are usually enough of an outlet to curb it. But his current anguish is a direct result of a letter and subsequent emails from his real father. The one that put so many marks on him by the age of seven, he doesn’t wear short sleeves or shorts. The one that he wanted to please, even when he was suffering abuse. Adding to his stress, his adoptive parents just got a new foster kid, and instead of a baby or toddler like its always been, it’s a fourteen-year-old boy and Rev has no idea how to be normal around him (Spoiler- he’s a pretty awesome older “brother”). A new character, Emma, is thrown in the mix when she and Rev meet by chance while she’s out walking her dog. She’s getting out of the house to escape her parents’ constant bickering and belittling before it lands on her. Her perfect, doctor mother doesn’t approve of her gaming, and she hasn’t got the guts to tell her she made one that people play. She just doesn’t want to hear about how it’s a hobby and needs to find something more for a career. Not only is she dealing with unhappy parents, she’s stressed out because of a gamer trolling her, and she knows, as a girl in the gaming world, she should have thicker skin, but the messages are becoming abusive, offensive, and now threatening and that’s hard to shake. Rev and Emma barely talk their first meeting, but it’s the second time they meet that will get your heart hammering. What’s more romantic than talking about your abusive father, sitting back to back on the steps of a church in the rain? Not sure, but Kremmerer sure knows how to write it. Neither of them knows the first thing about what a relationship should be, and it is obvious by the constant hiding of emotions, stilted conversations at school, and secrets that neither of them knows what to do with or who to trust, that this is heading for a disaster. The on again/off again friendship is realistic for them both. Emma’s biting tongue is reminiscent of her mother’s own and she instantly regrets most of what she says. Rev’s no angel either and his fear that he will become his dad is tested when Emma puts herself in harm’s way. This was the most predictable aspect of the story but I didn’t mind. As with Declan and Juliet, we have to wait it out and see if these two are meant to be, but I love, loved the build-up (of both books) and didn’t mind at all. The abuse in Rev’s life, even though ended, is still ever present, as it is with most survivors. His portrayal is realistic, emotionally crushing, and believable at all times. Thankfully, he has an incredible emotional support system to help.

So, Brigid- can we see a book about Matthew next?

I don’t know if I loved this book more or if I loved Letters To The Lost more. Both were so full of heart and delt with tough subjects. Both had lessons that the main characters learn. I loved that the characters overlapped in both books. I was so excited to learn more about Rev and his past in this book. And I loved that Declan and Juliet made appearances. I really hope the author countinues with these characters. Maybe the next book could be based around Matt? I’m definitely going to be buying this book for my personal collection and will probably be using it in book talks this coming summer. Thanks for letting me read it early! I’ve already pre ordered it for the public library collection.

Let me preface this by saying I never read Love Letters to the Lost and I can say with 100% certainty, that is is NOT necessary to read that book to understand this one. This one actually makes me want to turn around and read Love Letters, too.

This book was fantastic. I had no idea what to expect because I've never heard of Brigid Kemmerer and had nothing to go off but the blurb. I'm constantly looking for books that have a different theme than the norm and this one did not disappoint.

Rev was an amazing character. His story of abuse was heartbreaking and I liked that he wasn't completely okay. He has become comfortable in the safe environment he lives in, but the effects of 7 years of abuse is still there. I was really happy that the author didn't make everything sunshine and rainbows for him. I thought she did a really great job portraying his struggles. I liked his growth and development throughout the book and his ability to dig deep to find the good in life. I also liked that Emma wasn't his sole purpose for his change and acceptance. She definitely played a part, but it wasn't all because of her.

Emma was also a great, albeit a little naive, character. She was your quintessential high school student who struggled at home. Her parents messy relationship definitely had a huge impact on her and was portrayed well. I think one of the things about the story I really liked was the transition of Emma's relationships with her parents. She idolizes her dad until the rose colored glasses come off and she finally has a real conversation with her mom. Kids tend to see only what they want to see, so her epiphany was really impactful. The storyline of her gaming was a nice touch, as well. As a YA novel it was a good message to send about online safety. I saw the ending coming, but it didn't take away from the overall story.

The secondary characters were FANTASTIC. Declan was the greatest friend to Rev and I really want to read more about him. Matthew was epic. I'm hoping there will be a book about him because I honestly don't think we got his full story. I was really irritated by all the loose ends with him, which is why this book got 4 instead of 5 stars, so hopefully there is a reason for that.

Overall, I absolutely, 100% recommend this book. It was that good.

Rev Fletcher is battling his past demons with his loving adoptive parents support. He is an outcast at school but is supported by his best friend, Declan. Rev keeps his demons at bay until he gets a letter from his abusive dad.
Emma Blue lives for her computer coding and game development. She wants to be just like her dad but her home life comes to head with her parents crumbling relationships. They meet at a church property where they begin to share their challenges and find common ground.
This story is a standalone but revisits the characters of Ms. Kemmerer’s first book, Letters to the Lost. The story moves quickly with the reader cheering on both characters to overcome the obstacles in their lives. The romance is sweet and building through out the story. Readers whom enjoy rich characters will devour this read. A glimpse into the foster care system will bring empathy to readers through the telling of the secondary character, Matt. Real life issues such as divorce, abuse and foster care are seen through the characters life and the reader gains an appreciation of what teens dealing with these issues see in their lives. Highly recommended to fans of Letters to the Lost and realistic fiction.
I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and the publisher, Bloomsbury Children’s in exchange for an honest review.

More Than We Can Tell is a beautiful, heartfelt contemporary read. It reminded me of all the reasons I love contemporary books. For a few hours we get to be in somebody's life, we get to feel for them, with them really. This book took ahold of my heart from the first chapter, and it did not let go to the very last page. The characters were wonderful, flawed humans. Their relationship was so honest, and real that was rooting for them with every word. I seriously loved this one. Will be grabbing a physical copy and talking about More Than We Can Tell for a long time

** spoiler alert ** I really enjoyed this romance and how they could text their feelings. I enjoyed seeing Juliet and Declan again. I enjoyed this book with its take on the gaming industry and how she dealt with it and her game. I figured that she might a bit smarter with her online information. I loved that Rev listened to her when it came up. I loved her friendship and I hope that Matt gets his own book. I loved her relationship with her mom and dad or lack of one. I loved Declan and Rev both faced their fears. I read and finished this book on a car ride home. There were times I wanted to shake them both and hoped that they make out :) I hope that there is another book in this series.

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer follows a favorite character from Kemmerer's other book, Letters to the Lost, and a new girl with a knack for coding. Rev struggles daily with the abuse he suffered from his father, but manages to keep his life under control with the help of his adoptive parents. Meanwhile, Emma struggles with someone sexually harassing her online and her parents' failing marriage. After they meet, Rev and Emma learn to trust another person.

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer was one of my favorite contemporary books of 2017. When I saw More Than We Can Tell on NetGalley, I requested it immediately. Rev was one of the most interesting characters in Letters to the Lost and I couldn't wait to hear more of his story. This book met all of my high expectations and I can see it ranking as one of my favorite contemporaries of the year.

One of the strongest aspects of Brigid Kemmerer's books are the character development. Rev's is a complex character with a well-thought out backstory and realistic responses and actions to the abuse he suffered as a child. My appreciation and love for Rev's character grew even more throughout this book. I also liked how readers get to see the closure of Rev's story line with his father in this book.

As for the other main character, Emma, I didn't feel like she was as well-developed as Rev. Sometimes how Emma treats other characters in the novel doesn't make her exactly likable, especially how she throws some things in Rev's face. Additionally, I think some people may be annoyed with how she handles some events that take place in the novel. However, I appreciated that her actions actually resembled how a person her age would respond.

Like Letters to the Lost, More Than We Can Tell handles serious topics very well. This book covers physical abuse, mental abuse, and sexual abuse and how they effect the victims of them. I especially liked how this book dealt with some of the abuse Emma faces online. Readers the same age as Emma may experience what she deals with online as write it off in the same way that "it just happens." However, I like how this book combats that stance.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading More Than We Can Tell. Once I started this book, I literally did not stop reading until I finished it. I give More Than We Can Tell five out of five stars.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok wow, I wasn’t expecting so many feels when I picked this book up. Call me crazy but I don’t read summaries all that much so I had no idea that this book was a companion novel to Letters to the Lost (which I loved!) so I was ecstatic when I saw Rev’s name!
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With that being said, I don’t really think it’s necessary to read Letters to the Lost first technically before reading this book, but I definitely recommend it just because it’s such a great book and it lays the groundwork for Rev’s character and I think you would understand him on a better level during this book.
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I was kind of hesitant on Emma at first, but she grew on me. I did get a little frustrated at her a few times because she was so naive about some things that were happening in her life and I just wanted to scream at her to get help. But she’s sixteen and I’m trying to be more understanding of her situation and her thought process.
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I was glad to get to see a bit of Declan and Juliet in this book! There was also a new character introduced, Matt, and I’m hoping we get to see a glimpse of him in a future book!
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Overall, this was a heartbreaking book and I loved every second of it. I don’t want to say much to avoid spoilers but I will say that I’m happy with way things turned out.