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ssejig's review against another edition
2.0
Honest to god, the twist in this book ruined it for me.
Sunny Reynolds's sister Jazz is dead. But she's been writing letters saying that she's coming home. What will the repercussions be?
Great idea, other people may like the end, I didn't.
Sunny Reynolds's sister Jazz is dead. But she's been writing letters saying that she's coming home. What will the repercussions be?
Great idea, other people may like the end, I didn't.
stezeiger's review against another edition
5.0
It had so many twists and turns and i can't believe how short it was. I love gail Giles style of writing and this is now one of my favorite books.
labraden's review against another edition
4.0
Dead Girls Don't Write Letters is a truly creepy book about a family whose life is shattered by the death of one of their own. Sunny's life changed when her sister was killed in an apartment fire in New York. Sunny is left to not only deal with the aftermath of her sister's death but also an alcoholic father and a depressed and anguished mother. When a letter arrives announcing that sister, Jazz isn't really dead and will be coming for a visit, Sunny is reluctant to raise the hopes of her already disturbed parents.
Jazz arrives and it is clear from the beginning that she isn't really Sunny's sister, but their mother accepts her almost immediately, while Sunny and her dad harbor suspicions. Who is this girl, and why would she pretend to be someone else? That mystery drives the story to an ending that has so many twists, it will leave you wondering what the truth really is.
This was a well written book with a really interesting perspective on family dynamics. The creepy, scary factor just adds depth to a very unique story.
Jazz arrives and it is clear from the beginning that she isn't really Sunny's sister, but their mother accepts her almost immediately, while Sunny and her dad harbor suspicions. Who is this girl, and why would she pretend to be someone else? That mystery drives the story to an ending that has so many twists, it will leave you wondering what the truth really is.
This was a well written book with a really interesting perspective on family dynamics. The creepy, scary factor just adds depth to a very unique story.
merer's review against another edition
5.0
Sunny's family has been a mess since her perfect, beautiful, older sister Jasmine was killed--that is, until Jasmine, or someone claiming to be Jasmine shows up on their doorstep.
thekingkez's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, the last twist sort of ruined it for me. I was completely invested with this story being about identity theft and family troubles and moving on, and then apparently Sunny was making it all up? And none of the actions or interactions ever happened? It happened really abruptly and was overly obscure in the explanation.
It felt far too sudden; not enough foreshadowing, then dump all these new twists in the last 3 pages. The "it was all a dream" trope needs to be done well, otherwise it feels like everything beforehand was just a waste of time, which is unfortunately exactly what this felt like.
Apart from that, I really enjoyed the bulk of this novel. Sunny was a bit annoying, but she is a kid and obviously biased so it didn't bother me. The reveal of information was really well done, and I was always interested to know what would happen next.
It felt far too sudden; not enough foreshadowing, then dump all these new twists in the last 3 pages. The "it was all a dream" trope needs to be done well, otherwise it feels like everything beforehand was just a waste of time, which is unfortunately exactly what this felt like.
Apart from that, I really enjoyed the bulk of this novel. Sunny was a bit annoying, but she is a kid and obviously biased so it didn't bother me. The reveal of information was really well done, and I was always interested to know what would happen next.
kdorfman's review against another edition
3.0
One day Sunny receives a letter from her recently deceased sister Jazz. The letter is written with Jazz's handwriting and on her traditional yellow paper. Sunny is confused but decides to tell her overly medicated depressed mother and alcoholic father. When Jazz arrives however they soon discover this is not the real Jazz. Sunny and her father are on the case but when the flood gates open Sunny discovers things are especially not what they seem.
This story had an interesting premise and I think that young adults will really like it because it is familiar. Lots of young people feel like they are shadowed by a sibling and cannot live up to expectations their parents have provided them with. Sunny has always been the problem child, the hateful one conceived in a time of turmoil. The need to care for self-destructive parents can also seem familiar to a lot of people who have dealt with similar situations.
This story is pretty straightforward until the end when we start second guessing what Sunny has told us and what really happened. Readers can take this a number of ways either following Sunny's story line or questioning her own stability.
I think that this book is great for YA readers because of the topics expressed. Several young people may feel like they are in their siblings shadow or are not loved by their parents. Several young people have difficult family lives where they have to act more like an adult. Also the story is short which can be very attractive. The story also has a good pace and will keep readers interested in what will happen next. The only thing that may frustrate people is the ending since it does not allow for closure.
This story had an interesting premise and I think that young adults will really like it because it is familiar. Lots of young people feel like they are shadowed by a sibling and cannot live up to expectations their parents have provided them with. Sunny has always been the problem child, the hateful one conceived in a time of turmoil. The need to care for self-destructive parents can also seem familiar to a lot of people who have dealt with similar situations.
This story is pretty straightforward until the end when we start second guessing what Sunny has told us and what really happened. Readers can take this a number of ways either following Sunny's story line or questioning her own stability.
I think that this book is great for YA readers because of the topics expressed. Several young people may feel like they are in their siblings shadow or are not loved by their parents. Several young people have difficult family lives where they have to act more like an adult. Also the story is short which can be very attractive. The story also has a good pace and will keep readers interested in what will happen next. The only thing that may frustrate people is the ending since it does not allow for closure.
kaitlynreadsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't enjoy it. I heard it was short and suspenseful and interesting, but it was just short. The end didn't make sense, which was fine with me because I didn't care about the beginning or middle either.
alytodd's review
2.0
Slightly muddled and rushed ending, but not a bad book. Probably more middle-school reading level than what i typically consider to be YA, i read it in just over an hour.