More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer
YA Contemporary
Bloomsbury Children’s | March 6, 2018

With so much going on in my personal life, I’ve really struggled this month with new, unknown, reads.  As much as I love everything I’ve read by Brigid Kemmerer, I was nervous to start More Than We Can Tell.  There was so much riding on Rev’s book for me, I wanted him to know only happiness, and I was nervous to read about his past.  I really shouldn’t have been, because I’ve yet to be let down by one of this author’s books.

Obviously I love Rev, but I really liked Emma too.  For a character who was in a hard place, struggling, I thought she had a good heart.  She knew when she was in the wrong, she just sometimes had a hard time not lashing out.  I think her parents shoulder some of the blame for her reactions.  There was a disconnect between them, and it wasn’t only Emma’s fault.  I loved how Emma and Rev discovered each other, and I especially love how they got past their awkwardness.  It made me feel little bubbles in my stomach for two young teens falling in love.

Really though, I loved the book for Rev’s relationship with his parents.  I loved how they knew his acting out wasn’t usual for him.  I loved when his Dad told him he believes sometimes people push because they need to know someone is there to push back.  I also love that Rev knows he was lucky in the home he was placed in.  He knows how loved he is, and I believe he cherishes it.

I also loved seeing how Rev felt about Declan, from his own perspective.  I love the story of how they met, and no matter what happens those two boys have each others back.  (I also loved the closure we got with Declan’s own history) Probably because I already knew and loved Rev, but I was more invested in his half of the story, and I thought it was exceptionally well done.

This review really just turned into an ‘I Loved’ list, and that’s okay.  It’s just I feel like people are going to get down here to the bottom and say, ‘Why only 4 1/2 stars then, Birdie?”  Well people, I think maybe the end resolutions were just a bit too much.  I tend to have a problem with overkill, and I do think the parallel of what was happening with Emma, while Rev was going through what he was going through, was too much.  Therefore, I did deduct half a star.

Otherwise, More Than We Can Tell was really really good!  Really really good!

Rating: 

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.