History Literature / LoveLettersToTheDead

* BigBrotherBully: Hannah's older brother Jason is introduced as having a short temper and she is visibly scared of him. [[spoiler: It is later revealed that he physically abuses her, being responsible for the bruise on her cheek. When she tells Natalie about it, she lets Hannah move in with her while they get the authorities involved.]]

* EpistolaryNovel: The entire novel is told as a series of letters Laurel writes to various public figures who have passed away, including Kurt Cobain, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehouse.

* BigBrotherBully: [[spoiler: Hannah's older brother Jason is introduced as having a short temper and she is visibly scared of him, and it is later revealed that he physically abuses her, being responsible for the bruise on her cheek. When she tells Natalie about it, she lets Hannah move in with her while they get the authorities involved.]]

** Laurel recounts watching ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' on TV with her dad in a letter to Creator/HeathLedger.

* CoolBigSis: A [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] example. Laurel spends much of the novel giving off the impression that her older sister May was perfect, and it's clear that May tried her best to be a good sister, but eventually Laurel has to acknowledge that May had her flaws and reconcile the anger she feels towards her following her death.

* BigBrotherBully: [[spoiler: Hannah's older brother Jason is introduced as having a short temper and Hannah is visibly scared of him, and it is later revealed that he physically abuses her, being responsible for the bruise on her cheek. When she tells Natalie about it, she lets Hannah move in with her while they get the authorities involved.]]

Laurel is just starting out as a high school freshman, having transferred to a new school after the death of her older sister May only a few months prior. Her first assignment in English class is to write a letter to a dead person. She chooses Music/KurtCobain, whom May loved. Rather than turn in the assignment, Laurel keeps it and writes additional letters to him and a growing list of other dead people. In these letters, Laurel writes about her experiences navigating high school, her family, making friends, and falling in love for the first time. She also reveals details about her past and her relationship with May, and it becomes apparent that her memory of her sister is strained due to something that happened before she died. As Laurel begins to accept the truth about what happened to her, she can begin to accept the truth about May.

** She writes a few letters to Music/AmyWinehouse, and Hannah likes to sing "Rehab".

** Aunt Amy's favorite show is Series/MisterEd.

** Aunt Amy's favorite show is Series/MrEd.

** She is also quite fond of Creator/RiverPhoenix, devoting multiple letters to him and his troubled life. Special mention is made of Film/StandByMe and Film/MyOwnPrivateIdaho.
** She writes to Music/AmyWinehouse, and Hannah likes to sing "Rehab".

** Laurel recounts watching Film/TheDarkKnight on TV with her dad in a letter to Creator/HeathLedger.

* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: It first appears that this will be the case with Sky and Laurel respectively, with Sky seeming mysterious and Laurel seeming shy and sweet. However, these roles are [[InvertedTrope flipped]] when it becomes apparent that Laurel is far more troubled than she first appears, and Sky tries his best to help her through her emotional turmoil. [[spoiler: It eventually becomes too much for him to handle and he breaks things off with her.]]

** Music/KurtCobain is the most prominent, with Laurel and May having a special relationship with him and [[Music/{{Nirvana}} his music]]. Laurel and Sky also first bond over Nirvana.

** Laurel writes to Music/AmyWinehouse, and Hannah likes to sing "Rehab".

* ParentalAbandonment: Laurel's mother left and moved to California after May's death prior to the start of the novel, and her only contact with Laurel is over the phone. [[spoiler: She eventually moves back into town to live with Aunt Amy to spend more time with Laurel.]]
* ParentsAsPeople: Laurel's dad

* ShoutOut: Most of Laurel's letters are to actors, musicians, and writers, so naturally there are plenty of references to their work.
** Music/KurtCobain is the most prominent, with Laurel and May having a special relationship with him and [[Music/{{Nirvana}} his music]].
** Laurel mentions Creator/RiverPhoenix, with special mention of Film/StandByMe and Film/MyOwnPrivateIdaho.

* ParentalAbandonment: Laurel's mother left and moved to California after May's death prior to the start of the novel. [[spoiler: She moves back
* ParentsAsPeople: Laurel's mother left and moved to California after May's death prior to the start of the novel, not wanting to burden Laurel with her grief.

** Music/AmyWinehouse and her music

* ArcSong: "Heart-Shaped Box" is this for Laurel. It was playing in the car the first time she and May snuck out to the movies, and it plays in the background at the party.

* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Laurel was molested several times by Paul's friend Billy when she and May would sneak out to the movies. For a while she is convinced that telling May about it directly led to her death, as she thinks the news was too much for her to bear.]]
* ShoutOut: Most of Laurel's letters are to actors, musicians, and writers, so naturally there are plenty of references to their work

** Creator/AmyWinehouse and her music

* RapeAsBackstory: [[spoiler: Laurel was molested several times by Paul's friend Billy when she and May would sneak out to the movies. For a while she is convinced that telling May about it directly led to her death, as she thinks the news was too much for her to bear.]]

** Music/KurtCobain is the most prominent, with Laurel and May having a special relationship to his music and Kurt himself.
** Creator/RiverPhoenix, with special mention of Film/StandByMe and Film/MyOwnPrivateIdaho.

* RapeAsBackstory: [[spoiler: Laurel was molested several times by Paul's friend Billy when she and May would sneak out to the movies. For a while she is convinced that telling May about it directly led to her death, as she thinks the news was too much for her to bear.]]

* AmbiguousSituation: It still isn't clear by the end whether or not [[spoiler: May jumped off the bridge, let herself fall, or fell into the river by accident.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: Possibly. [[spoiler: Laurel isn't sure whether May's death was an accident (since she was drunk at the time) or if the news of what happened to her broke her and she jumped.]]

* ParentsAsPeople: Laurel's mother left after May's death prior to the start of the novel, not wanting to burden Laurel with her grief.

Laurel is just starting out as a high school freshman, having transferred to a new school after the death of her older sister May only a few months prior. Her first assignment in English class is to write a letter to a dead person. She chooses Music/KurtCobain, whom may loved. Rather than turn in the assignment, Laurel keeps it and writes additional letters to him and a growing list of other dead people. In these letters, Laurel writes about her experiences navigating high school, her family, making friends, and falling in love for the first time. She also reveals details about her past and her relationship with May, and it becomes apparent that her memory of her sister is strained due to something that happened before she died. As Laurel begins to accept the truth about what happened to her, she can begin to accept the truth about May.

Laurel is just starting out as a high school freshman, having transferred to a new school after the death of her older sister May only a few months prior. Her first assignment in English class is to write a letter to a dead person. She chooses Music/KurtCobain, whom may loved. Rather than turn in the assignment, Laurel keeps it and writes additional letters to him and a growing list of other dead people. In these letters, Laurel writes about her experiences navigating high school, her family, making friends, and falling in love for the first time. She also reveals details about her past and her relationship with May, and it becomes apparent that her memory of her sister is strained due to something that happened before she died. As Laurel comes to

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: May is still dead and Laurel has had to grapple with feelings of anger towards her, and her mom isn't moving back in. However, she told her mom the truth about the night May died and she has started seeing a therapist to deal with her grief as well as what happened to her. She and her parents scatter May's ashes in the river where she died, and she finally feels like she is ready to begin moving forward.]]
* CoolBigSis: A [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] example. Laurel spends the novel telling her friends as well as the audience that her older sister May was perfect, but eventually she has to come to terms with having mixed feelings about her following her death.

Laurel is just starting out as a high school freshman, having transferred to a new school after of the death of her older sister May only a few months prior. Her first assignment in English class is to write a letter to a dead person. She chooses Music/KurtCobain, whom may loved. Rather than turn in the assignment, Laurel keeps it and writes additional letters to him and a growing list of other dead people. Through these letters, Laurel tells of her experience navigating high school, making friends, falling in love for the first time, as well as her family and how they are all coming to terms with what happened to May.

* ParentsAsPeople: Laurel's mother left after May's death prior to the start of the novel, not wanting to burden Laurel with her grief.

Laurel is just starting out as a high school freshman, having transferred to a new school after of the death of her older sister May only a few months prior. Her first assignment in English class is to write a letter to a dead person. She chooses Kurt Cobain, whom may loved. Rather than turn in the assignment, Laurel keeps it and writes additional letters to him and a growing list of other dead people. Through these letters, Laurel tells of her experience navigating high school, making friends, falling in love for the first time, as well as her family and how they are all coming to terms with what happened to May.

* IJustWantToBeYou: Laurel heavily idolizes May, wearing her clothes and consciously trying to be more like her.

The novel follows Laurel, a high school freshman in Albuquerque, New Mexico who is dealing with the death of her older sister May only a few months prior. Her first assignment in English class is to write a letter to a dead person. She chooses Kurt Cobain, whom May loved. The rest of the novel, told in the form of letters, follows Laurel's efforts to navigate high school and come to terms with what happened to May.

[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]