{Release Day Review} More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer (@BrigidKemmerer @BloomsburyKids)

With loving adoptive parents by his side, Rev Fletcher has managed to keep the demons of his past at bay. . . until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.

Emma Blue's parents are constantly fighting, and her only escape is the computer game she built from scratch. But when a cruel online troll's harassment escalates, she not only loses confidence but starts to fear for her safety.

When Rev and Emma meet, they're both longing to lift the burden of their secrets. They connect instantly and deeply, promising to help each other no matter what. But soon Rev and Emma's secrets threaten to crush them, and they'll need more than a promise to find their way out.

​Emma Blue lives in a world of her own making.  The online game that she created is where she can forget that her mother doesn’t approve of her following in her father’s footsteps.  She doesn’t understand that writing code is just as challenging as being a doctor and dealing with her endless disappointment only widens the gap between them.
 
Until she meets the boy that they call the “Grim Reaper” behind an old church and she finally realizes what it’s like to be alive.

Abruptly, he unfolds from the ground. He’s bigger than I expected, tall and lean with broad shoulders. He moves like a ninja, all silent, fluid motion.

Looking at him now, I can’t imagine him being afraid of anything.

But then he says, “I need to go home.”

He sounds a little spooked, so I’m surprised when he puts out a hand to help me up. He’s strong. His grip makes me feel weightless.

Once I’m on my feet, he doesn’t move. Light from somewhere catches his eyes and makes them glint under the hood. “Thank you.”

“For what?”
​
“For seeing me.” Then he turns, jogs across the street, and disappears into the darkness beyond.

​Rev Fletcher thought his painful past was behind him.  He was saved from the terror of a radically religious father by his adoptive parents.  With their gentle guidance, he’s been putting his shattered pieces together again.
 
And all it takes to destroy him once more is an email from the man who left an indelible mark on his body and his soul.
 
But when he’s with Emma, he’s not just the strange boy in the hoodie.  He’s stronger and deserving of love. If only they could just trust each other enough to step out of the shadows and face the unknown future.

​I’m having the most bizarre emotional experience.

There is another e-mail from my father on my phone.

There is a girl walking next to me.

I’m taking her to my house.

It’s pouring rain and we’re holding hands and I’m soaking wet. I’m freezing on the outside and warm on the inside, and I both want this moment to end and go on forever.

I fell completely in love with Rev while reading Letters to the Lost.  He was broody, soulful and far deeper than wanted anyone to know.  And in More Than We Can Tell, Brigid masterfully reveals him in a kaleidoscope of unexpected colors. 
 
He struggles with distrust and yet yearns for a true connection. And like the other characters – both new and familiar – their inner battles are waged with a resilience far beyond their years.
 
There’s still no shortage of moments that will make you swoon and then blink back the tears. And in the end, it’s a harrowing journey that you’ll be more than thankful to experience…

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