I would qualify this as more of a spin-off than a direct sequel. It can be read without actually reading Letters to the Lost and you still get the full story. That said, the full story is a lot. At time it can be too much.

Rev and Emma both have very complex personal lives. There is never a dull moment in this book. Emma is being sexually harassed by an unknown player named N1ghtmare, her parents are fighting and her relationship with her best friend is falling apart. Rev is struggling to deal with the reappearance of his abusive father, his new foster brother, and his best friend’s situation. If this sounds like a lot of conflict for one book - you’re right.

While every second was interesting because there are two POVs and so many subplots almost nothing is solved in a satisfying way. The romance feels strangled by all the excess plots, it struggles to breath and becomes extremely serious over a week. Everything happens in a week. Every time I remembered how little time has passed I was shocked. So many bad and life changing things occur, and also they fall in love?

The relationship develops through several weird Q&A sessions. Neither Rev or Emma are really in a good place to start something right now to be honest. They’re both dealing with so much emotional trauma that it’s weird romance is even on their minds. It’s almost like Kemmerer couldn’t quite decide on what subplots she wanted and just shoved them all in. They overshadow the romance and each other.

The plot with Declan’s dad seems unnecessary, it doesn’t take too much time but this isn’t his story. Matthew or Rev’s Father could have been good conflict but together it’s a lot to handle. Emma’s parents would have been enough without N1ghtmare and then also Ethan clouding the picture. It’s hard to imagine a worse week. Her life suddenly turned into an avalanche of terrible for some reason.

It was an exciting read, that’s certain, but I just feel lost now that it’s over. So much happened that I didn’t really get to know Rev or Emma outside terrible events. Who are they normally? I really don’t think their love can last when it was built on such frail legs. I’m also a little tired of “the internet is dangerous” subplot. It’s as tired as afterschool specials about doing crack. It feels dramatic and preachy.

If you were head over heels for Letters to the Lost, then you’ll adore this book. You get to spend more time with old characters and meet some new ones. If you were so-so on the book, or just looking at this on its own its a bit overwhelming.

MORE THAN WE CAN TELL gives nothing short of a rollercoaster of emotions! I laughed, cried, smiled, and cried again. It's perfect for fans of Eliza and her monsters & fans of Brigid's earlier works. Rev captured my heart in Letters to the Lost and I fell for him even more as I read. The issues touched upon are hard hitting and incredibly relevant. I can't wait to push this book on everyone I know!