lots of feels.

We live in a world where it's not that uncommon to establish friendships without ever meeting. I follow blogs of women around the country that I am positive would be my best friends if we lived in the same area. Social media allows us to get to know people fast. But author Leah Thomas takes us back to the days of pen pals and letter writing in her debut YA novel, Because You'll Never Meet Me.

The entire novel is made up of letters between two boys, Oliver and Mortiz. Ollie is allergic to electricity. He lives in a secluded cabin in the woods because he literally cannot be around it. No cell phones, computers, no Facebook. Ollie's doctor recommended a pen pal relationship with a German teenager, Mortiz who has a pacemaker, among other ailments. They are both lonely, secluded from society in their own ways. And the boys can never actually meet, even if they wanted to. or they could both die. Sounds a little outlandish, but bare with me because this is such a soul-baring remarkable story.