Review – The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Release Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0778317111
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Lost Trilogy
Source: ARC from Amazon Vine
Rating: 4/5 stars
I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. The premise of this book sounded intriguing and it is was an intriguing book. This is the first book in a planned trilogy. The second book, The Missing, is scheduled to release in November 2014 (at least according to the info I found on Goodreads).
When Lauren skips out on life to go on a long car ride she doesn’t really have a destination in mind. All Lauren knows is that she is trying to avoid the news of her mother’s latest medical test. That’s when Lauren arrives in the town of Lost. Lost seems to be a town of abandoned and broken things and people. However when Lauren tries to leave shes finds herself wandering in a massive dust storm and then back in Lost. The residents of Lost tell Lauren that if she ever wants to leave she must figure out what she is missing.
This was a very interesting book about a place where all lost things go and the people who dwell there. I loved the concept it was creative and interesting to read about. The story is about finding out what is important in life and about the things people lose. It has a heavy element of magical realism to it because the town of Lost seems to exist outside of normal reality.
Lauren is in her mid-20’s and she gave up a lot of her artistic dreams to get a job that paid well and would help her take care of her mom. Lauren is floundering a bit with the decisions she’s made and with the current stresses that she is trying to cope with. She takes being trapped in Lost about as well as you can imagine, but better than you might have thought.
I loved the characters Lauren meets in Lost. Especially the young girl Claire and the Finder Peter. Claire is a young girl but she is also old in so many ways. Claire knows how to survive but still hopes like a child. Peter is a fantastic male lead, he is mysterious and amazing. He seems to want the best for Lauren and to help her, but also has his own agenda.
The plot was well done too. You are constantly trying to figure out if Lost is a real place or if it is something outside of time or imagined. I did think that Durst could have taken this story a bit deeper and made it a bit more gritty; but it is what it is.
This is Durst’s first adult book. Although the main character is older I have to say I didn’t notice much difference in tone. It still reads like a young adult book and there really isn’t anything in here content wise that I wouldn’t be comfortable with a young adult reading.
Overall I thought it was intriguing and enjoyed the plot and characters. I thought it was an intriguing concept and I loved the characters and plot. The book is paced well and ends at a good spot (although I am dying to know what happens next). Definitely recommended, but I am not sure what audience to recommend it to…maybe everyone YA and older.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge