How to resolve AdBlock issue?
X
Review Detail
We Are Lost and Found
Featured
Young Adult Fiction
1037
compelling and original coming-of-age story
Overall rating
4.3
Plot
4.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
4.0
WE ARE LOST AND FOUND is a profound historical fiction read that takes place in the early 1980s NYC. Michael is kind of wandering through life, trying not too make too much of a stir. His brother came out when Michael was 12 and their parents immediately kicked him out of the house. Michael is afraid that this fate is inevitable, as he is also gay.
He spends his time with his two BFFs, who seem to shine in ways that he feels that he cannot. As he is participating in the gay scene on the periphery, going to dance clubs, he is hearing about AIDS and the lack of knowledge around it that leads to a lot of fear. Michael isn't sure how much he should let the fear of it into his life. Then, he meets Gabriel, who also impossibly seems interested in him, and Michael has so many feelings, fears and hopes.
This was a book that really crept up on me. The beginning seems a bit slow as the reader adjusts to the stream-of-consciousness writing style where conversations are relayed without quotation marks and section breaks lead to a different scene/vignette. As I got further into the book, it really started to blow me away. Michael is so incredibly relatable, and through him, the reader experiences not only the difficulties around coming out and being true to oneself but also the fears and unknowns around AIDS at that time. Particularly in the current pandemic, this is so understandable and tangible - it really breathes life into this time period.
There are a lot of flawed characters doing the best they can, and I actually liked how many anti-heroes there are in the story. Even if the reader may not like a lot of the characters, their motivations and paths become clear and understandable, making them feel so much more genuine. Michael really comes into his own as he seeks to find his own path, and I loved the coming-of-age nature set against the 1980s backdrop.
Overall, WE ARE LOST AND FOUND is a highly compelling and original story about fear, hope, and finding oneself despite it all.
He spends his time with his two BFFs, who seem to shine in ways that he feels that he cannot. As he is participating in the gay scene on the periphery, going to dance clubs, he is hearing about AIDS and the lack of knowledge around it that leads to a lot of fear. Michael isn't sure how much he should let the fear of it into his life. Then, he meets Gabriel, who also impossibly seems interested in him, and Michael has so many feelings, fears and hopes.
This was a book that really crept up on me. The beginning seems a bit slow as the reader adjusts to the stream-of-consciousness writing style where conversations are relayed without quotation marks and section breaks lead to a different scene/vignette. As I got further into the book, it really started to blow me away. Michael is so incredibly relatable, and through him, the reader experiences not only the difficulties around coming out and being true to oneself but also the fears and unknowns around AIDS at that time. Particularly in the current pandemic, this is so understandable and tangible - it really breathes life into this time period.
There are a lot of flawed characters doing the best they can, and I actually liked how many anti-heroes there are in the story. Even if the reader may not like a lot of the characters, their motivations and paths become clear and understandable, making them feel so much more genuine. Michael really comes into his own as he seeks to find his own path, and I loved the coming-of-age nature set against the 1980s backdrop.
Overall, WE ARE LOST AND FOUND is a highly compelling and original story about fear, hope, and finding oneself despite it all.
Comments
Already have an account? Log in now or Create an account
Powered by JReviews
How to resolve AdBlock issue?
X
FEATURED GIVEAWAYS
Giveaway: Golden Dreg Boy Series (D.K. Dailey) ~ (US Only)
Golden Dreg Boy Series (US Only) by: D.K. Dailey Release Date: July 2nd, 2020 Publisher: Tillable Ground Dreams About The Book 2 Prequels: Golden Dreg Boy, Prequel, T...
Posted in News & Updates
Giveaway: The Meanest of Meanies (Kristin Hensley & Jen Smedley) ~ (US Only)
The Meanest of Meanies (US Only) by: Kristin Hensley & Jen Smedley Release Date: March 23rd, 2021 Publisher: Harpercollins About the Book From the beloved New York Times bests...
Posted in News & Updates
Top 5 Things To Love About Chicago! + Win a Copy of The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy (Mary Winn Heider) ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to spotlight The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy by Mary Winn Heider. Read on for more about Mary and her book, an guest post, plus an giveaway! ...
Posted in News & Updates
Author Chat with Mark Crilley (My Last Summer With Cass), Plus Giveaway! ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to chat with Mark Crilley author of My Last Summer With Cass. Read on for more about Mark, his book, plus an giveaway! Meet Mark Cril...
Posted in News & Updates
Spotlight on Bloom (Nicola Skinner), Excerpt, Plus Giveaway! ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to spotlight Bloom by Nicola Skinner. Read on for more about Nicola and her book, an excerpt, plus an giveaway! Meet Nicola Skinner ! ...
Posted in News & Updates
Author Chat with John Peragine (Max and the Spice Thieves), Plus Giveaway! ~ (US/Can Only)
Today we're excited to chat with John Peragine Read on for more about John, his book, plus a giveaway! Meet John Peragine ! John Peragine is ...
Posted in News & Updates
Latest Book Listings Added
Welcome to California! We're glad you're here! Introducing a new...
Let's find out which toys Rosa and her friends are...
Celebrated author and illustrator Henry Cole returns with a page-turning...
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting...
1426, Joseon (Korea). Hwani's family has never been the same...
Latest Member Reviews
"UNCHOSEN is a fantastic and completely captivating YA apocalyptic fantasy, filled with feminism, friendship, sisterhood, and romance. Charlotte is the..."
"SOUL OF CINDER is an intriguing conclusion to a dark YA fantasy trilogy. While in the first book we witnessed..."
"When Elodee's world is shaken, she and her family, including her twin sister, Naomi, move to Eventown. At first, Eventown..."
"TEARS OF FROST is an action-packed and dark fantasy sequel to HEART OF THORNS. Whereas we only followed Mia in..."
"HEART OF THORNS is an intriguing YA fantasy that discusses the suppression of women with feminist overtones. Mia has simple..."
"WHAT I LOVED: Haneul "Skye" Shin is talented, fat, and contrary to the max. Her mom tells Skye she..."
"STOLEN FROM THE STUDIO is a fun middle grade mystery with a choose-your-own-adventure plot. Carlos travels with his mother, a..."
"'Thesaurus Has a Secret' by Anya Glazer is a cute story about a dinosaur named Thesaurus. He loves words, but..."
"'TBH: Too Much Drama' by Lisa Greenwald is another one of her creative stories told in text messages, emails, and..."
"HONORS LOST continues the Honors series as Zara, crew, and friends head out on a mission to stop the horrors..."
"Ariel has a difficult home life in her Blue Ridge Mountain home in Virginia. It's not because of economics; her..."
"HONOR BOUND is an electrifying and thrilling YA sci-fi sequel. Zara, Beatriz, and Nadim are on the run from an..."
"HONOR AMONG THIEVES is an engaging YA sci-fi that takes place in a world where humanity has been introduced to..."
"THE DECEIVERS is an action-packed middle grade aci-fi/fantasy that follows the Greystones and their friend Natalie as they work to..."
"THE ARCHER AT DAWN is a fantastic sequel in the THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT trilogy. This second book picks up..."
"After narrowly avoiding disaster in Ultraball, the Miners (coached by Strike) are back for a new season. When the team..."
"Madden is getting used to living with his mother, an Army lieutenant, after having spent a lot of time with..."
"GOGI'S GAMBIT is the second book in the middle grade THE LOST RAINFOREST series. Gogi and his friends were born..."
"NELSON MANDELA is a biographical picture book about Nelson Mandela. The book features a poem to describe the basics of..."
"FEEDBACK There is honestly so much that happened in this book and I’m not quite sure where to start. First,..."