Once Was Lost By: Sara Zarr

Title: Once Was Lost

Author: Sara Zarr

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: 217

Release Date: October 1, 2009

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Geared Towards: Teens

From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"And I know what she means, what she's trying to get across. That a thing like this changes the way you think about everything and everyone, and you can never go back." (P. 102)

Summary (From B.O.B): When your father's a pastor, it's hard not to buy into the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reasons to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI, and her father seems more interested in his congregation than in his family. When a young girl in her small town goes missing, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

Wdebo's Review: When I first started the novel I was skeptical, though the writing wasn't horrible, it was still not the best I have ever read. At first, it felt average and forgettable, but after a while the writing soon began to pick up speed and soon became very addicting.

The writing was simple which worked for the novel. I also enjoyed how Sara Zarr was able to thread all of these different stories into one full novel. Everyone has their own pains and they are all wonderfully written together. However, I think Daniel's part of the story was too much, I think it was just added in there and just kind of thrown away towards the end, there did not seem to be much of a statisfying end to that part of the story. I enjoyed how though it did talk about God and the messages that God is trying to send us, that there is not a heavyly written about, that it is there but not shoved into your face.

Sam complains about not wanting to leave her "home" and move away, I can understand that feeling but she is very adament against it, I wished that Sara Zarr could have exapndded on that idea so that I could have sympathized more with her wish.

I felt that the characters were also very well defined, each had their own personality that was distinct to themselves.

Cafe Cover Chat: I love this cover, so simple and gorgeous. (A-)

All in all, a great story for those who are trying to understand kind of what life is trying to tell us.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)