Let's Get LostAuthor: Adi Alsaid
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 352 pages
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
From Goodreads:
Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.
Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.
There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.
Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.
Review:
I enjoyed this book and here's why:
1. Road trip. Even though I don't like being in a car for long periods of time (I usually fly if it's over a four hour drive), there's just something about road trip books that I love. The whole exploring the country, seeing the sights and taking the time to appreciate them.
2. Unique POVs. It was so different that the story was told from the POVs of the people that Leila meets on her trip to Alaska. It's really five short stories about teenagers going through different things. A guy about to start college, a runaway, a guy in love with his best friend who finally confesses his love, a girl unable to let go of the memory of her high school boyfriend, and finally Leila, who has her own issues she needs to work out. I was very surprised by her back story, by the way.
I did have two issues with the book. One is actually what I liked about the book, the fact that it was told from everyone's POV except for Leila's (although we get her story in the last part). Because of that, I felt disconnected from Leila and I also didn't feel like I got to know the other characters as well since we didn't spend much time with them. The other issue is that the ending is sort of open. What's going to happen between those two? Given where they both are in their lives, it doesn't look like it will work. An epilogue would have been nice.
Let's Get Lost is a beautifully written book about self-discovery, filled with adventure, humor, and hope.
Posted by: Pam
I really enjoyed this book too! I thought the POVs was a unique way to tell the story, but I do agree that it made it hard to connect to Leila. I thought that the romance was way too instalove and honestly, the ending even felt a bit creepy to me. But other than that, I really enjoyed it. Bree was my favorite. :)
ReplyDeleteA lot of people are bothered by these types of open endings but I find myself ok with them. I like the hopefulness and promise of happiness that is untainted by the reality of life haha. (Discussion Question?) And although I didn't form as deep of a connection to any character as I might had if the entire book was from their perspective, I still LOVED the way this was told, and I think it gave them all a bit of mystery and was reminiscent of the people who come in and out of your life but leave a lasting impression! Glad you still enjoyed it :)
ReplyDeleteI liked the way this book sounded when I first discovered but I just don't feel compelled to buy it but I'm glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI requested this one but all the mixed reviews I had seen had actually put me off it. I am still unsure whether I want to give it a try or not. I am intrigued by all the different POVs and how that will work for me. Great review :)
ReplyDeleteUgh, open ending? Yeah, I don't like those. This one grabbed my attention but I've seen such mixed things on it so I'm not sure if I'll be picking it up. Great review!
ReplyDeleteWhile I have this for review, I haven't read it yet. I read the first few pages, and was turned off by the manicpixiedreamgirl vibe I was getting. On the other hand, I love both road trips and multiple POVs, so maybe I should give this another look. I'm usually ok with open endings, so that wouldn't bother me...I don't think. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI love road trip books! But I'm a little hesitant with the 5 different story line set up. The open ending isn't that appealing either. But this sounds like a light, fun book and maybe I'll pick it up one day.
ReplyDeleteI liked the writing in this one more than the actually story, if that makes sense. I really like the technical aspects of it, but I don't think that I was captivated by the story. I like how Alsaid did what he did, not necessarily, what he did. I wasn't blown away by the characters or their stories.
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