Amanda Block

The Lost Storyteller

A tale about the pain of family secrets, and a father-daughter relationship. Admittedly, it wasn’t quite for me, and the description of the book was somewhat misleading in themes and genres, but I nevertheless finished it- yet would be unlikely to purchase it again.

Compelling writing, and the fairytales scattered throughout gave a sense of childhood whimsy. This in mind, when the father is later found and he struggles to recall writing those fairytales, ascribes them to the rambles of Mania, as a reader you lose some of that sense of whimsy in parallel to how Rebecca (the Main Character) did upon meeting her father. It was an effective choice from the writer, that allowed you to understand at least a part of Rebecca’s feelings.

The writing was good, and I enjoyed the development of a romantic relationship for Rebecca too.

Ultimately, I didn’t enjoy how the father bond was portrayed and was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction from it all, although I acknowledge this is probably at least in part due to personal preference.

It wasn’t a read for me, but overall it was okay.

Lauren

A tale about the pain of family secrets, and a father-daughter relationship. Admittedly, it wasn’t quite for me, and the description of the book was somewhat misleading in themes and genres, but I nevertheless finished it- yet would be unlikely to purchase it again.

Compelling writing, and the fairytales scattered throughout gave a sense of childhood whimsy. This in mind, when the father is later found and he struggles to recall writing those fairytales, ascribes them to the rambles of Mania, as a reader you lose some of that sense of whimsy in parallel to how Rebecca (the Main Character) did upon meeting her father. It was an effective choice from the writer, that allowed you to understand at least a part of Rebecca’s feelings.

The writing was good, and I enjoyed the development of a romantic relationship for Rebecca too.

Ultimately, I didn’t enjoy how the father bond was portrayed and was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction from it all, although I acknowledge this is probably at least in part due to personal preference.

It wasn’t a read for me, but overall it was okay.

Beatrice

I am struggling to find words to express how much I loved this book, even as I write this over a week after finishing it. The Lost Storyteller is easily one of the best books I have read this year so far, and it's almost hard to believe it's only this author's debut! 

This book has everything: a compelling mystery in the search for Leo, Rebecca's father; family secrets; creepy, multilayered fairytales; atmospheric settings; a slow burn romance; and, above all, the strength of human relationships. This book is about Rebecca's search for her father, yes, but it's also about so much more.

As Rebecca embarks on her journey into the past, which takes her across England and Scotland, she takes us readers along a parallel journey. This is a journey of self-discovery, about finding your place in the world and being true to yourself, discovering little by little what are the things that matter the most and going after them. It's a journey of acceptance and, possibly, forgiveness, without shying away from the difficulties and the ugliness that sometimes lie in between.

This, for me, was the true strength of this book: its honest, multilayered depiction of family, love and life, mental health and the battles that are fought just under the surface, unknown to everyone else. The author's beautiful writing style certainly helped, as she perfectly managed to paint a picture with her words, so much so that I could almost see this playing out as a movie (which very, very rarely happens to me). I was completely captivated by this from the beginning right up to the very last page. I loved the delicate yet honest way in which mental health was described, showing the character's persistence and resilience as well as the struggles.

The seven fairytales written by Leo for Rebecca are a brilliant inclusion, and definitely helped this book to become even stronger. These allegorical tales were the perfect blend of creepy and magical while helping to give a clearer picture of Leo's character. Now, I have to admit from reading the summary at first I thought there would be a magical element to this (think The Hazel Wood or Inkheart), but that wasn't the case and I am actually really happy about this, as I think grounding the story in reality made its message even stronger.

The Lost Storyteller was a wonderful surprise since, while I had an inkling I would enjoy it, I never expected to love it as much as I did. I am very much looking forward to Amanda Block's next work.

For more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

The Lost Storyteller

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