Reviews
Fantastic book but the Common Core discussion questions at the end are a buzz kill. http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...
I am sooo beyond frustrated that I have to retype this whole review (and I don't even remember what I wrote the first time!) because Goodreads doesn't have the decency to save my writing. But fine. Let's Get Lost is a charming novel split into five short stories from the perspectives of five different characters. We follow Leila in her road trip across the country to Alaska, but for the first four short stories, we're seeing her trip progress in the eyes of the people she's impacted on her way. Hudson is a small town mechanic whose only dream is to become a doctor. Until Leila pops into his life asking to fix up her car. After a day of treasure hunting and a night of instalove, he blames her for messing up his dream and future, and she goes on her way. In other words: Hudson was basically the least likable character out of all of them, he rambled on about her physical beauty the whooole time, and I reaaally wish the book didn't start with his perspective. Bree ran away from home after the death of her parents and a betrayal towards her elder sister Alexis. She's all about seizing the day, and when she meets Leila, that's exactly what they do. But when seizing the day goes slightly awry, the two girls need Alexis to bail them out of jail. Bree's not sure how to let Alexis back into her life, but soon she'll realize all she needs to do is forgive and be forgiven. I loved this story (bonus points because it was the most focused on family love over romantic love) and the characters were interesting. Elliot is a hopeless romantic who has his happily ever after all planned out, until his true love Maribel dashes his dreams to the dust with a rejection. When Leila crashes into his life (literally), the two embark on a midnight adventure to reunite Elliot and Maribel. At the end of the night, though, will Elliot find his princess or was he mistaken in believing he was a Prince Charming? I enjoyed this story as well, though I felt like Elliot's character was overdramatized (perhaps I just haven't met all that many romantic boys in my life). I kind of wished the ending was different (view spoiler)[and Maribel didn't end up falling for him (hide spoiler)], because I thought that would be more interesting (for lack of a better word). But it was well written either way. Sonia's boyfriend Sam has been dead, and she's been secretly seeing Jeremiah. How can she really let Jer in if every moment with him feels like a betrayal to Sam? What if her secret is destroying all her relationships? Sonia's mini breakdown leads her to Leila, who is willing to do anything (including more illegal stuff, damn, Leila) to fix Sonia's problems. I thought this story was unique and funny, but at times was all over the place. I felt like the story didn't need some of the details, like the part where they're talking to Mitch. Leila's section is by far the best (except Hudson has to come popping in again. Why oh why?) and I only wish it was longer. For most of Let's Get Lost I felt like Leila was more of a guardian angel than a person. Although it's true, she does have some stereotypical traits: attractive, funny, smart, mysterious, dramatic backstory, seeking her purpose, etc. just because something's overdone doesn't mean it can't be done right! I really enjoyed reading her story and I personally thought it was pretty unique. Though, I could have done without the scattered comments about her missing Hudson. I loved her relationships with the other campers, particularly Dee, and the ending was satisfying (except Hudson). Leila was a likable character and her story was well written. Overall, Let's Get Lost is a great book for, well, when you want to get lost. Though it seems pretty long, it's a surprisingly short and smooth read, and you'll easily get swept away by the quirky characters' individual stories. The characters are for the most part well developed, the writing was nice and simple (with some John Green-esque touches) and overall I'd definitely recommend it!
The story of Leila was unexpected but other than that, the rest was a dud. I was able to get through it in a day but it was a drag, to be honest. Whenever I finish reading a book, I always look forward to THAT feeling (if you know what I mean) and I didn't feel anything after reading this, except that it made me want to go on a road trip. Meh.
I was worried that this was going to have this Paper Towns feel. But it didn't really remind me of Paper Towns. This felt more hopeful and made me feel more happy. It was so interesting to see Leila meet these different people on her way to see the lights in Antarctica. I like how it didn't focus on each character too much and Leila still had a sense of mystery despite feeling so normal and generous. I might not have liked Sonia's story as much as I liked the others. But it was still interesting.
Stopped at around 16% there were just so many things annoying me already, to Insta-lovey for me.... It was so unrealistic. I can't carry on. Might pick up again someday but will have a break for a while.
I enjoyed it but not as much as Paper Towns by John Green.
I really liked this book as an easy read when I didn't have tons of time to just sit down and read. it is one of those not to in depth books but in a good way. Even though it has a good amount of detail you don't need to focus much while reading it. I'm glad I chose this book because I knew that I would have limited reading time and I didn't want to be confused about what was happening every time I picked it up. The book ends well but I had that feeling like something was missing. Overall, a fun read, with great characters and good plot.
Really really enjoyed this, but a lot of the events seemed really unrealistic, especially for a contemporary novel.
I had a lot of problems with this book. This book probably would have been a 2.5-2.75 if I didn't really enjoy the last chapter. The first chapter had insta-love, the second chapter had shoplifting, which I REALLY don't believe is right, the third chapter had an unrealistic storyplot, and the 4th chapter had an annoying character that I really couldn't understand. The idea of this book was soo amazing, but it just couldn't follow through.
Read my full review on the Shannon A. Jade Books blog! My 'Let's Get Lost' Top 3: - 5 cleverly linked stories - Roadtrip! - Excellent character development
“It was time to let go of the mad desire to remember. It was time to start living whatever life would come. In the present, not the past.” “Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost. ” That opening line of the synopsis was all I had to read to know I would be reading this book. Maybe that that mostly because of my obsession with road trip books. Either way, I knew I was going to be reading this book. When I listened to a sample of the audiobook, I was sure that was the way I would be reading this book. A good narrator can make a break a book. In this case, she brought this story completely to life. Let’s Get Lost revolves around Leila, who is on a road trip and meets four different strangers along the way. The story is uniquely told through the POV’s of these four characters, rather than Leila’s. I really enjoyed how we got to know Leila through these other characters, rather than through her own voice. It brought another level to this story that we wouldn’t have received if reading only Leila’s words. First Leila meets Hudson, then Bree, thirdly Elliot, and finally Sonia. Each character is battling something in their lives. Each part of the book presents us with a character who Leila meets along her road trip, picks up, and the two work through their difficulties together, both learning something from the experience. Leila helps each one of these characters, and at the same time learns so much to better herself in the process. I’m a huge wimp and could never even fathom the idea of picking up a hitchhiker or bumping into a stranger and taking them under my wing so quickly and easily. I thought at first that this concept would be hard for me to grasp. But Leila’s character is such that I found it warm and impressive, rather than unrealistic as I had originally feared. “People go entire lives without figuring out exactly what they want from life. You already have it, and the future you and your dad have planned out for you in going to take it away from you.” Let’s Get Lost was more than I had hoped it would be. A true road trip journey, full of character growth, lessons, and emotional scenes. I really enjoyed this book, and I can wholeheartedly say that I think many others will as well. With likeable and entertaining characters, a smooth, easy story line, and tons of road trip drama to keep you happy, this book is sure to please. If you enjoy a good road trip book with lessons to learn along the way, this book is for you! Audiobook Impressions: Amanda Cobb did a fantastic job narrating this book. With way this story progresses and the amount of different people we meet along this road trip, having a bad narrator could really confuse this book. Amanda did a wonderful job of performing each character differently so they each came to life and were their own unique character. It was perfect! (Thanks to Harlequin Teen for the review copy!) Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
