The Lovely and the Lost book review

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

SUMMARY
"Kira's earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own, but the remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue.Along with Cady's son Jude, and their neighbor Free.

But when Bales Bennett tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child - one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months - the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected."

Goodreads' link to the book!
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I've read books quite a few books by Barnes (this being the ninth!), some which I've loved (The Naturals) and some I've strongly disliked (Nobody) and multiple that fell somewhere in between (The Squad), so I didn't know what to expect going into this one. Hoping for the best and fearing the worst, I gotta say I really enjoyed it.

And I really hope there's another one coming, because I need more!

Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5

So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 thing I didn't like.

+1 | The writing style and the way as readers we were right there with the characters

+1 | The characters, both of the human and non-human kind, all had such unique personalities

+1 | The pace and flow of the story

+1 | The mystery aspect that kept you guessing. Who's who, what happened and how is this going to end?

+/-0.5 | Unrealistic-ness. Sure it made for a better story, but every once in a while I'd think to myself: really?

Read on lovelies,

S

First Sentences in Books part II

I made a part one a while ago, and wanted to do another one with more!
This time around with ones that aren't exactly my cup of tea, and some variations that are.

—
There are ones that feel like you've read it too many times,
or just tell something vague about the main character,
or just a punch of way too much information,
ones that you feel like didn't say anything at all, or just purely confuse you,
and ones that make you think again about reading the book at all.
—

When I was young, I would often spend the weekend at my grandmother's house.
- Eating Animals bu Foer

As Katie wound her way among the tables, a breeze from the Atlantic rippled through her hair.
-Safe Haven

Today was the day a thousand dreams would die and a single dream would be born.
- Kiss of Deception

She was born Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she did not open her eyes for three days.
- Goose Girl

New Year's Eve fell on a Sunday.
- All In

The sun was raining again.
- Furthermore

- - -

Another interesting thing I've been seeing are variations on the classical first sentence explaining who the main character is, and some are greatly done!

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
- The Cather in the Rye

I ain't never been one to trust beautiful people, and Tarrin of the Hariri was the most beautiful man I ever saw.
- The Assassin's Curse

In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.
- Howl's Moving Castle

Eliza Mirk is the kind of name you give to the creepy girl who clings to her ex-boyfriend for weeks after he's dumped her because she refuses to accept that he hates her guts.
- Eliza and Her Monsters

There is nothing remotely remarkable about the background of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.
- A Brief Guide To JRR Tolkien by Cawthorne

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
- Harry Potter

Read on lovelies.

S