The Lost-Sarah Beth Durst

The Lost Sarah Beth Durst Mira, May 27 2014, $14.95 ISBN 9780778317111 Lauren Chase fears the pending results of her mom’s medical tests; so instead of heading to work she just keeps on driving mile after mile. Unsure of which state she is in and after a while without any towns until she reaches Lost, Lauren is forced to stop there due to a horrific dust storm that seems endless. Lauren soon learns the diverse populace share one thing in common; an obsession into finding out what each particularly lost that trapped them here; as this town consists of the forgotten amidst long forgotten items. However, her arrival causes a radical change in the hierarchy when the Missing Man vanishes; as he is the only one who can free a dead or alive person from this village. Thus many of the trapped blame the newcomer for their losing hope of ever going home. The Lost is a wonderful metaphysical parable in which the town and its residents make for a captivating poignant tale. Although the thought-provoking storyline can turn passive with too frequent soliloquies, Lauren’s fears of being lost and alone without her mother evoke reader empathy. Harriet Klausner >