Shelley Hrdlitschka

Lost Boy by Shelley Hrdlitschka is a unique read that will take you away to a whole new culture.

I was unsure how I would feel about this book, and honestly I'm still a little confused. Jon left a polygamous community to try to find a life of his own. He doesn't believe in the ways that community follows and desperately wants the girl he loves to come with him. When he escapes and she doesn't, things go south. He tries to learn and grow, but his heart hurts. To top it off, she marries a man that Jon doesn't approve of. Not. One. Bit. Life is hard for Jon, but he learns more about himself and his values along the way.

This is going to be a niche book for sure. It's so weird, because while I'm not one hundred percent happy with how it ended I was enjoying the book all the way through. I had hoped the ending would have a little more to it, since the book felt like it just decided to stop randomly. I wanted more of Jon becoming an adult and coming of age. I wanted to see the bildungsroman for Jon SO BAD. But, this book fell a little flat. Yet, it's still quite the interesting read and is great for people seeking something contemporary yet easy to read.

Lost Boy feels like a YA contemporary novel trying to tackle some tough subjects. There are some horny boy moments and there is some goofy drama in there. But, what more can you expect when you're following a teenaged boy? It felt like the male bildungsroman, but it just needed a little bit more.

I am impressed by this book though. It kept my attention! This book is not my normal read, so that's a big plus for it. I do recommend this book, but you need to enjoy soft, slow reads to appreciate it.

Three out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.… (more)