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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Well I started this around midnight and stayed up until 4 a.m. finishing it (against my better judgement), so I guess you could say it's good. It's one of those tightly-knit narratives that reads really well and just sucks you into her world. I think the first person perspective worked really well because I felt just as confused and hurt and angry as she did with lack of information etc. I think it's an interesting tale of faith and doubt. I'm not sure the author is a Christian, but the church setting and Pastor's Kid characterization worked really well for me. I know what it's like to have those doubts and be afraid to vocalize them to anyone. All in all, I really liked this book.
Floating somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for this one. I liked it, but didn't love it.
Summary: Samara is a preacher's kid whose mother is in rehab and whose father is available to help everyone but her. When a teenage member of the congregation is kidnapped, Sam is confronted by her doubts about God, her family, and herself.
I thought this was an interesting concept and I like to read YA books that deal with faith as that doesn't seem to show up very often. This does lead to long passages with Sam just thinking and sometimes those were boring. I identified with some of her thinking about families (such as having a sibling helps because you have someone who understands the weirdness of your family-she's an only child but I'm not so I totally got this; how "losing" one member of the family throws things out of whack-her mom's in rehab and will come back but for now is lost).
The feelings of just wanting to be left alone and wanting to have an honest conversation with your parents are also eloquently expressed. I imagine most teenagers could identify with those feelings as well as her uncertainties about self.
Overall: 4/5 for a solid story although not as gripping as other books I've read
I thought this was an interesting concept and I like to read YA books that deal with faith as that doesn't seem to show up very often. This does lead to long passages with Sam just thinking and sometimes those were boring. I identified with some of her thinking about families (such as having a sibling helps because you have someone who understands the weirdness of your family-she's an only child but I'm not so I totally got this; how "losing" one member of the family throws things out of whack-her mom's in rehab and will come back but for now is lost).
The feelings of just wanting to be left alone and wanting to have an honest conversation with your parents are also eloquently expressed. I imagine most teenagers could identify with those feelings as well as her uncertainties about self.
Overall: 4/5 for a solid story although not as gripping as other books I've read
Sara Zarr is an absolute genius. I've only read two of her novels so far, and already she's impressed me with her writing style and the beautifully written voices in her stories. There's so much that she packs into these slim little books that I can hardly believe it.
I bought Once Was Lost after I read and loved Sweethearts earlier in the year. I don't often seek out books that deal with religion or faith, but in the hand of Sara Zarr, I think anything can be possible. Once Was Lost is such an interesting story of faith. Faith that has been shaken on a personal level with the breakdown and dysfunction in one's family but also a shaken faith and belief in the goodness of people in a time of tragedy in a small community.
I really love Sam as the main character of this book. People seem to make a lot of assumptions about the perfection of Sam and her family because Sam's father is a pastor. And it just isn't true. Especially not now, when Sam's mother has been checked into a rehab centre after a DUI. And Sam's father's concentration is less on his family and more on his congregation. Sam feels a bit lost and begins questioning herself and also her faith, especially after her town is rocked by the kidnapping of a young girl.
I love that this story is told in a very gentle manner. And while dealing with some really difficult things, this story is mostly Sam's transformation. She begins as this misunderstood and rather lonely young girl and as the story progresses, she becomes to realise things about herself and her family and her community. It's really well done and I can heartily recommend this book to absolutely everyone.
Once Was Lost made me think and it made me feel. Sara Zarr is an incredible storyteller, don't miss out.
I bought Once Was Lost after I read and loved Sweethearts earlier in the year. I don't often seek out books that deal with religion or faith, but in the hand of Sara Zarr, I think anything can be possible. Once Was Lost is such an interesting story of faith. Faith that has been shaken on a personal level with the breakdown and dysfunction in one's family but also a shaken faith and belief in the goodness of people in a time of tragedy in a small community.
I really love Sam as the main character of this book. People seem to make a lot of assumptions about the perfection of Sam and her family because Sam's father is a pastor. And it just isn't true. Especially not now, when Sam's mother has been checked into a rehab centre after a DUI. And Sam's father's concentration is less on his family and more on his congregation. Sam feels a bit lost and begins questioning herself and also her faith, especially after her town is rocked by the kidnapping of a young girl.
I love that this story is told in a very gentle manner. And while dealing with some really difficult things, this story is mostly Sam's transformation. She begins as this misunderstood and rather lonely young girl and as the story progresses, she becomes to realise things about herself and her family and her community. It's really well done and I can heartily recommend this book to absolutely everyone.
Once Was Lost made me think and it made me feel. Sara Zarr is an incredible storyteller, don't miss out.
I'm a big fan of Sara Zarr. I really like STORY OF A GIRL, but I just didn't connect to this one.
I never got to finish this...the library wanted it back :/
Sara Zarr is just my kind of writer. I love that she engages real problems and is okay with life being a little bit messy.
This isn't a Christian fiction book, and it did have some cursing, but it's about a girl searching for her faith in a difficult time. She's questioning everything she thought she knew... I liked her story, even if there were some parts I questioned.
BN.com: Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things.
When your father's a pastor, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reasons to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.
Can I just say how glad I am that I'm Catholic and, therefore, can in NO way be a preacher's daughter? Just sayin. I swear, every turn Sam's dad made regarding his parenting of her, made me want to physically jump into the book and snuff him. No email? REALLY? She's part of a youth group, goes to church, and volunteers. She's a good kid. Doesn't that warrant SOME privacy?
So when the little girl gets nabbed leading the police to see her older brother is a suspect and Sam develops and interest in him, my initial reaction was HA! That's what happens when you try to clip someone's wings. They rebel and try to fly anyway. But can you blame them? Who wants to walk when they know they can fly?
When your father's a pastor, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reasons to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.
Can I just say how glad I am that I'm Catholic and, therefore, can in NO way be a preacher's daughter? Just sayin. I swear, every turn Sam's dad made regarding his parenting of her, made me want to physically jump into the book and snuff him. No email? REALLY? She's part of a youth group, goes to church, and volunteers. She's a good kid. Doesn't that warrant SOME privacy?
So when the little girl gets nabbed leading the police to see her older brother is a suspect and Sam develops and interest in him, my initial reaction was HA! That's what happens when you try to clip someone's wings. They rebel and try to fly anyway. But can you blame them? Who wants to walk when they know they can fly?