First Impressions: I gushed over the synopsis of Lost Girls when I first read it. A bunch of girls stranded on a forbidden foreign island during times of war? Where can I sign up? The funny thing is, it reminded me of Lord of the Flies and I absolutely hate that book. I don't know if it was the style of the writing, the fact that all of the characters in LOTF were male and I couldn't connect, or if my evil 10th grade English teacher scarred me for life. I'm leaning towards the last excuse, because that lady was a demon in sheep's clothing, I swear. In any case, even though I hated LOTF, I found the synopsis of Lost Girls captivating. I loved Beauty Queens by Libba Bray and the T.V. show Lost and Gilligan's Island, so I know I like this sort of thing. And just look at the cover! Whoever came up with that did a really nice job catching my attention.
First 50 Pages: I immediately really liked the setting of the story. Lost Girls takes place during the Vietnam War, but there weren't too many references back to that time period. I almost wished that the author would have included more of that era into this book because this book could almost be read as a contemporary. I also liked the fact that the story is based on a true event. One thing I will say that I didn't like is that the book synopsis gives far too much away. When one of the characters dies right in the beginning of the story, it didn't affect me at all because I knew that it was coming because the synopsis told me so. I did however, like the way that the book was written. The story is told in the form of journal entries, which is always a hit or miss. With this book, it somehow works and I liked gaining a perspective into the mind of the main protagonist. It was different and I enjoyed it.
Characters & Plot: The plot of this book is straight-forward and easy to follow. It's definitely an adventure story, has lots of action, characters are killed off, characters are drunk, some characters are strong, some are just plain silly, and I loved it. I will say that I think that this book is more geared towards a younger teen. It just doesn't have the depth of other books that are similar to it. Even though characters die and throw hissy fits and start to behave badly, it still felt very PG.
Lost Girls is told from Bonnie's perspective, one of the Amelia Earhart Cadets that were on their way to a camping trip, but unfortunately, they didn't end up where they were supposed to go. They do have an adult with them, Layla Campbell, who basically is useless and is the person responsible for getting the girls into a very dire situation. On the first day, everything is all fun and games, but everything quickly changes when a horrible storm arrives and takes the life of one of the girls. When their boatman doesn't come back to pick them up, things start to get serious. The girls have no supplies, varying survival skills, and Layla is more inclined to get drunk rather than take care of everyone. So much for a responsible adult. Bonnie might as well be the person in charge.
Bonnie was an awesome female protagonist and I felt bad for her through most of the book. She isn't popular, but she is a take-charge kind of gal. As the story progresses and Layla falls apart even more, Bonnie has to pick up the slack. She is a pretty normal teen, but can come across as bossy (understandably), but she is likable and I enjoyed her as the narrator. Luckily Bonnie has Jas to help her out and they try to get all of the girls home safely, but that proofs to be a difficult task indeed. It's a constant fight for survival on an island that is unforgiving.
Final Thoughts: Even though this novel is meant for younger teens, the author doesn't shy away from death or you know, female problems on a deserted island. Like what do you do when you have your period and there isn't a convenience store about? The story includes a lot of really good survival tips as well, just in case you ever find yourself in an unlucky situation. Overall, I really liked this book, much more than I did The Lord of the Flies. I would definitely give it a recommendation to anyone who enjoys adventure stories, or for fans of Beauty Queens or Lost.
