Customer Reviews

The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World.

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Reviewing this book and deciding how many stars to give it was difficult. I was torn between reviewing the actual book and the threesome's journey. The idea of abandoning successful lives and embarking on a year long expedition around the globe is without a doubt 5-star worthy. I'm jealous that they had the guts to take the leap, to be honest. The actual book itself, though, fell a little flat.

What Kept Me Reading
- The book changes locales often, providing the reader with the ability to see places all over the world that are off the beaten track. If I was thinking about doing this sort of trip these probably wouldn't necessarily be the places I'd think of visiting, but it was a nice tour.
- I appreciated how the narration was done- it divided the book up well (this is actually a downfall too... see below).
- The girls are honest about burn-out and conflicting emotions about the people, places, and jobs they left back home.

Not Quite Good Enough
- The writing style really annoyed me, especially when they laid it on thick. I know it's a travel log and they want to be descriptive, but the authors frequently over did it (along the lines of, "I sipped my steaming, bitter, hot coffee from the shiny white plastic top that had been tightly placed on top of the thick cardboard cup by the boyish barista who was wearing a bright green apron with dark stains on the front." This isn't actually in the book, but you can see there is some major adjective overkill).
- The three girls each tell their different stories, but, honestly, they really don't have their own narrative personalities. Yeah, they have different back-stories and a few personality quirks, but I'd often have to look at the bottom of the page to remember whose section I was reading.
- There's nothing in the book that is truly, truly exciting. They have adventurous spirits, obviously, but I everything was just portrayed in a very-low key way that was a bit disappointing. I didn't always feel the enthusiasm that I am sure was there.
- There are no pictures! A few black and white ones of their favorite places would have been nice, at least.

Again, I really admire these three women. They are brave, strong, resourceful, and extremely adept to new situations. I think one issue too is that they are used to writing blogs and articles- a 500+ page book is an entirely different beast.

This memoir is wonderful: Funny, smart, honest and perfectly captures that odd time in life when you're no longer an adolescent, but still wobbling into adulthood. The point where choices seem endless, where responsibilities are minimal, and where you're fully aware that one step can suddenly take you on a journey you never thought you were capable of achieving.

Holly, Amanda, and Jen were twentysomething, single women in New York City, trying to juggle romance, careers, friendships, and keeping up with paying rent when they decide to go on a trip of a lifetime: An around-the-world adventure together. The three plan profusely, cobble up funds, quit their jobs (or, in one case, are fired from a job) and take off. Along the way, they discover things about themselves, the world, and that who they want to be when they "grow up" just may be who they are right now?

I definitely need to emphasize that this is NOT a memoir simply about an amazing trip. Instead, the three women are smart writers, incredibly resourceful (they developed a budget--without financial help from family--that seemed reasonable and doable on a just-past entry level salary) and funny. They don't take themselves too seriously, and don't strive for an Eat, Pray, Love style transformation. Instead, they notice and indulge in the tiny details of living--sneaking chocolate into an ashram, having a fling with a fellow hostel-visitor, trying to smooth over the awkward friendship issues that can come up when three girls spend 24/7 together--and emerge as 3-dimensional characters who you feel privileged to get to know through the pages (and jealous that you didn't come along, too!)

The three have set up an awesome website to complement the book and to encourage readers to embark on their own adventures, and that sense of resourceful, "if we can do it, you can do!" pervades the book. That may be one of the absolute best parts: They're so encouraging and friendly and honest on the page, you really catch their enthusiasm and the travel bug. And don't be intimidated by the number of pages--it's a fast, addicting read that's perfect for the beach or the pool. The thing is, you really do feel like you're hearing these stories from your best friends--and I really hope they go on another adventure so they can write another book.

Finally, not only does it explore what travel means, it also really looks at the awkward, conflicting, yearning emotions of being in your twenties and how sometimes there are breathtaking highs and dizzying lows. Ultimately, it's a celebration of youth, a modern-girls On the Road, a fun, fearless read that's perfect for any young adult about to embark on her (or his--there's a lot of insight into the female mind, gentleman!) adventure.

Our book club very much enjoyed reading this travel memoir. I was surprised and pleased by the enthusiastic reactions and comments of our late-50s to early-60s members. While the book is geared toward twenty-thirty year olds, it should by no means be overlooked by those of us who are older. I found it interesting that these girls didn't take the trip with any "agenda" in mind - changing the world, writing the great American novel, etc. They simply love to travel and are willing to make it a priority in their lives. They are risk-takers who are open to meeting all kinds of people, and willing to work hard to make things happen for themselves and for others. I found it a fun book to read and hard to put down at times. I certainly hope readers of all ages, but especially young women, will find courage from the adventures in this book to begin to follow their own dreams.

After reading The Lost Girls, I am more convinced than ever that a round the world trip is in my future! They made it sound every bit as adventurous and worthwhile as I imagine. While it's not a how-to guide by any means, it does offer some fantastic tips and ideas on how you could make a trip like this a reality for yourself. Kudos to the Lost Girls!

Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett and Amanda Pressner's THE LOST GIRLS is a travel memoir about friendship, acceptance, culture and life on the road -- and though it's non-fiction, it reads like a fun novel. Through the pages of this 500-page tome, we dance with locals in Brazil, assist nurses and the sick in Kenya, study yoga in India and so, so much more. It's a lengthy book but a worthwhile read, and one that had me eager to collect a few more stamps on my passport.

The memoir is told in chapters alternating between Jen, Holly and Amanda's points of view and, as a reader, I thought this worked well; we get to hear everyone's side of the story. At times I struggled to distinguish between each narrator's voice, though I think that's a testament to their similar writing talents and friendship; though their opinions of each place differed, their presentation was largely the same. I felt like the alternating chapters gave us a good impression of each place, though, and I felt like I'd gone on the journey as well.

My favorite chapter dealt with Amanda, Jen and Holly's time in Kenya, where they volunteered with a nonprofit and worked with young women living at a nearby boarding school and given the chance for a real education. The students' fascination with Western women and American culture was eye-opening, and I loved the scene where the authors are able to share music through their iPods with the girls or actually watch a movie -- something the Kenyan girls had never experienced. Simple things we take for granted. Simple concepts that are anything but simple elsewhere in the world.

Don't be too discouraged by its girth -- despite the size of THE LOST GIRLS, this travel memoir is very readable, interesting and compelling . . . especially to twenty-somethings with a taste for the open road and desire to think about what comes "next."

For anyone who has ever felt there was more to life than a cubicle... For anyone who has ever wanted to just go... This is the book for you! Jen, Holly and Amanda write with a sense of fun, sassiness and adventure that is truly infectious! From page one I was hooked and by the end of the book I was counting change in my piggy bank to see how long I would need to save to go on my own RTW trip. I really loved the way the Lost Girls integrated their reasons for wanting to be "lost" as well as reactions by family and friends and most importantly, the emotional highs and lows of travel. I appreciated that they kept their story real and didn't just write about the good times but about the challenges and struggles as well. Overall I give this a huge thumbs up and will be recommending to all my friends!

The book was entertaining, but let's just say I'm glad I borrowed it instead of spending money on it. I wanted to read it to hear about the different destinations, and in this I was not disappointed. I enjoyed reading about the Inca Trail, Kenya, and Cambodia, to name a few places. I did not, however, enjoy reading endless chapters about boyfriend troubles. Maybe it's because I'm a guy, but I felt these sections could have been pared down considerably.

In addition, the writing is mediocre at best. All three girls need to learn how to sort the relevant details from the irrelevant, incorporate better dialogue, and use onomatopoeia in a way that does not sound like a 4th grade writing exercise.

I also take issue with their style of travel. They flit from one hostel to the next, rarely doing more than skimming the surface of a place and describing people beyond taxi drivers, restaurateurs, and their fellow backpackers. While they may have a fun story to tell the grandkids someday, I don't know that it is worthy of publishing into a 500+ page book, and I definitely hate that it is sold in Barnes and Noble in the same section as Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux, Ian Frazier and others.

What I do admire is that their book may inspire other regular people to plan and take a life-altering trip. More people need to realize that travel is easier than you think, and if you don't take that trip now, then when?

I was a little daunted when I saw the size of this book, but it was an unbelievably quick read. The honest stories about the adventures these women had and the thoughts going through their minds was refreshing. I really admired their desire to see some of the most famed sites in the world and to help people along the way, but the book isn't without faults. Following your heart is a courageous thing to do, but going into massive credit card debt to do it may not be the best way. Parts of the book also felt like an advertisement (like when they mentioned the travel agency they bought their airline tickets from by name twice, including the city that the company is based out of). Also, there were a lot of names and places and it got a little confusing at times. Sometimes they would refer back to something that had happened and I couldn't remember reading about that at all. Overall, this wasn't so much a book about adventures but a book about discovering who you really are and being true to yourself, not trying to fit into the mold of what society wants you to be. The Lost Girls learned to get rid of the monkeys on their backs (figuratively, and literally) and their story is an important lesson in being honest with yourself and appreciating what you have in life.

I so enjoyed The Lost Girls that at the book's end, my selfish desire was that if the three adventurers had to prolong being lost to continue their tale . . . I wanted them never to be found.

I enjoyed this book from the minute I started reading it until the very last page. I was questioning if it would hold my interest for 500+ pages but it did. The details about each place they visited are vivid and fun to read.