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Once Was Lost [Hardcover]

Sara Zarr
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)

List Price: $16.99
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Book Description

October 1, 2009
Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, 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 reason 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.

In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed---about God, about your family, about yourself---is transformed.

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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* It’s the end of a long, hot summer, and nothing is right. Samara’s mother is in rehab, her father, a popular pastor in their small town, is always busy, too busy for Sam anyway, and then something shocking happens. Jody, a 13-year-old girl, a member of their church, disappears. As the days drag on, Sam finds herself drawing away from her friends and her father, who has a secret she easily guesses, and instead spending time with Nick, Jody’s brother, who may or may not be a suspect in the disappearance. Zarr sets a hard task for herself here: interweaving a number of strong story strands and giving them equal weight, even as she tightens the whole with questions about faith and God. While her relationship with Nick does not always seem quite credible, everything else comes together as an impressive whole. Sharply delineated characters and an uncomfortable atmosphere that’s more than just the heat add to the story’s depth. Grades 8-10. --Ilene Cooper

Review

Praise for Once Was Lost
"Zarr sets a hard task for herself here: interweaving a number of strong story strands and giving them equal weight...add to the story's depth." (starred review) (Booklist )

Praise for Once Was Lost
"Beyond delivering a gripping story, Zarr has a knack for exposing human weakness in the ordinary." (starred review) (Publishers Weekly )

Praise for Once Was Lost
"Riveting." (starred review) (Kirkus Reviews ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Age Range: 12 and up
  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (October 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316036048
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316036047
  • Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,017,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sara Zarr is the acclaimed author of five novels for young adults, including The Lucy Variations, to be published in May 2013. She's a National Book Award finalist and two-time Utah Book Award winner. Her books have been variously named to annual best books lists of the American Library Association, Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, the Guardian, the International Reading Association, the New York Public Library and Los Angeles Public Library, and have been translated into many languages. In 2010, she served as a judge for the National Book Award. She has written essays and creative nonfiction for Image, Hunger Mountain online, and Response as well as for several anthologies, and has been a regular contributor to Image's daily Good Letters blog on faith, life, and culture. As of summer 2013, she's a member of the faculty of Lesley University's Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. Born in Cleveland and raised in San Francisco, she currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, and online at www.sarazarr.com.

Customer Reviews

Sara Zarr weaves a story with believable and sympathetic characters. AmazonLover  |  16 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Believer or not, this book is excellent August 20, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
As a pastor's kid, Samara Taylor is supposed to have a good relationship with God and an unshakable faith. But a lot of things in her life have made Sam a doubter. With her alcoholic mom in rehab after a DUI and her father more concerned with his congregation and appearances, Sam can't help but feel as if God doesn't exist. And that feeling is only compounded when a local girl is kidnapped, turning her whole community upside down.

Once Was Lost is a blunt novel of faith and what happens when everything you believed in is changed irrevocably. Sam is a very convincing and relatable character that readers will be able to connect with on any level, especially as her doubt about her beliefs is something that nearly ever person has confronted at least once in their lifetime. She brings up issues that some people may not think about, like not being included with friends because of her beliefs and who her father is. Zarr also does an excellent job at portraying the tense setting as the whole town deals with the kidnapping and fear begins to control others and accusations are slung left and right.

The best thing about Once Was Lost though is that it doesn't concentrate on the all of the things that go wrong, like the kidnapping, Sam's mother's DUI, or inappropriate relationships, but rather examines its affect on Sam and her faith. Once Was Lost isn't a hugely dramatic novel full of twists and turns, but it is a gripping, sometimes heartbreaking look at how ordinary people learn to deal with a less than perfect world. Zarr's latest book is an excellent, non-preachy look at faith and religion that any reader, believer or not, can enjoy.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of ChickLovesLit . com February 6, 2011
Format:Paperback
I had not read any Sara Zarr prior to Once Was Lost, but I certainly want to now.

I love a great contemporary book, and that's exactly was this was. The characters were real, the problems were gritty, and the struggle with faith was very well portrayed. The entire book was so realistic and flowed so well that I had no problem finishing it in a day.

I guess I'm not even really sure what to say about Once Was Lost. The title fits perfectly, Sam's struggles are not forced and her solutions aren't, either. The ending isn't abrupt nor something you're necessarily expecting, and I was completely satisfied as I turned the last page.

Book Cover: 5/5
Book Title: 5/5
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 9/10

Overall: 45/50
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read March 25, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
This is a well written look into the life of a teenage girl, who happens to be a pastor's daughter. The author does a great job letting us into the main character's world- the pain of having to appear perfect, the financial pressure that comes from having your money come from parishoners, and the stress of family life.
Having grown beyond the angst of the teen years, I wasn't sure I was up for a novel about the drama of growing up- but I read the whole thing in one sitting. The plot flowed smoothly, there were no loose ends left over at the end, and the writing was well done. My only complaint is that I wasted so much emotional energy on people who don't really exist, but that happens when you read a good book. Go out and buy this one so you can pass it around when you are done, and don't forget your box of tissues.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars emotional but well done
I have to admit that I wasn't in the mood to read this one. Sometimes you have to be in the mood for something deeper, and when I read this I really wasn't. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Isadore Ann
1.0 out of 5 stars "Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a...
That's what it said on the cover of the book.

What they failed to mention however, was that Samara Taylor will spend the entire book whining about every aspect of her... Read more
Published 18 months ago by S. Shamma
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Starz for Sara Zarr
Once Was Lost is the story of a pastor's daughter named Sam whose father has time for everyone except his family. Her mother is in court-mandated rehab after a DUI. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Deborah Rabern
4.0 out of 5 stars Authentic and Honest Look at Messy Family Life
Sara Zarr has written an honest and authentic story in Once was Lost, about a young girl named Sam who is forced into adulthood earlier than most other teens. Read more
Published 19 months ago by M. Fuller
4.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking but beautiful
First off, I love this cover. It's so depressing and beauiful at the same time, and that's exactly what the actual book is like. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Hannah @ Paperback Treasures
4.0 out of 5 stars An Emotional Sincere Story
Reviewed for MM's by Cynthia-

Once Was Lost was an emotional story that felt very sincere and pulled at my heartstrings and fed my inner teenage angst. Read more
Published on April 25, 2011 by Mundie Moms/Mundie Kids
4.0 out of 5 stars An honest YA novel
"Once Was Lost" tells the story of Sam, a 15-year-old pastor's kid who isn't sure she shares the faith of her community anymore. Read more
Published on April 4, 2011 by reviewsbyerin
5.0 out of 5 stars Once Was Lost
In my world, Sara Zarr is easily compared to Elizabeth Scott. While Zarr doesn't have novels coming out quite as frequently as Scott, she manages to keep me captivated from page... Read more
Published on March 31, 2011 by Chelsie Lacny
4.0 out of 5 stars A book about faith
"Once Was Lost" is a book about faith. About losing it and finding it.

Yes, I know how it sounds. Read more
Published on March 15, 2011 by YA book lover
5.0 out of 5 stars Soul Stirring
Sam Taylor is a pastor's daughter. She believes she doesn't have any real friends because of this and how they must perceive her. Read more
Published on February 16, 2011 by Carlisle Wheeling
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