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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*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.
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.
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.
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
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.
