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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Believer or not, this book is excellent, August 20, 2009
This review is from: Once Was Lost (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (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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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sara Zarr's newest novel is sure to please!, December 2, 2009
This review is from: Once Was Lost (Hardcover)
Reviewed by Avni Gupta (age 15) for Reader Views (12/09)
When I found out that I was going to be getting "Once Was Lost" by Sara Zarr, I was really excited. I had already read "Sweethearts" by Sara Zarr, and I thought that it was amazing, so I was really, really looking forward to reading "Once Was Lost." As soon as I started reading, I was hooked. Zarr made the plights of Samara, the main character, so realistic, and portrayed so vividly, that I felt as though I was in the book searching along with Samara.
This book starts out with Samara talking about how her mother is in rehab. Samara is still coming to terms with this fact and can't help but feel alone when her father decides that he needs to take on more things while he is the pastor of the church. During this time, a girl at the church goes missing. Her disappearance causes Samara to think about more than where they can find her, like where she can find herself.
This book was really cute to read, and many a times, I found myself relating with Samara because of her feeling like there was no one there for her when she really needed someone. At the end, I was really happy with the progress that Samara made in finding out who she was and what made her the person that she was.
Also, the cover of this book was so adorable! I loved how the cover used a flower for the `o' in lost. The symbolism was greatly appreciated by me, and normally, I hate symbolism. The flower was a symbol of her journey and self discovery.
Another thing that I was really happy with was the fact that "Once Was Lost" was the perfect length. It did not drag on too much, but at the same time, it did not move so fast that I had no clue what was going on. At 224 pages, this book was a great weekend read for me, and I definitely think that everyone else needs to experience this great new novel by Sara Zarr!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable read, March 25, 2010
This review is from: Once Was Lost (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (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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