| Title | : | Lost Boy |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1459816374 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781459816374 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 |
| Publication | : | First published October 2, 2018 |
Jon and several of the novel's other characters were introduced in Shelley Hrdlitschka's earlier novel Sister Wife.
Lost Boy Reviews
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I received this eARC from Orca Book Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.
DNF at 22%
I just couldn't do it. This book is beyond mediocre, it's downright offensively bad. It's boring, the pacing is dismal, none of the characters are interesting or act remotely normal, the dialogue is wooden and childish, the writing is simple and awkward, the worldbuilding is awful, and it felt like a sequel, not a spin-off. I haven't read the other book that supposedly introduced Jon, the horny and passive MC, but this isn't a sequel, so I shouldn't have to read any outside material to understand this character, the world he lives in, or get any grasp on what is going on. I thought this was going to be a similar book to The Chosen One, a novel about a girl who lives in a polygamist compound and falls in love, but is assigned to marry her uncle, and has to make a perilous decision to abandon everything she's ever known for a world she knows nothing of or live a life where she can never be happy. Instead, I got backstory told through long exposition paragraphs, horny teenage boys ogling boobs, emotionless passages about characters that were never introduced, and soap opera drama ("She's in the hospital!" "She's getting married on Sunday!" "To your father!") Like, please. Are you kidding me? I don't have time for garbage. -
Lost Boy by Shelley Hrdlitschka is a unique read that will take you away to a whole new culture.
I was unsure how I would feel about this book, and honestly I'm still a little confused. Jon left a polygamous community to try to find a life of his own. He doesn't believe in the ways that community follows and desperately wants the girl he loves to come with him. When he escapes and she doesn't, things go south. He tries to learn and grow, but his heart hurts. To top it off, she marries a man that Jon doesn't approve of. Not. One. Bit. Life is hard for Jon, but he learns more about himself and his values along the way.
This is going to be a niche book for sure. It's so weird, because while I'm not one hundred percent happy with how it ended I was enjoying the book all the way through. I had hoped the ending would have a little more to it, since the book felt like it just decided to stop randomly. I wanted more of Jon becoming an adult and coming of age. I wanted to see the bildungsroman for Jon SO BAD. But, this book fell a little flat. Yet, it's still quite the interesting read and is great for people seeking something contemporary yet easy to read.
Lost Boy feels like a YA contemporary novel trying to tackle some tough subjects. There are some horny boy moments and there is some goofy drama in there. But, what more can you expect when you're following a teenaged boy? It felt like the male bildungsroman, but it just needed a little bit more.
I am impressed by this book though. It kept my attention! This book is not my normal read, so that's a big plus for it. I do recommend this book, but you need to enjoy soft, slow reads to appreciate it.
Three out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. -
Note: I received a copy of Lost Boy by Shelley Hrdlitschka via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lost Boy tells the story of our main protagonist, Jon, who runs away from the polygamist community that he was raised in. The reasoning behind his escape is due to the fact that he was caught kissing a girl, which in the community of Unity, is very much against the rules. As readers, we get to follow Jon as he attempts to adjust to an entirely new life: filled with hair dye, girls in cut-off shorts, a proper education, and the ability to watch television.
Unfortunately, Jon is completely unprepared for this new lifestyle & after struggling to get through school, he falls into a life of alcohol, drugs, and homelessness.
What originally drew me in was the cover — listen, I am a sucker for a beautiful book cover. Yes, I am a person who tends to buy books, because the cover draws me in. I also really loved the Lost Boy title, because it reminded me of Peter Pan & we all know that I’m a Disney fan.
But when I read the synopsis prior to requesting the ARC, I knew it was for me. Not only was I interested in learning more about another community’s lifestyle, but when I first started reading YA, I always picked up the books that focused on a character’s downfall. If there were drugs, depression, or any other terrible experience involved, I was in. Not because I’m crazy, I promise, but because there’s something beautiful about someone facing their struggles & rising on top of it.
But, of course, this is spoiler-free & I will not be telling you Jon’s resolution. It’s up to you to see if he picks himself back up.
I will admit, my opinions did change throughout the novel. One second, I’m in it & the next second, I’m questioning if I’m even enjoying what I’m reading. I think one of my complaints is the transition between the first part & the second. I felt as if the transition wasn’t as smooth as it should be. It’s as if Jon is doing perfectly fine, but the next he’s an absolute mess, without any real reason, besides the fact that school was tough for him.
I also couldn’t find myself getting attached to any of the characters. I, of course, wanted everyone to succeed and be happy. But, I also found myself not caring if they even did. I felt there should have been a deeper relationship between character and reader, and that’s Lost Boy‘s weakest point.
In general, it is a quick read. It wasn’t terrible, at all, it just could have been stronger in terms of characters. It does have an interesting plot, and the writing is well done. If you’re just looking for a book to read, and don’t care as much about forming a connection with the text, then yes, I would recommend Lost Boy.
I also learned that Jon & the novel’s other characters were introduced in Shelley Hrdlistschka’s novel, Sister Wife, and I will definitely be giving that read some point soon.
Lost Boy is due out October 2nd, 2018! -
After a string of books i was dissapointed with i started this book with little hope. I did not expect to be sucked in and enjoy it as much as i did. I know by the blurb it was going to be a tough read but i was not ready for the tears. We first meet Jon-without-an-H when he leaves "Unity" a polygamy practicing religious sect. I had such high hopes for him when he left. There were some twists and turns but the ending did not disappoint. I am so satisfied with the ending. Wish we could have seen more of how he got where he did in the epilogue but as i said i am happy with this book.
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I received this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
Jon, the Lost Boy of the title, is running away from his community, Unity, which is a polygamous community. He has been caught kissing a girl and decides to leave before he is banished. Unfortunately, he is not prepared for the 'real' world. Taken in by Abigail, who herself was from Unity, in her home in the nearest town where other lost boys have found a safe haven, Jon finds it increasingly difficult to fit in. Added to the difficulty is Abigail's rule that every lost boy must complete high school if he is to remain in her home.
Jon has only worked in construction since he left school in Unity. At school all he learned was mainly religious studies and anything that the Prophet deems appropriate, so high school is too much of a learning curve for him. His life spirals downward out of control, as he discovers drugs and alcohol, and he eventually finds himself homeless. At his rock bottom someone from his past comes back into his life and there is the potential for a change in his situation.
Anything else will be spoilers, so it has to be read to find out how it turns out for Jon.
It was a fairly easy read and most of the characters were well-written and fairly believable. What's hard to believe is that such communities, like Unity (which is a fictitious place), still exist in our society today. The author painted the picture of the community well, without overt criticism, allowing the reader to make up their own mind about how they feel in regard to such communities.
The book is a bit of an eye-opener at times and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a different kind of YA book from those that are out there. -
Oh, this book was gut wrenching and so lovely! I wasn't prepared to be as immersed in the story as I instantly became.
The book starts with a bang - Jon-without-an-H is running. Running from the abusive polygamous community where he has lived his entire life. Jon didn't necessarily want to run BUT he was caught with a girl so he HAS to run.
Jon runs to a safe house, where he has heard he may be able to find work and help. But finding help is all dependent on if Jon can escape the mental grip of the religion that has run his entire life.
I loved how well written this story is. You don't doubt Jon's love for his family, even though he has started to question the crooked, perverted teaching that has dominated his entire life. He has never seen a tv, a girl in shorts, heard of biology or Adolf Hitler, or read much of anything outside the Bible.
Jon struggles in the new world of freedom and responsibility. You can imagine how hard the adjustment is on him. Especially as he deeply cares about the girl he left behind and wants to do all he can to rescue her from the polygamous community.
The writing is well-paced, though some of the time lapses are a tad jarring. I don't know if the author decided to leave certain sections out to save time, or keep the story telling condensed.
I read this book in little over an hour, and it didn't feel THAT long. It's a great read, eye opening and touching.
The ending was an amazing conclusion to the story, not only was everything 'tied' together, but it felt real and worthwhile.
ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. -
*I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I'm not.... I'm not sure how I feel about this book. The plot was extremely interesting. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse at what a true polygamy religion looks like. I liked the coming of age aspect when the characters realized they didn't want to live that life.
At first I wasn't really into the story but the more I read, the more I started to appreciate the characters. I thought they each had their own personality. The only thing that bothered me was Jon was a pretty hopeful guy in Part One in the book and then his personality drastically changes in Part two. There really wasn't much of an explanation has to what happened. I was slightly confused.
I thought this book read kind of like classic. It also reminded me of The Giver for some reason. Jon doesn't know much about school or clothes. Learning about it is almost like learning a foreign language to him. It was pretty interesting seeing how he slowly started to get use to the idea of people wearing shorts and bathing suits out in public.
Overall, I thought it was a pretty decent read. I just wish things between Part one and Part two would have been explained better. And I really enjoyed the ending. The ending gave me all kinds of hope. I don't think this book is for everyone but it was a fairly fast read! -
I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, this in no way changes my opinion and all of the words below are my own.
It took me forever to Really correlate this with Peter Pan, but it was there I guess.
My biggest issue with this was simply that I personally did not like the main character. I found him underwhelming and annoying. Which is unfortunate because the book was first person which made enjoying it more difficult from his view even though I enjoyed the writing style.
The plot I enjoyed, though it was basically spelled out on the back of the book just with less detail. I like that it addressed a topic not often attended to. Polygamy in any form seems to be a taboo in YA, I've only ever read one book that mentioned it at all. Part of my enjoyment of the writing style was how it was handled in a mature way while still making it teen friendly. That's how topics like this should be covered! -
I won this advance readers copy in a Giveaway on Library Thing.
www.librarything.com All opinions are my own. Lost Boy by Shelly Hrdlitschka releases October 2018. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Jon thinks he has a plan for his future, leave his religious raising and polygamous community to have a real life and a real education in a place without so much restriction. A naive 17 year old boy with a plan, but only a few months in he realizes school isn't something he can do and life quickly spins out of control for him. After finding himself homeless, drunk, and drug addicted a piece of his past may just be the hope he needs to get things back on track. Living life one way for so long and trying to break away from that proves to be even harder. Sometimes dreams aren't always what we expected, but with some effort and hard work, we can achieve what we put our minds to is the life lesson for this book. Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Library Thing, Go Read, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Amazon, Twitter @jason_stacie and my blog at readsbystacie.com -
"Lost Boy" made me feel so many feelings. Working in the behavioral science field means that I have seen and heard stories of many broken people and dysfunctional families that tug at my heartstrings and this fictional story is no different.
Jon's life, first in Unity (the polygamist community he grew up in), then in Springfield, was never easy. He was the oldest of nearly twenty siblings if you added up all of the half-siblings. The Prophet in the community imposed many strict rules and regulations. Jon wanted to leave so he could have a future but did not imagine just how difficult a fresh start would be.
I was a little disappointed at how rushed part two felt. A long span of time was crammed into a few chapters so there wasn't as much room for detail, but overall I would recommend the book.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
I am not really a YA fan, but this novel was one I was truly engaged in. It is the story of a young boy who leaves a polygamist sect in Canada. Without getting too personal, I could understand the difficulties of this young boy trying to adjust to regular life away from his polygamist family. Even though I thought the author could have dug a little deeper into the characters feelings, it was perfectly aimed at young adults. Thank you to LibraryThing and Orca publishers for the opportunity to read this book.
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I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review-
I was enthralled by this book. I've read quite a few books about escape from polyamorous cults, but this is the first one to focus on what happens after, and the struggle these kids go through to integrate into society. A real eye-opener. -
Recently, I was fortunate enough to be able to read Lost Boy by Shelly Hrdlitschka from Orca Book Publishers.
To start off, Lost Boy follows Jon, a seventeen year old from a polygamist community called Unity. He is forced to leave his community when he is caught with a girl and is basically thrown into a world that he has no idea about, but a world that people outside of Unity think of as normal. The rest of the book follows his struggle to adapt to this new world and his struggle to build a life for himself. Very simple storyline, and a really eye opening story.
I think what I appreciated the most about this story is that I was able to catch a glimpse of a world I had no idea about. I was aware of societies and religions that operated the way that it does in Unity, but it was very interesting to get a personal glimpse into it. It really opens your eyes to a different world and I never really realized how much we take for granted.
I think that when you are a person who does not come from the world that Jon did, it’s hard to imagine what he’s going through. However, I really think that the author took this into account and really made sure that you were able to connect to how Jon was feeling and what he was going through. If you’re looking for an easy read, I would really recommend this. The length of the chapters make this a very quick read.
I ended up really loving the growth that Jon went through. It was disappointing to see him quit school at the end of part one, because he started out with so much energy, will, and love for learning and it was so hard to watch it go away. There are very few things not to like about Jon, and I think that was why it was so frustrating to watch him hit rock bottom more than once and so hard.
Now about Celeste. I found her to be a very frustrating character in the beginning. I was happy that she redeemed herself at the end when she left Unity in order to have a better life for her daughter. I do wish we could have a seen a bit more of that part of her.
I was also a little disappointed about Wolf. He was introduced very quickly, and left just as quickly. He just seemed like a very interesting character and I was a little disappointed that we did not get to see a lot of him.
Despite those couple things, I loved all the characters, especially Craig and Taviana. They were the type of characters that you really can’t help but love and I’m glad that they were featured in a good chunk of the story.
Overall, I think that would give this book a solid 3.5 Stars. It wasn’t my all-time favorite book, but I really did enjoy reading it and it was very engaging. I would probably recommend this if you are looking for a quick read because it will really make you think about what you take for granted. It really made me think about it. -
Jon isn't your typical runaway. When he flees Unity he leaves behind a polygamous community, the only home he's ever known. The past couple of years Jon found himself questioning a lot of the beliefs and morals favored in his community and when he was caught kissing a girl he decided enough was enough. Although he begged Celeste to come with him he knew she wouldn't budge, she couldn't bear to leave her family behind, even if it meant she would be married off to an older man. Jon soon discovers that the easiest part is escaping, the hardest part is living. He is taken in by Abigail, a kind older women who has been known to take in all the Unity refugees. He rules are strict, everyone must help out around the house, attend school, and get a job which is easier said then done. Jon is at a serious disadvantage, he hasn't attended classes in years and is woefully behind his peers. Will Jon have what it takes to persevere or will he just give up. A good book that shows the reality of escaping a hard situation.
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This book starting off very intriguing to me and it was a very easy read (finished it in a day). But I couldn’t get into it as much as I liked because there was no real character depth In this story. What I mean by that is there’s no good character description or really dive into how they are feeling or there personality’s are all and it seems to jump with big holes in the timing of the story. I liked the character struggle throughout the book how they didn’t just come into it with everything handed to them. At times the writing can become a little cringe and plot points hard to believe. Another thing I’d like to note is the plot can become very boring it’s very slow moving and can become repetitive. There is much description of the characters daily activities and thing they do that I don’t think were very necessary and when the book focused on those things it didn’t focus on the main important points that actually moved the story along. Not sure if this makes me want to go back and read more of the authors work. But it got me through my road trip.
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3.5 stars
Jon is a teenager growing up in the polygamous community of Unity, Utah. He has spent a lot of time questioning the prophet, but then when he is caught with his girlfriend he flees, knowing he will be expelled anyway. Polygamous communities always have too many boys. He flees to Springdale, and there lives with other lost boys from Unity. The transition is hard--much harder than he expected. He is woefully uneducated. He misses his mom and girlfriend. Life has become hard.
This book is interesting. There is good pacing and suspense. It is very much a YA book (runaways, teen pregnancy/marriage, drugs, alcohol), but the reading level is middle grade at best (recommended 12+ on this ARC).
The odd thing is that though this book takes place in Springdale--a real place, if you have been to Zion you have been there--but nothing about tourism is mentioned. Not Zion, nnot hotels and motels, not busses, not tourists. That seems odd. -
Jon flees his polygamist community in order to avoid the inevitable fallout after he is caught kissing a girl. Suddenly a "lost boy" launched into the world of gentiles with no home, job, or education, and few practical skills, he secures temporary shelter with a friend and enrolls in high school. Although he was expecting life in the outside world to be challenging, catching up in school soon feels like a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, resulting in feelings of hopelessness.
This story had a lot of potential, and told by a different author might have been something compelling and wonderful. Instead, it feels like a heavy-handed after-school special. There is far too much exposition and explanation, rather than allowing an intelligent reader to infer. Writing for teens shouldn't have to mean dumbing down vocabulary and sentence structure.
I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. -
Thank you to Orca Book Publishers, for this free ARC.
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Over all, I enjoyed this YA book. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into polygamy religion, and what these young kids went through.
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Jon leaves Unity, after he is caught kissing a girl. Although he does find support in the friendship of other "Lost Boys," he is unprepared for his new lifestyle, outside of Unity. He tries to finish high school, but ends up going down the wrong road, and starts drinking and experimenting with drugs. Soon he is kicked out, and has to find his own way. Eventually someone from his past shows up. Will that be enough to get him back on the right road?
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This was a fast read for me, with just over 200 pages. This book had a interesting plot, and I wanted everyone to succeed. The epilogue was my favorite part of the book. This was my 1st book by Hrdlitschka, so I may give another one of her books a try.
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Now on sale, as of Oct 2nd, 2018! -
Rating: .5 Stars
The Sweet: The premise and the cover of this book really intrigued me, so I requested it. Polygamy isn't a well-discussed topic in YA, so props to
Shelley Hrdlitschka for that. Jon struggles were real and hard to witness. Hrdlitschka depicts what polygamy does to a person in a very realistic and heart-breaking way.
The Sour: That .5 stars unfortunately comes from the cover and the premise. Lost Boys felt a little underdeveloped and quickly written. The plot was unorganized and the story line wasn't good at all. There was a myriad of grammatical errors as well. The characters were one dimensional and very child-like. It was really hard to relate to Jon because its seems as though his character was all over the place.
The Overview: The book had a lot of potential but ultimately didn't live up to me expectations. It wasn't well written or edited. It read very hurried and confusing at times. I really wanted to enjoy it but I couldn't. Don't let my feeling toward this book sway you though, you might enjoy it. It was a quick read and has a good premise. -
[I was given a free digital copy through NetGalley]
Polygamy being discussed in a YA novel was what first drew me to this book, because this topic is not usually discussed, and when it is, it is not discussed in a young adult setting or from a young adult point of view. That being said, the novel, unfortunately, fell rather flat. The characters were very one-dimensional, and there was never enough time to see any growth from the characters, or to at least understand that the changes made sense. The lessons being learned within the story were fresh because of the concept, but I think the story could have been much richer and deeper with more time, so I was sad to see the opportunity missed. -
I received this copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Netgalley!
I have always been intrigued with the world of polygamy and as others have mentioned, it's certainly not a topic often approached by the world of YA. So I was thrilled to see this pop up on my radar.
The excitement quickly ended there. I made it through a little over a fourth of the book but I couldn't push myself through more of it. It was a struggle to make it as far as I did. There wasn't much depth to the characters, in my opinion, and through a fourth of the book I had yet to take any real interest in any of the characters.
That being said, I hope this opens the doors for more novels surrounding the topic to be written and released. -
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I've read several nonfiction books about Polygamy. While this was engaging enough to finish it didn't feel like a new story. I wanted something gritty and hard to read but this was very mellow and convenient at times. When I read a blurb about being unprepared for life, booze, and drugs I expect to feel a lot of different emotions throughout the story but unfortunately I did not. I think this book would better suit someone who has never read about Polygamy before. -
Jon leaves Unity, the polygamist sect in which he was raised, because he was seen kissing a girl. He knows he'll be exiled, so he leaves before he can be thrown out. With the "gentiles", he quickly learns how different life can be, and it's no easy transition.
This is YA and written at a level appropriate to younger teens. It does deal with a few difficult topics (drugs, alcohol and adult relationship), but it's an easy read and a window into a different world, one with which most of us don't have contact. -
3.5 stars. Interesting story of a young teen that fled his community before he got kicked out for kissing a girl. He goes through a hard time figuring out what is best for him and what he needs to do to get used to his new life. He struggles through the whole time but at the end he realizes what he needs to do. The characters are likable and the situations are realistic.
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A really interesting read. The book is based off a cult that lives in British Columbia. The fact that this happens at all is disturbing and disgusting. But hopefully by writing about it in a way that’s accessible to teenagers it’ll show them how important education is, and how necessary it is to help each other.
Well worth the read for the topic alone, and overall an engrossing one.
