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turtlewexler's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC of this book. I read it in one day. And now I want to give this book to every girl child and every woman I know. I want you to read it. It's magical, but not *just* magical.
mrwyzlic's review against another edition
5.0
Anne Ursu is a gift to the world. This book is a tremendous, distinguished contribution to children’s literature.
lizpatanders's review against another edition
4.0
The Lost Girl is a dark story in some ways, but ultimately the ending is uplifting.
In this story, Iris thinks a lot about what she means to her sister Lark. She considers herself Lark's protector. However, Iris so engrossed in these questions that the question of what she means to Lark causes her to unravel.
Ursu doesn't shy away from how complicated love between family and friends can be. Another part that rung true for me is that she also acknowledges that finding a group of supportive women can sometimes be complicated. She also gets into the fact that we misjudge people initially.
The Lost Girl has a lot of great symbolism in it, and this especially is true with the magic. The magic is what makes this story stand out from other books about siblings.
There were a couple of elements to this story that just a little bit too neat. Regardless, this is still a great story about unlikeable girls, and about girls reading relationships with each other, and I'm eager to hand it off to middle grade readers.
In this story, Iris thinks a lot about what she means to her sister Lark. She considers herself Lark's protector. However, Iris so engrossed in these questions that the question of what she means to Lark causes her to unravel.
Ursu doesn't shy away from how complicated love between family and friends can be. Another part that rung true for me is that she also acknowledges that finding a group of supportive women can sometimes be complicated. She also gets into the fact that we misjudge people initially.
The Lost Girl has a lot of great symbolism in it, and this especially is true with the magic. The magic is what makes this story stand out from other books about siblings.
There were a couple of elements to this story that just a little bit too neat. Regardless, this is still a great story about unlikeable girls, and about girls reading relationships with each other, and I'm eager to hand it off to middle grade readers.
thepurplegiraffe's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars for now. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
dwdillydally's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
drewjameson's review against another edition
3.0
There's some great writing in this book, but the plot gets sloggy and same-y after awhile, and then there's an abrupt genre twist near the end that felt inserted and unearned. It's like it eventually forgot it was supposed to be an urban fantasy/suspense novel until the last three chapters.
caseyjoreads's review against another edition
5.0
So good! Anne Ursu's writing is so smooth, with delightful insights from an 11=year old voice, like p. 46, comparing when a kid loses a thing and is told "it'll turn up" vs. when a parent loses it and "they got frantic ... as if yellow and blue now made pink." And hurray for a book with complexity and nuance!!!
Light spoilers:
And I love how Abigail, who's just that much older, is out of touch with kids who weren't raised with quite the same limited expectations of "what girls can do."
And the light magical touch is just enough to be wonderful.
Another great thing about this book: b0undary-crossing gets acknowledged and addressed. Iris gets called out on trying to fix her sisters' project - Go Lark for naming it! And her parents have an honest conversation with her about why they didn't share about the plan to split the kids up for 5th grade, with appropriate remorse. (And I wonder whether Lark might have asked them to do it.)
Note: I was lucky enough to read an ARC, but I'm very excited to see the final product with its interior art.
2nd read edit: So glad I re-read this, to solidify more of the story in my mind. I really like the differences between the twins and the realization that the lines are not so stark. Lark can be practical. And Iris can be the one who needs help.
Light spoilers:
Spoiler
I loved this story of Iris figuring out that she's not the only competent twin, and it's not her job to fix her sisters' life for her. And moreover, "sister's caretaker" is not her primary identity. And the whole plotline of Iris trying to "fix" her sisters' project an the importance of agency.And I love how Abigail, who's just that much older, is out of touch with kids who weren't raised with quite the same limited expectations of "what girls can do."
And the light magical touch is just enough to be wonderful.
Another great thing about this book: b0undary-crossing gets acknowledged and addressed. Iris gets called out on trying to fix her sisters' project - Go Lark for naming it! And her parents have an honest conversation with her about why they didn't share about the plan to split the kids up for 5th grade, with appropriate remorse. (And I wonder whether Lark might have asked them to do it.)
Note: I was lucky enough to read an ARC, but I'm very excited to see the final product with its interior art.
2nd read edit: So glad I re-read this, to solidify more of the story in my mind. I really like the differences between the twins and the realization that the lines are not so stark. Lark can be practical. And Iris can be the one who needs help.
she_who_reads_'s review against another edition
5.0
What a beautiful, powerful book this is!! The writing is so magical and lyrical, while still being completely accessible to young readers- I was hooked from page one! I adored the messages woven into this story, and the depiction of love between sisters, family, and friends was wonderful. There is some fantastic feminist moments in this one, it is so empowering and moving, I absolutely cannot wait to get this into the hands of the younger women in my life! Fight that patriarchy girls!
hopejrc's review against another edition
3.0
This one started strong for me - I loved how one of the characters loved facts and there were so many fun facts sprinkled through the story as a result of that. But it just kind of fizzled midway and I found myself not immediately reaching for it when I sat down to read. I think I hit a point where I couldn't quite figure out what the plan was for the book. The magic really only came in the last 10% and that last 10% was a lot of fun. But it just kind of stalled in the middle and I couldn't connect with the characters or the story for that period.
lisastein's review against another edition
3.0
This was a 3 1/2 stars for me. I found it a bit slow in the middle, but a great read for children, or for those that parent twins.