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A review by ohemgeebooks
Long Lost by Jacqueline West
4.0
If you’re like me you are desperately craving that cozy, Fall weather and looking to fill that TBR with spooky reads, then I have a middle grade book that is just so satisfying.
Long Lost by Jacqueline West includes all of the necessary prerequisites for a particularly lovely spooky story; a haunted house turned library, a tragic disappearance and family secrets, a small town with quirky folks, sisterly angst, and a propulsive, heart-pounding tale within the story.
11 year-old Fiona is upset that her family has moved to a weird small town so that her prissy, perfectionist, figure-skating older sister can be closer to her practices. Her only solace…the town’s library, once a rambling mansion now filled with restless spirits.
The book that draws her attention has none of the usual library markings, in fact it isn’t meant to exist. She soon finds herself immersed in the true story of an unsolved crime, and she must quickly put the pieces together before she becomes the next victim.
My favorite aspect of this book is the story embedded within. Having a real mystery woven into a fictional story, connects you in a unique way to the plot. Both were so expertly written I found myself quickly turning the pages to find out what happens next. West provides the quirky small town of Lost Lake with such a fantastic atmospheric quality that I felt like I was in an eerie mist throughout. Plus, I’m just never going to dislike a book where the main protagonist loves going to the library, and discovering a mysterious book that’s not meant to be there…well, that’s just icing.
I highly recommend baking some cookies, drinking some pumpkin spice coffee, and giving yourself an afternoon of reading. Long Lost is quick, and delightfully spooky. I also highly recommend Last Things, which I read this time last year.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.
Long Lost by Jacqueline West includes all of the necessary prerequisites for a particularly lovely spooky story; a haunted house turned library, a tragic disappearance and family secrets, a small town with quirky folks, sisterly angst, and a propulsive, heart-pounding tale within the story.
11 year-old Fiona is upset that her family has moved to a weird small town so that her prissy, perfectionist, figure-skating older sister can be closer to her practices. Her only solace…the town’s library, once a rambling mansion now filled with restless spirits.
The book that draws her attention has none of the usual library markings, in fact it isn’t meant to exist. She soon finds herself immersed in the true story of an unsolved crime, and she must quickly put the pieces together before she becomes the next victim.
My favorite aspect of this book is the story embedded within. Having a real mystery woven into a fictional story, connects you in a unique way to the plot. Both were so expertly written I found myself quickly turning the pages to find out what happens next. West provides the quirky small town of Lost Lake with such a fantastic atmospheric quality that I felt like I was in an eerie mist throughout. Plus, I’m just never going to dislike a book where the main protagonist loves going to the library, and discovering a mysterious book that’s not meant to be there…well, that’s just icing.
I highly recommend baking some cookies, drinking some pumpkin spice coffee, and giving yourself an afternoon of reading. Long Lost is quick, and delightfully spooky. I also highly recommend Last Things, which I read this time last year.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.