Just a Little Bit Lost

by Laurel Trivelpiece

A group of teens goes on a camping trip, Bennett Kinnell (the girl - named after Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice) is completely unprepared, and gets lost. Phillip Hargrove finds her yet they both end up lost. He hurts his leg and they learn to work together, overcoming existing dislike.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction

186 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1988

Reviews

[Fredrik deBoer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not exaggerating or falling into nostalgia when I say that, when I read this book in sixth grade, it was the first time I understood a little bit about what it must be like to be in love.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the top 5 books I've read in my childhood. Perfect for young teens experiencing the first pangs of first love. I forgot the title of the book, after years of searching I posted a small part of the plot to Auntbook.com and Aunt book responded with the title in 7 hours. I'm purchasing this book again at the age of 29 and will definitely pass it down to my own daughter when she turns 13 years old. It's a beautiful must-read. Enjoy!

[Jessica Jett · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorites :)

I remember going to the library to check this book out when I was about 14-15 years old and now I finally own a paperback copy for myself!
Definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, fun read with interesting characters and believable plot.

Happy reading! :P

[Angie Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sounded like a cute book from the description, but I've been burned by several cute-sounding books lately, so I went in a little wary. Not to worry! It was, in fact, a cute book. :)

I really liked the fact that the characters weren't the stock types that they appear to be in the beginning. Bennet proved herself much stronger than the baby everyone--including herself--expected her to be. And I loved how different Phil was from her first (and second and third) impressions of him! The way they really had to work together in order to survive was a great touch, and I appreciated the way they really came to respect and care for each other.

The "falling in love with the enemy you're lost with" storyline is to be expected, but I thought it was handled pretty well, without too much staring into each other's eyes and with a natural enough progression that it didn't feel forced or overwhelming. I also appreciated Bennet's insistence that they keep their distance emotionally as long as Phil had another girlfriend. There's a lot of arguing and insulting when they're first lost, but it actually felt very refreshing to have them get it out and move on, rather than brood over it and refuse to talk to each other.

Content-wise, there's one paragraph early on where a girl mentions bras and being flat-chested, but it's never brought up again. There's quite a bit of talk of crushes and "falling in love," but when it gets silly and overly dramatic, it's obviously so. A teenage boy and girl are lost in the wilderness together and end up accidentally sleeping against each other (on opposite sides of a sleeping bag) a couple of times, but they handle themselves very carefully, and there's no hint of anything inappropriate happening. One quick kiss. Some mentions of being annoyed with parents for certain things, but handled tastefully and without painting the parents as complete jerks. Mention of a divorce.

All in all, very cute. 3.5 stars

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a book similar to this (kids lost on a mountain during a school trip) when I was in middle school. It left a lasting impression on me so I kind of wanted to re-read it as an adult. My wife did some research and found this book but alas, it's not the same one I had read. The story is good with most of the events seeming plausible. The characters are like able and grow on you. The novel, being written for a younger audience tends to gloss over things and is not overly detailed, which keeps the story moving along. All in all, an enjoyable trip back to 1980s young adult fiction.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I've read and finished this year because it has been oh so hard to concentrate on reading. And this one was a re-read that is out of print, purchased used, because I loved it as a pre-teen. It was pretty much as I remembered it, and it holds up pretty well despite the 80's slang and lack of cell phones. Could easily be rewritten with a quick update for the times. Still fun and sweet and I still wish I got to see more of Bennet and Phil's romance at the end.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, cute story with a sweet love story! Perfect book for a quick, happy read!

[Bennett]

It was a pretty okay book. It was kinda romantic though. You should try it but I don't know if you will like it.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to revisit this one from my MS-HS years.

[Lorvena Javellana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this in high school, and I still think it was great. Those were the days when all I wanted was a light and funny budding teen romance without a hint of sexual desire. The story is actually quite predictable. I've imagined the same plot happening to me a hundred times. Still I gave this 5 stars for being such an enjoyable read in high school and owing to the fact that I never forgot this book.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far my favorite book ever. (I used it for my book reports from 5th to 8th grade...) The story line constantly has you thinking what will happen next, and the ending is to die for. I highly recommend this book.

[Tamara Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved this book as a kid. I read it many times between the ages of 9 and 12.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute camping adventure.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread out of nostalgia and am passing on to my 11 year old daughter to enjoy!

[Elizabeth Hesselbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites when I was younger, read it so many times. Just ordered an old used copy off amazon, can't wait to read it again.

[Jessica Loomis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a tween! I loved it so much, I wonder if my 11 year old boy would appreciate it?

[Jennifer Sherwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very exciting! I was looking for it for awhile and enjoyed it a lot