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The Lost & Found
Sometimes you have to get lost before you can be found.
Lost: Frannie and Louis met in an online support group for trauma survivors when they were both little and have been pen pals ever since. They have never met face-to-face. They don’t even know each other’s real names. All they know is that they understand each other better than anyone else. And they both have a tendency to lose things. Well, not lose them, exactly. Things just seem to…disappear.
Found: In Louis’s mailbox is a letter, offering him a tennis scholarship—farther from home than he’s ever allowed himself to think of going.
In Frannie’s mailbox is a letter, informing her of her mother’s death—and one last wish.
Setting off from opposite coasts, Frannie and Louis each embark on a road trip to Austin, Texas, looking for answers—and each other. Along the way, each one begins to find important things the other has lost. And by the time they finally meet in person, they realize that the things you lose might be things you weren’t meant to have at all, and that you never know what you might find if you just take a chance.
Lost: Frannie and Louis met in an online support group for trauma survivors when they were both little and have been pen pals ever since. They have never met face-to-face. They don’t even know each other’s real names. All they know is that they understand each other better than anyone else. And they both have a tendency to lose things. Well, not lose them, exactly. Things just seem to…disappear.
Found: In Louis’s mailbox is a letter, offering him a tennis scholarship—farther from home than he’s ever allowed himself to think of going.
In Frannie’s mailbox is a letter, informing her of her mother’s death—and one last wish.
Setting off from opposite coasts, Frannie and Louis each embark on a road trip to Austin, Texas, looking for answers—and each other. Along the way, each one begins to find important things the other has lost. And by the time they finally meet in person, they realize that the things you lose might be things you weren’t meant to have at all, and that you never know what you might find if you just take a chance.
339 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2016
47 people are currently reading
5496 people want to read
About the author
Katrina Leno
10 books1,194 followersKatrina Leno has written a few books. She has also read a few books. Ah, books. You know?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
September 13, 2018
4.75 stars. Welp, this settles it y’all. Katrina Leno is officially my new favorite YA author. I was really hesitant going into this bc I loved Summer of Salt with my whole heart and I didn’t think anything could compare, but I ended up loving this one as well! I loved Frannie and Arrow and Willa and Louis and the wacky premise and THE ADORABLE (somewhat misguided) GRANDPARENTS! Be still my heart.
TW: mental illness, self harm, schizophrenia, amputation, loss of a parent
TW: mental illness, self harm, schizophrenia, amputation, loss of a parent
July 14, 2016
I wrote this book, sure, but then I went back in time and erased my memory so I could read it and review it with no bias. I thought it was great!
January 4, 2023
for many years i put off reading this book, because while it is by one of my auto-buy authors, it doesn't sound like something i would like at all. and who knows what the protocol is there.
but ultimately i gave in.
and what a pleasant surprise!
this is in many ways a very 2016 book (cringey, outdated-feeling, kind of quirky and bizarre and insta-plot-y for no particular reason), but also it is more a katrina leno book (bantery and magical).
and i'll take that deal.
bottom line: optimism!
3.5 stars
but ultimately i gave in.
and what a pleasant surprise!
this is in many ways a very 2016 book (cringey, outdated-feeling, kind of quirky and bizarre and insta-plot-y for no particular reason), but also it is more a katrina leno book (bantery and magical).
and i'll take that deal.
bottom line: optimism!
3.5 stars
November 2, 2017
dnf @ 96%
I literally do not give a fuck anymore. I can't do this. I don't even want to finish it, it's fucking horrible.
review to come.
I literally do not give a fuck anymore. I can't do this. I don't even want to finish it, it's fucking horrible.
review to come.
May 22, 2016
(Source: I was able to view a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was a YA contemporary story about two teens who met over the internet.
Louis and Frannie were okay characters, I felt quite sorry for Louis’ twin sister Willa though – losing her legs the way she did couldn’t have been easy for her, especially considering how young she was when it happened.
The storyline in this was about Louis and Frannie finally being able to meet after being internet friends for years. Both seemed to have a strange habit of losing things though, and as they began travelling towards each other, they each kept finding things that the other had lost – bit odd! It was nice that louis and Frannie had each other though, especially as they were each dealing with things – Frannie’s mother’s death, and Louis coming to terms with the accident that took his sister’s legs.
The ending to this was okay, although it wasn’t really a happily ever after.
6 out of 10
This was a YA contemporary story about two teens who met over the internet.
Louis and Frannie were okay characters, I felt quite sorry for Louis’ twin sister Willa though – losing her legs the way she did couldn’t have been easy for her, especially considering how young she was when it happened.
The storyline in this was about Louis and Frannie finally being able to meet after being internet friends for years. Both seemed to have a strange habit of losing things though, and as they began travelling towards each other, they each kept finding things that the other had lost – bit odd! It was nice that louis and Frannie had each other though, especially as they were each dealing with things – Frannie’s mother’s death, and Louis coming to terms with the accident that took his sister’s legs.
The ending to this was okay, although it wasn’t really a happily ever after.
6 out of 10
June 15, 2016
Close internet friendships, check. Road trips, check. Excellent representation of mental health, disability and racial diversity, check.
Frannie and Louis have had tumultuous lives. They met in an online support group and have been friends for years, but have never seen each other face-to-face. Frannie lives with her grandparents, but her mother didn't move away like she thought, and her father stabbed her with a pen when she was little. And Louis has been struggling with guilt ever since his twin sister fell out of his window and lost both her legs.
In The Lost & Found, Louis's guilt and anxiety is palpable and Frannie's desperation to know who she is is understandable. They're both wonderful, relatable characters, but the side characters - Arrow (Frannie's adopted cousin) and Willa (Louis's sister) - are just as memorable. Louis and Frannie set off to Texas with their road trip buddies in order to accomplish something important to each of them - so why not meet each other at the same time?
The Lost & Found is a brilliant contemporary novel with a little magical realism - Frannie and Louis cannot understand why things they own just... disappear - which ties everything together beautifully. It's only being published in the US at the moment, but I really hope it gets picked up here!
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review!
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
Frannie and Louis have had tumultuous lives. They met in an online support group and have been friends for years, but have never seen each other face-to-face. Frannie lives with her grandparents, but her mother didn't move away like she thought, and her father stabbed her with a pen when she was little. And Louis has been struggling with guilt ever since his twin sister fell out of his window and lost both her legs.
In The Lost & Found, Louis's guilt and anxiety is palpable and Frannie's desperation to know who she is is understandable. They're both wonderful, relatable characters, but the side characters - Arrow (Frannie's adopted cousin) and Willa (Louis's sister) - are just as memorable. Louis and Frannie set off to Texas with their road trip buddies in order to accomplish something important to each of them - so why not meet each other at the same time?
The Lost & Found is a brilliant contemporary novel with a little magical realism - Frannie and Louis cannot understand why things they own just... disappear - which ties everything together beautifully. It's only being published in the US at the moment, but I really hope it gets picked up here!
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review!
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
March 12, 2017
I'M FINE.
April 5, 2016
This is an amazing story. I laughed, I cried and read this book in two nights because I could not put it down.
This is a story of two teens who meet online and build a friendship. They have one thing in common and that is they lose everything they get. Well it just disappears and they can't seem to find things. Then one day they each receive mail that will send them on a road trip to Texas.
As they take off on this road trip each one finds things the other has lost. When they finally meet they realize they never knew what they lost until they took a chance on each other.
This is a story of two teens who meet online and build a friendship. They have one thing in common and that is they lose everything they get. Well it just disappears and they can't seem to find things. Then one day they each receive mail that will send them on a road trip to Texas.
As they take off on this road trip each one finds things the other has lost. When they finally meet they realize they never knew what they lost until they took a chance on each other.
Read
January 11, 2018very cute book :)
December 30, 2025
The Lost & Found by Katrina Leno
The Lost & Found is a tender, imaginative young adult novel about two teens, Frannie and Louis, who have been online pen pals since childhood and share a bizarre, almost magical tendency to lose objects, who are both sent life-altering letters that send them on parallel road trips toward Austin, Texas, where they hope to find answers and, ultimately, each other. Along the way, as they literally begin to discover the things the other has lost, the story turns into a heartfelt exploration of grief, connection, healing, and the gentle mystery of how people can help one another recover what feels lost in life.
I was struck by how deeply human this story feels even with its subtle magical realism weaving through the road trip. Frannie’s quiet resilience as she copes with truths about her family and Louis’s earnest struggle with anxiety and guilt made my heart ache and expand in equal measure; they feel like friends you’d cheer on from the passenger seat as miles of highway slip by. The way Katrina Leno writes loss here isn’t flashy, it’s intimate and thoughtful: small disappearances mirror the bigger heartbreaks they carry, and the moments where they begin to recover each other’s lost items feel symbolic and deeply comforting rather than gimmicky. This gentle narrative makes you think about what it means to find yourself, and another person, across landscapes both emotional and physical, and how friendship and courage can grow in unexpected places.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I loved the emotional warmth and inventive premise, and while the pacing occasionally felt uneven, the blend of healing, humor, and heartfelt connection left me smiling long after I finished.
The Lost & Found is a tender, imaginative young adult novel about two teens, Frannie and Louis, who have been online pen pals since childhood and share a bizarre, almost magical tendency to lose objects, who are both sent life-altering letters that send them on parallel road trips toward Austin, Texas, where they hope to find answers and, ultimately, each other. Along the way, as they literally begin to discover the things the other has lost, the story turns into a heartfelt exploration of grief, connection, healing, and the gentle mystery of how people can help one another recover what feels lost in life.
I was struck by how deeply human this story feels even with its subtle magical realism weaving through the road trip. Frannie’s quiet resilience as she copes with truths about her family and Louis’s earnest struggle with anxiety and guilt made my heart ache and expand in equal measure; they feel like friends you’d cheer on from the passenger seat as miles of highway slip by. The way Katrina Leno writes loss here isn’t flashy, it’s intimate and thoughtful: small disappearances mirror the bigger heartbreaks they carry, and the moments where they begin to recover each other’s lost items feel symbolic and deeply comforting rather than gimmicky. This gentle narrative makes you think about what it means to find yourself, and another person, across landscapes both emotional and physical, and how friendship and courage can grow in unexpected places.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I loved the emotional warmth and inventive premise, and while the pacing occasionally felt uneven, the blend of healing, humor, and heartfelt connection left me smiling long after I finished.
December 22, 2016
Frannie and Louis met online, through the forum of a support group. They've been exchanging messages for years and they know everything there is to know about one another. They talk easily and being under the cover of anonymity helps them to open up. When they both have a reason to travel to Austin, Texas, they decide it's a great chance to see each other in the flesh for the first time. They finally share their names and they exchange telephone numbers.
Louis travels with his sister Willa and Frannie drives to Austin with her cousin Arrow. They've both decided to take someone close with them for support. Louis and Frannie have been losing things for years, they just disappear. During the trip they finally manage to figure out what happens to everything they've lost. Will Louis and Frannie still click when they've spent time together? They're both in Austin for a reason, will they find what they are looking for?
The Lost & Found is a beautiful story about two people who have a deep connection. Louis and Frannie are both really sweet and they care about others. They've been though a lot and their talks always bring comfort. Shortly after they started exchanging messages they realized they also have many things in common, which is how their friendship developed. They like having conversations, but they can also be silent together, which is something I loved about their bond. It's obvious that what's between them is wonderful, whatever it is exactly. It might be difficult to connect when you live on different sides of a big country, but it's definitely not impossible.
Katrina Leno's writing is impressive. She describes difficult topics with sympathy and a sense of humor, which is a combination that works very well. The Lost & Found is an original story. I loved that there are items that keep disappearing. I also liked that the main characters have such distinct personalities, they are real and honest and they don't pretend to be something they're not. That made their story even more amazing.
The Lost & Found is an absolute must-read. I like stories about road trips, and enjoyed Katrina Leno's vivid descriptions of Louis and Frannie's adventures. Their paths cross in a fantastic way and I loved the creativeness of it. I highly recommend this book, it's fascinating, touching, romantic and heartwarming.
Louis travels with his sister Willa and Frannie drives to Austin with her cousin Arrow. They've both decided to take someone close with them for support. Louis and Frannie have been losing things for years, they just disappear. During the trip they finally manage to figure out what happens to everything they've lost. Will Louis and Frannie still click when they've spent time together? They're both in Austin for a reason, will they find what they are looking for?
The Lost & Found is a beautiful story about two people who have a deep connection. Louis and Frannie are both really sweet and they care about others. They've been though a lot and their talks always bring comfort. Shortly after they started exchanging messages they realized they also have many things in common, which is how their friendship developed. They like having conversations, but they can also be silent together, which is something I loved about their bond. It's obvious that what's between them is wonderful, whatever it is exactly. It might be difficult to connect when you live on different sides of a big country, but it's definitely not impossible.
Katrina Leno's writing is impressive. She describes difficult topics with sympathy and a sense of humor, which is a combination that works very well. The Lost & Found is an original story. I loved that there are items that keep disappearing. I also liked that the main characters have such distinct personalities, they are real and honest and they don't pretend to be something they're not. That made their story even more amazing.
The Lost & Found is an absolute must-read. I like stories about road trips, and enjoyed Katrina Leno's vivid descriptions of Louis and Frannie's adventures. Their paths cross in a fantastic way and I loved the creativeness of it. I highly recommend this book, it's fascinating, touching, romantic and heartwarming.
February 28, 2017
Magical realism can be such a hit-or-miss for me, but it was so cleverly done in The Lost & Found. Told through alternating points of view, online friends, Frannie and Louis, share a similar problem: Items around them literally disappear.
After the accident that caused Louis' sister to lose her legs, and the incident that lands Frannie's father in jail, the two meet in an online support group for people who have experienced tragedy. A coincidental connection to Austin, Texas sends each of them on a road-trip, not only to meet each other, but to find the answers they're searching for. Along the way, in the most unlikely of places, those items that were once lost somehow magically appear.
"It had found me, and maybe the things we found were the things we really needed, and the things we lost were the things we were never meant to have at all."
Louis' sister and Frannie's adopted cousin from Vietnam were the perfect road-trip companions. They're secondary characters, but they exude life like a main character.
This was an adorable book. It captured the unique bond of online friendships perfectly.
"You're one of the best things to ever come out of the internet."
After the accident that caused Louis' sister to lose her legs, and the incident that lands Frannie's father in jail, the two meet in an online support group for people who have experienced tragedy. A coincidental connection to Austin, Texas sends each of them on a road-trip, not only to meet each other, but to find the answers they're searching for. Along the way, in the most unlikely of places, those items that were once lost somehow magically appear.
"It had found me, and maybe the things we found were the things we really needed, and the things we lost were the things we were never meant to have at all."
Louis' sister and Frannie's adopted cousin from Vietnam were the perfect road-trip companions. They're secondary characters, but they exude life like a main character.
This was an adorable book. It captured the unique bond of online friendships perfectly.
"You're one of the best things to ever come out of the internet."
February 6, 2017
Things I liked:
- the main characters
- the friendship between Frannie and Arrow (yay for girls supporting each other!)
- the diversity rep (bi-racial hero; sister of hero has a disability; mental illness)
- the road trip
- the writing
Things I didn't:
- the magical realism aspect
(though I gotta say that I'm fairly sure that magical realism isn't my thing in general, so this is purely personal preference)
All in all a cute read that I would recommend.
- the main characters
- the friendship between Frannie and Arrow (yay for girls supporting each other!)
- the diversity rep (bi-racial hero; sister of hero has a disability; mental illness)
- the road trip
- the writing
Things I didn't:
- the magical realism aspect
(though I gotta say that I'm fairly sure that magical realism isn't my thing in general, so this is purely personal preference)
All in all a cute read that I would recommend.
November 27, 2016
I really loved this one but it was missing a teeny tiny little something that I cannot put my finger on. Writing style slayed me though - in the best possible way, of course. RTC.
March 8, 2019
4.5 stars
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May 18, 2016I quite liked this! Fun characters, an internet friendship brought into real life, some interesting perspectives, solid secondary characters (Willa in particular was definitely a favorite) and some road tripping - lots of things I like all in one book. I personally was not a huge fan of the single speculative element that, while adding to the book, felt a little cheap to me - showing the connection between two people via stuff that literally cannot have happened makes that connection feel less earned, to me - but there's certainly a pretty, artistic symmetry in it, and that's a wholly subjective thing besides. Also, always nice to see books with both racial diversity and disability representation.
August 22, 2016
2.5
Everyone rated this as a 4 or 5 star, so I'm definitely over here chanting "baa baa black sheep" & I'm sure it's probably just a me thing, but I didn't particularly care for the characters and the one thing that really kept me reading ended up not even having a reason for it so now I'm just kind of mad about even finishing it. :-|
Everyone rated this as a 4 or 5 star, so I'm definitely over here chanting "baa baa black sheep" & I'm sure it's probably just a me thing, but I didn't particularly care for the characters and the one thing that really kept me reading ended up not even having a reason for it so now I'm just kind of mad about even finishing it. :-|
June 25, 2019
Recognising the need for help is already so much of the battle.
While The Half Life of Molly Pierce shook me to my core, this was a more quiet contemporary with a somewhat magical realism element, which I'll get to later!
Louis: He is a biracial (Indian+White), who has panic attacks, previous self harm mentioned, insomnia and general guilt, from a incident involving his sister which left her without legs, which I'll get to later. Honestly, this book has such good therapy rep. I hate books where the character is like: my therapist is out to get me. Your therapist is not out to get you. They are trained professionals who want to help you get better. Katrina Leno has such good mental health rep as shown from The Half Life of Molly Pierce (which, btw, is deeply screwed up and triggering), and (supposedly You Must Not Miss . Anyway, Louis plays tennis, and has been accepted to the University of Texas with a full scholarship to play. Which is why he offers (or agrees, I don't remember!) to go on a road trip to Texas to meet an online pen pal
When I was younger, I would get panic attacks if I watched a clock for too long. It never seemed fair that we were only given one opportunity, one chance, and that even in the second we completed a task it was already behind us. We could never reach it again. We could never test whether it had been the right decision or not. We could only pick a direction - left or right - and commit to it blindly, jumping off the proverbial deep end. Sometimes it was nice, cool water. Sometimes it was sh*t.
Frannie: Has suffered abuse from her parents, having been stabbed with a pen by her dad, and the pens tip has been lodged inside of her. Her dad now in prison, she lives with her mum, until something happens, which means Frannie now lives with her grandparents, and her mum lives in a "gated over 55 community". Until one day, she intercepts a letter for a bill charging her grandparents with a coffin for her mum. Turns out her mum was diagnosed with schizophrenia and has been living in a mental health facility until she killed herself days before. Which is an insane backstory all things considered. Anyway, her mum leaves behind a whole bunch of letters for her, mainly letting her know that her real father is famed actor Wallace Green. So, she leaves on a road trip to find her supposedly real father and meet her online pen pal
Arrow: Joining Frannie on her road trip is her adopted, Vietnamese cousin. She's a pretty cool character, and exhibits signs of (in my opinion) OCD.
Willa: Biracial (Indian+White). At the age of 8, she falls from the fire escape stair case, and is run over by a car. She loses her legs but remains such a strong child. She gets out of therapy before Louis. She loves showing off her prosthetic. She's sweet, and I loved every single sibling moment between her and Louis. There is a scene where she's getting new prosthetic legs, and it doesn't need to be there, but iT DOES?!?!
The magical realism element is just a bit off, although I did suspend my belief and enjoyed the story. Louis and Frannie have been losing things over their life. One moment they're there, the next... *poof*. Then, they start finding each other's stuff over the road trip. I personally think this could've been a really strong contemporary novel without this aspect, although, like I said, I enjoyed it despite.
So yeah, I definitely recommend this book strongly.
Trigger and Content Warnings: PTSD, accused attempted murder, assault, divorce, insomnia, (in my opinion) OCD tendencies, suicide, schizophrenia, cheating, self harm, attachment issues
..........................
I read this for/during Mental Health May!
I also read this during Asian Pacific Heritage Month!
While The Half Life of Molly Pierce shook me to my core, this was a more quiet contemporary with a somewhat magical realism element, which I'll get to later!
Louis: He is a biracial (Indian+White), who has panic attacks, previous self harm mentioned, insomnia and general guilt, from a incident involving his sister which left her without legs, which I'll get to later. Honestly, this book has such good therapy rep. I hate books where the character is like: my therapist is out to get me. Your therapist is not out to get you. They are trained professionals who want to help you get better. Katrina Leno has such good mental health rep as shown from The Half Life of Molly Pierce (which, btw, is deeply screwed up and triggering), and (supposedly You Must Not Miss . Anyway, Louis plays tennis, and has been accepted to the University of Texas with a full scholarship to play. Which is why he offers (or agrees, I don't remember!) to go on a road trip to Texas to meet an online pen pal
When I was younger, I would get panic attacks if I watched a clock for too long. It never seemed fair that we were only given one opportunity, one chance, and that even in the second we completed a task it was already behind us. We could never reach it again. We could never test whether it had been the right decision or not. We could only pick a direction - left or right - and commit to it blindly, jumping off the proverbial deep end. Sometimes it was nice, cool water. Sometimes it was sh*t.
Frannie: Has suffered abuse from her parents, having been stabbed with a pen by her dad, and the pens tip has been lodged inside of her. Her dad now in prison, she lives with her mum, until something happens, which means Frannie now lives with her grandparents, and her mum lives in a "gated over 55 community". Until one day, she intercepts a letter for a bill charging her grandparents with a coffin for her mum. Turns out her mum was diagnosed with schizophrenia and has been living in a mental health facility until she killed herself days before. Which is an insane backstory all things considered. Anyway, her mum leaves behind a whole bunch of letters for her, mainly letting her know that her real father is famed actor Wallace Green. So, she leaves on a road trip to find her supposedly real father and meet her online pen pal
Arrow: Joining Frannie on her road trip is her adopted, Vietnamese cousin. She's a pretty cool character, and exhibits signs of (in my opinion) OCD.
Willa: Biracial (Indian+White). At the age of 8, she falls from the fire escape stair case, and is run over by a car. She loses her legs but remains such a strong child. She gets out of therapy before Louis. She loves showing off her prosthetic. She's sweet, and I loved every single sibling moment between her and Louis. There is a scene where she's getting new prosthetic legs, and it doesn't need to be there, but iT DOES?!?!
The magical realism element is just a bit off, although I did suspend my belief and enjoyed the story. Louis and Frannie have been losing things over their life. One moment they're there, the next... *poof*. Then, they start finding each other's stuff over the road trip. I personally think this could've been a really strong contemporary novel without this aspect, although, like I said, I enjoyed it despite.
So yeah, I definitely recommend this book strongly.
Trigger and Content Warnings: PTSD, accused attempted murder, assault, divorce, insomnia, (in my opinion) OCD tendencies, suicide, schizophrenia, cheating, self harm, attachment issues
..........................
I read this for/during Mental Health May!
I also read this during Asian Pacific Heritage Month!
February 23, 2020
Both Frannie and Louis had lost so much.
Frannie lost both her parents - one, when he stabbed her, the other to mental illness.
Louis lost his feeling of safety and living guilt free, when his twin sister lost her legs.
They found each other via an online therapy site, and had formed a genuine friendship over the years. With their futures up in the air, they decided to drive halfway across the country to take care of some business, and to meet one another. Along they way, objects they had inexplicably lost are found, as they both get closer and closer to finding themselves and inner peace.
This story was so wonderful! It was heartbreaking, heartwarming, amusing, touching, sweet, adorable, and magical. I instantly fell in love with Frannie and Louis, and wanted them to be "found". But, I didn't only fall in love with Frannie and Louis, I fell in love with all the characters in this book. Frannie's grandparents, Louis' sister, Frannie's cousin -- I adored them all. Each played such an important role in this story, and I loved that Leno made them such an integral and vital part of this book. Leno writes books, which captivate me and make me feel so much, and she did so again with The Lost & Found. The ideas presented in the story and the ending left me with a lot of think about, but also left me wanting a sequel.
This was such a lovely journey, and in my mind, I have created so many explanations for what the lost and found objects represent. I shocked myself by getting all choked up at the end too. In a word, this was exquisite!
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Frannie lost both her parents - one, when he stabbed her, the other to mental illness.
Louis lost his feeling of safety and living guilt free, when his twin sister lost her legs.
They found each other via an online therapy site, and had formed a genuine friendship over the years. With their futures up in the air, they decided to drive halfway across the country to take care of some business, and to meet one another. Along they way, objects they had inexplicably lost are found, as they both get closer and closer to finding themselves and inner peace.
This story was so wonderful! It was heartbreaking, heartwarming, amusing, touching, sweet, adorable, and magical. I instantly fell in love with Frannie and Louis, and wanted them to be "found". But, I didn't only fall in love with Frannie and Louis, I fell in love with all the characters in this book. Frannie's grandparents, Louis' sister, Frannie's cousin -- I adored them all. Each played such an important role in this story, and I loved that Leno made them such an integral and vital part of this book. Leno writes books, which captivate me and make me feel so much, and she did so again with The Lost & Found. The ideas presented in the story and the ending left me with a lot of think about, but also left me wanting a sequel.
This was such a lovely journey, and in my mind, I have created so many explanations for what the lost and found objects represent. I shocked myself by getting all choked up at the end too. In a word, this was exquisite!
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
July 16, 2016
The Lost & Found was actually this close to getting an "Incredible" rating. And honestly, it would have if only the ending had satisfied me a bit more. It was unfortunately quite open and abrupt. I really didn't like the last line, which just seemed quite jarring. I don't usually mind open endings in contemporary novels, as that's what most YA contemporaries these days seem to have anyway, but I like to have a little bit more closure than what The Lost & Found gave me.
Anyway, taking a step back from the ending, I quite liked the dash of magical realism included in this book- not so often that you see those in YA. I still think the book was mostly a contemporary novel, and if I had to name it as one genre, it would be contemporary. The magical realism aspect didn't play a large role as it does in something like The Raven Cycle, and was in there as a bit of a quirk, so to speak.
It was great how effortlessly Leno was able to drop diversity into the characters without making it seem forced. Too often, it seems like a random gay character or an Asian character is thrown in to be all "look at how diverse my book is!", but that's definitely not the case in this book. Leno was also quite fantastic at developing the relationships between the characters, with a big emphasis of friendship and family rather than simply on the romance.
This was my first book by Leno, and I'm sure that it won't be my last. The Lost & Found has shown me just how impressive an author she is.
Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Cover: 3.5/5
Anyway, taking a step back from the ending, I quite liked the dash of magical realism included in this book- not so often that you see those in YA. I still think the book was mostly a contemporary novel, and if I had to name it as one genre, it would be contemporary. The magical realism aspect didn't play a large role as it does in something like The Raven Cycle, and was in there as a bit of a quirk, so to speak.
It was great how effortlessly Leno was able to drop diversity into the characters without making it seem forced. Too often, it seems like a random gay character or an Asian character is thrown in to be all "look at how diverse my book is!", but that's definitely not the case in this book. Leno was also quite fantastic at developing the relationships between the characters, with a big emphasis of friendship and family rather than simply on the romance.
This was my first book by Leno, and I'm sure that it won't be my last. The Lost & Found has shown me just how impressive an author she is.
Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Cover: 3.5/5
February 7, 2017
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
This was so different from most of the other contemporary books I've read! It was sweet, innocent, incredibly funny, and had a somewhat magical twist that really set it apart. All of the characters, even the secondary ones, were extremely well-developed, which is something that's not always done well in shorter novels.
I'm a bit sad that it wasn't longer, mainly because I would have liked to spend more time with the characters. However, I will say that the ending was the perfect balance between being satisfying enough to make me happy with the way it ended, while also leaving enough questions unanswered to leave me wanting more.
This was so different from most of the other contemporary books I've read! It was sweet, innocent, incredibly funny, and had a somewhat magical twist that really set it apart. All of the characters, even the secondary ones, were extremely well-developed, which is something that's not always done well in shorter novels.
I'm a bit sad that it wasn't longer, mainly because I would have liked to spend more time with the characters. However, I will say that the ending was the perfect balance between being satisfying enough to make me happy with the way it ended, while also leaving enough questions unanswered to leave me wanting more.
November 27, 2018
"The Lost & Found" is a delightful story about two teens losing things, discovering new things about themselves and their relatives, and is a cute story about two internet friends meeting one another. It's fluffy, light, funny, and a hidden gem.
I give this book four stars because while it is witty, it lacks a sophistication. It isn't anything new but it is something good. It's worth reading if you want to read a light book about characters finding themselves and each other. Or worth reading if you need a book with some zany dialogue. The protagonists are both fantastic and I wanted more. That's why four stars!🌝❤
Again, this novel is definitely a hidden gem. Check it out - you won't be disappointed.
I give this book four stars because while it is witty, it lacks a sophistication. It isn't anything new but it is something good. It's worth reading if you want to read a light book about characters finding themselves and each other. Or worth reading if you need a book with some zany dialogue. The protagonists are both fantastic and I wanted more. That's why four stars!🌝❤
Again, this novel is definitely a hidden gem. Check it out - you won't be disappointed.
April 4, 2018
Sigh. After four decades of reading YA lit, I don't do disability YA anymore. So was I ever relieved to find this isn't, not really. Instead, it's lovable-thinking-kid YA. Family-of-oddballs YA. Pretty much exactly what Sharon Creech was doing twenty years ago, but with texting and a few "fucks" tossed in, y'know, to keep it relevant. And apparently to forever keep it off of Catholic high school summer reading lists.
keywords: liiiiaaars, loss of f-a-c-u-l-t-i-e-s, it was here just a minute ago, shiva for gentiles, where'd he find a fountain pen in this day and age, p is for portals, road trip!
keywords: liiiiaaars, loss of f-a-c-u-l-t-i-e-s, it was here just a minute ago, shiva for gentiles, where'd he find a fountain pen in this day and age, p is for portals, road trip!
October 27, 2020
Just found out that this book was written by the same author who wrote one of my favs The Half Life of Molly Pierce.
The Lost & Found was an amazing story and I loooved it how they found things the other had lost. It's just such a great idea for a book! That magical touch made the books so much better.
The Lost & Found was an amazing story and I loooved it how they found things the other had lost. It's just such a great idea for a book! That magical touch made the books so much better.
January 14, 2016
Absolutely amazing. People are going to love these characters.
July 31, 2017
This was a really enjoyable novel. Overall, the diversity was done quite well, and I loved the intersecting plotlines and the themes of healing and friendship.
A small list of all the diversity in this novel
• Willa and Louis are half-Indian
• Willa is disabled (she has two prosthetic legs)
• Arrow is adopted from Vietnam
• Frances lives with her grandparents (idk if this counts but that is a discussion for another time)
• Frances is suffering from grief and maybe mild depression (as a result of domestic upheaval and violence, I don’t exactly know)
• Louis has severe anxiety and suffers from panic attacks
So far, so good. Intersectionality is great, right? I don’t know how good the representations of disability, adoption, Vietnamese culture, and mental health disorders are, because that’s not something I’ve experienced, but it was something which came up often, influenced how a character behaved (e.g. Arrow liking Vietnamese food and knowing that people looked at her differently because she was Asian; Frances’s memories of her when she had just been adopted, Willa’s nervousness about new legs, Louis’s fear of panic attacks and attempts to avoid them). These various elements of the characters identities were discussed and formed part of how they interacted with others. (do you sense a but coming?) But, I was really unhappy with the half Indian representation. I am a half Indian myself, so I always love seeing characters like me on the page. But this is how the fact that Willa and Louis were Indian manifested in the story
• They had an Indian last name
• Louis mentions his dad going to India and the fact that he has been to India too
• probably a couple of mentions of skin/hair which I missed
And look, half-Indians can, of course, live in LA and get run over and drive around in cars and have anxiety disorders and play tennis; in other words, live a fairly typical upper middle class life with their average share of tragedy and success. But if you’re going to make being Indian be part of a character’s identity, you could at least mention them eating dahl, or going to the gurudwara or missing mangoes or wearing a kurta or SOMETHING.
Road trip books are always fun, and the magical realism link between the characters journey’s made everything more fun, though it was kind of obvious. I think that extra layer of quirkiness was a big, important part of the story, and I’m so glad it was there, that there was an answer to all the questions but not quite a resolution. The meetings worked out as you might expect, and I was satisfied with how the characters ended.
I really liked how family was a big part of the story. It’s so nice when families in books are also friends with each other, and that element was maybe my favourite thing about the story. Through their friendship and their faith in each other, Willa and Louis and Arrow and Frances are able to journey to a more complete understanding of themselves, not just based of complicated, writhing pasts, but on thriving possibilities in the future.
So while I wish that Leno hadn’t had half Indian characters if her portrayal of them was going to be so shallow, I really appreciated the hope and comfort of this story.
A small list of all the diversity in this novel
• Willa and Louis are half-Indian
• Willa is disabled (she has two prosthetic legs)
• Arrow is adopted from Vietnam
• Frances lives with her grandparents (idk if this counts but that is a discussion for another time)
• Frances is suffering from grief and maybe mild depression (as a result of domestic upheaval and violence, I don’t exactly know)
• Louis has severe anxiety and suffers from panic attacks
So far, so good. Intersectionality is great, right? I don’t know how good the representations of disability, adoption, Vietnamese culture, and mental health disorders are, because that’s not something I’ve experienced, but it was something which came up often, influenced how a character behaved (e.g. Arrow liking Vietnamese food and knowing that people looked at her differently because she was Asian; Frances’s memories of her when she had just been adopted, Willa’s nervousness about new legs, Louis’s fear of panic attacks and attempts to avoid them). These various elements of the characters identities were discussed and formed part of how they interacted with others. (do you sense a but coming?) But, I was really unhappy with the half Indian representation. I am a half Indian myself, so I always love seeing characters like me on the page. But this is how the fact that Willa and Louis were Indian manifested in the story
• They had an Indian last name
• Louis mentions his dad going to India and the fact that he has been to India too
• probably a couple of mentions of skin/hair which I missed
And look, half-Indians can, of course, live in LA and get run over and drive around in cars and have anxiety disorders and play tennis; in other words, live a fairly typical upper middle class life with their average share of tragedy and success. But if you’re going to make being Indian be part of a character’s identity, you could at least mention them eating dahl, or going to the gurudwara or missing mangoes or wearing a kurta or SOMETHING.
Road trip books are always fun, and the magical realism link between the characters journey’s made everything more fun, though it was kind of obvious. I think that extra layer of quirkiness was a big, important part of the story, and I’m so glad it was there, that there was an answer to all the questions but not quite a resolution. The meetings worked out as you might expect, and I was satisfied with how the characters ended.
I really liked how family was a big part of the story. It’s so nice when families in books are also friends with each other, and that element was maybe my favourite thing about the story. Through their friendship and their faith in each other, Willa and Louis and Arrow and Frances are able to journey to a more complete understanding of themselves, not just based of complicated, writhing pasts, but on thriving possibilities in the future.
So while I wish that Leno hadn’t had half Indian characters if her portrayal of them was going to be so shallow, I really appreciated the hope and comfort of this story.
January 17, 2020
4.5 stars!!!
This was my fourth Katrina Leno book (I am catching up on her back list - the story behind that is in my review of The Half Life of Molly Pierce, which can be found here) and by the time I started this book, I knew I could trust Katrina to deliver completely.
It's really hard to properly describe quite what I love about her books -- it's going to sound like a combination of vague "just read and see" type qualities, but I'll try my best. Her books are charming, characters down-to-earth, plots simple but interesting. Her stories are full of moments you want to hug and moments that break your heart. She writes in true diversity seamlessly and so, so well. Everything about her books feel perfectly natural -- even the magical realism bits (which The Lost & Found has). Her humor is subtle but makes me laugh for inordinate amounts of time. And above all, her characters have such a strong sense of self -- she has that hard-to-capture perfect story voice.
The Lost & Found perfectly encapsulates all of the things I love about Katrina Leno's writing. It's about family dynamics and finding love and guilt and siblings and road trips and truth and trauma and it's somehow both heart-wrenching and adorable all at once. I highly, highly recommend giving it a read!
This was my fourth Katrina Leno book (I am catching up on her back list - the story behind that is in my review of The Half Life of Molly Pierce, which can be found here) and by the time I started this book, I knew I could trust Katrina to deliver completely.
It's really hard to properly describe quite what I love about her books -- it's going to sound like a combination of vague "just read and see" type qualities, but I'll try my best. Her books are charming, characters down-to-earth, plots simple but interesting. Her stories are full of moments you want to hug and moments that break your heart. She writes in true diversity seamlessly and so, so well. Everything about her books feel perfectly natural -- even the magical realism bits (which The Lost & Found has). Her humor is subtle but makes me laugh for inordinate amounts of time. And above all, her characters have such a strong sense of self -- she has that hard-to-capture perfect story voice.
The Lost & Found perfectly encapsulates all of the things I love about Katrina Leno's writing. It's about family dynamics and finding love and guilt and siblings and road trips and truth and trauma and it's somehow both heart-wrenching and adorable all at once. I highly, highly recommend giving it a read!
September 10, 2019
3.5
I found this to be a tad underwhelming. I think Katrina Leno is a truly talented author, her characters are stunning, but I felt the plot to be a bit lacking in this one.
I found this to be a tad underwhelming. I think Katrina Leno is a truly talented author, her characters are stunning, but I felt the plot to be a bit lacking in this one.
April 29, 2021
(4.5 stars) I feel like the ending wasn't quite what I wanted, but overall I loved this book. Great characters with great dynamics (funny dialogue!) and a magical little twist that tugs at my heart.
January 13, 2022
At first i was hooked by the tragedy of the twins. I was really shocked and wanted to know the whole story. Sprinkle by the dust of magical about how the things get lost and always find a way to be found again. Other than that this book doesn’t have strong main point. I know it didn’t get my attraction anymore when i just want to finish this book.
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