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Micropowers #1
Lost and Found
“Are you really a thief?”
That’s the question that has haunted fourteen-year-old Ezekiel Blast all his life. But he’s not a thief, he just has a talent for finding things. Not a superpower—a micropower. Because what good is finding lost bicycles and hair scrunchies, especially when you return them to their owners and everyone thinks you must have stolen them in the first place? If only there were some way to use Ezekiel’s micropower for good, to turn a curse into a blessing. His friend Beth thinks there must be, and so does a police detective investigating the disappearance of a little girl. When tragedy strikes, it’s up to Ezekiel to use his talent to find what matters most.
Master storyteller Orson Scott Card delivers a touching and funny, compelling and smart novel about growing up, harnessing your potential, and finding your place in the world, no matter how old you are.
That’s the question that has haunted fourteen-year-old Ezekiel Blast all his life. But he’s not a thief, he just has a talent for finding things. Not a superpower—a micropower. Because what good is finding lost bicycles and hair scrunchies, especially when you return them to their owners and everyone thinks you must have stolen them in the first place? If only there were some way to use Ezekiel’s micropower for good, to turn a curse into a blessing. His friend Beth thinks there must be, and so does a police detective investigating the disappearance of a little girl. When tragedy strikes, it’s up to Ezekiel to use his talent to find what matters most.
Master storyteller Orson Scott Card delivers a touching and funny, compelling and smart novel about growing up, harnessing your potential, and finding your place in the world, no matter how old you are.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2019
237 people are currently reading
6782 people want to read
About the author
Orson Scott Card
615 books20.7k followersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 854 reviews
November 5, 2019
Upping my rating to a solid 4 stars. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Fourteen-year-old Ezekiel has a special power. Not a superpower; though, just a small power: he’s drawn to lost items — hair scrunchies, toys, and even bikes — combined with the innate knowledge of who the owners are and where to go to return the items, and a strong compulsion to return them. Unfortunately, this hasn’t worked out so well for Ezekiel: everyone thinks he stole the things and returned them for the attention or a reward. He’s got quite a file with the police by the time he’s a teenager, and that, combined with his mother’s tragic death when he was four, has made Ezekiel an embittered social pariah. Ezekiel’s actual last name is Bliss, but in his own mind he calls himself Ezekiel Blast.
So when Beth, a tiny classmate with proportionate dwarfism, insists on joining him on his lonely walk to and from school, he actively tries to discourage her overtures of friendship. And when a detective begs him to try to use his talent to find a missing six-year-old girl, Ezekiel does his best to shut that down too. In any case, as he explains to Detective Shank, his power doesn’t work on anything living. But sometimes it’s not so easy to say no, either to friendship or an urgent request for help. With Beth’s and others’ help, Ezekiel starts to explore ways to expand the usefulness of his micropower … an exploration that’s kicked into higher gear when another terrible event occurs.
In Lost and Found, Orson Scott Card begins with a superpowered teenager and a mystery, a common enough theme, but approaches it from a different direction and with unusual thoughtfulness for the genre. Card’s works frequently feature an intelligent person with unusual talents who is having trouble fitting into society (and typically that’s society’s problem, not the individual’s). As a result, the dialogue is sharp and witty, if a little unrealistic.
Content notes: Though Lost and Found has a pair of young teens as its main characters, it’s written on an older level and there are disturbing elements to the plot. Detective Shank tells Ezekiel, fairly early on, that young girls are being kidnapped by guys for child pornography and snuff film purposes, and that plays out in the plot. The punches are pulled to some extent, since this is a YA novel, but it’s not for very young or sensitive readers.
Fourteen-year-old Ezekiel has a special power. Not a superpower; though, just a small power: he’s drawn to lost items — hair scrunchies, toys, and even bikes — combined with the innate knowledge of who the owners are and where to go to return the items, and a strong compulsion to return them. Unfortunately, this hasn’t worked out so well for Ezekiel: everyone thinks he stole the things and returned them for the attention or a reward. He’s got quite a file with the police by the time he’s a teenager, and that, combined with his mother’s tragic death when he was four, has made Ezekiel an embittered social pariah. Ezekiel’s actual last name is Bliss, but in his own mind he calls himself Ezekiel Blast.
So when Beth, a tiny classmate with proportionate dwarfism, insists on joining him on his lonely walk to and from school, he actively tries to discourage her overtures of friendship. And when a detective begs him to try to use his talent to find a missing six-year-old girl, Ezekiel does his best to shut that down too. In any case, as he explains to Detective Shank, his power doesn’t work on anything living. But sometimes it’s not so easy to say no, either to friendship or an urgent request for help. With Beth’s and others’ help, Ezekiel starts to explore ways to expand the usefulness of his micropower … an exploration that’s kicked into higher gear when another terrible event occurs.
In Lost and Found, Orson Scott Card begins with a superpowered teenager and a mystery, a common enough theme, but approaches it from a different direction and with unusual thoughtfulness for the genre. Card’s works frequently feature an intelligent person with unusual talents who is having trouble fitting into society (and typically that’s society’s problem, not the individual’s). As a result, the dialogue is sharp and witty, if a little unrealistic.
“Now I am an efflorescent adolescent.”I’m not sure who really speaks like that, especially if they’re fourteen, but it does make for interesting reading. Ezekiel, in his justifiable bitterness, goes overboard with his snark and even some quite rude name-calling. But the heartening part is that he has people around him who are willing to dig past his surliness to find the lonely person within who needs their care and understanding. This novel makes several worthwhile points about values like trust, friendship and love.
Beth whooped in delight. “Efflorescent adolescent,” she repeated. Then her lips moved as she subvocalized it several times. “Such a cool euphemism for acne.”
“So you have to move your lips to memorize.”
“Memory is more about sound than sight, and more about kinetics than optics,” said Beth.
“I’m really sorry. I was so focused on that lost girl, and I only just now got it that we lost you a long time ago.”Too many young adult novels have parents and other adults who are either absent or oblivious, but Ezekiel’s father (a butcher, not a doctor or lawyer) is actively involved in Ezekiel’s life, communicates with him in a meaningful way, and actually joins Ezekiel and helps when events reach their crisis point. It’s almost stunning. This sensitivity and attention to interpersonal relationships and characters’ deeper motivations are another distinguishing point in Card’s works, and I generally come away feeling enriched. Lost and Found is a much different story than Ender's Game or Speaker for the Dead (still my favorite OSC novel), but you can tell they’re by the same author, and all are thought-provoking science fiction.
Content notes: Though Lost and Found has a pair of young teens as its main characters, it’s written on an older level and there are disturbing elements to the plot. Detective Shank tells Ezekiel, fairly early on, that young girls are being kidnapped by guys for child pornography and snuff film purposes, and that plays out in the plot. The punches are pulled to some extent, since this is a YA novel, but it’s not for very young or sensitive readers.
August 19, 2019
Some good bits, some just average.
* the characters were not especially likeable except for Ezekiel's dad, who was great!
* the dialogue was occasionally funny, sometimes snappy and smart, sometimes verging on infantile and not funny at all.
* the story was good and went in some interesting directions.
* there was too much internal monologue on various social issues.
Overall it was a readable book, somewhat entertaining, but I guess I expected more from this author.
* the characters were not especially likeable except for Ezekiel's dad, who was great!
* the dialogue was occasionally funny, sometimes snappy and smart, sometimes verging on infantile and not funny at all.
* the story was good and went in some interesting directions.
* there was too much internal monologue on various social issues.
Overall it was a readable book, somewhat entertaining, but I guess I expected more from this author.
September 13, 2019
A compelling read, written in a very simple and engaging way, the book touches upon some very dark topics, so I probably wouldn't recommend it to middle graders, but rather to slightly older teenagers. The protagonist Ezekiel is 14 years old, so perhaps this is the target age, although the story flows so easily that you might first think it was written for younger audience.
Ezekiel Bliss (or Ezekiel Blast as he keeps calling himself -names are important to him) is an outsider. In fact, other teenagers give him a wide birth and even crss to the other side whenever he approaches. The reason for all this is that Ezekiel has a reputation of being a thief and who would like to be friends with somebody you cannot trust? One day a girl from his school, short enough to seem to be a six or seven year old, although she is actually 13, starts walking next to him. She also tries to engage him into a conversation and break into Ezekiel's 'shunning bubble'. Beth is the first and only person who actually wants to know his real story. It turns out Ezekiel has never stolen a single thing in his life. it's just that he has a special talent. Lost objects seem to call to him and ask to be returned to their rightful owners. When it started happening, Ezekiel was just six and returned his first object- a newand shiny bike- and was promptly accused of having stolen it in the first place. Years and years of police interviews and pages and pages in his school and police files, Ezekiel learnt a few survival techniques.First of all, never return the object directly. Secondly, do not trust the authorities, including teachers, school counsellors and police officers. When a new counsellor suggests that Ezekiel should join a scientific study, his father first checks this is not a new attempt to make his son have therapy 'to cure him of something'. The Group of rare and Useless Talents (GRUT) meets once a week and does resemble group terapy sessions, although the main objective is to let the teenagers understand the limits of their micropowers (as opposed to 'superpowers') better. Some of them are uttely bizarre such as knowing if somebody's navel is of an in or out kind or forcing somebody yawn in an uncontrolled manner. Beth encourages Ezekiel to do a few experiments to see how far his own unusual talent extends. Unfortunately, Ezekiel and Beth fall out and she walks away without the protection of Ezekiel's company. Because this is exactly what she needed him for first- protection from school bullies ready to pounce on a little defenceless person. Only then they became friends, unlikely, improbable, mismatched friends, who would do anything for each other. When Ezekiel is asked by a police officer to help him find a kidnapped little girl, he cannot even share the story with Beth who appears to have gone somewhere with her mother. But has she really?
The story makes a compulsive reading. There are twists and turns, and dark discoveries that made me revise my initial idea of the target audience. It did raise a question of what kind of topics we should include or exclude from YA books. The content warnings for this book include: death of a parent, child kidnapping and child pornography. There are no graphic descriptions and the issues are dealt with maximum sensitivity. Should we let our children that, although mercifully rare, these things exist? We do not learn much about the main villains in the book (apart from a few details about one of the kidnappers), so the picture is black and white here.
Ezekiel and Beth make fantastic protagonists. Despite the dark things that happened to them, they are still typical teenagers: smart and sarcastic, looking for love and friendship, exploring what their limits are and what they can do to make a difference in other people's lives. The relationship between Ezekiel and his father was so loving and tender that it brought tears to my eyes. The police officer who trusted Ezekiel to help him with the investigation is a secondary character, but he also helps to explore some very important questions such as what does it mean to be friends with somebody, especially if we are talking about different ages. The GRUT guys deserve a special mention. I would have loved to get to know them better, but I do understand that to keep the story focused and streamlined, the author needed to make some sacrifices.
A moving story of finding friends and dealing with loss, Lost and Found is a powerful book that explores important topics in an absorbing and highly readable way.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
August 28, 2019
Fourteen year old Ezekiel Blast has a talent ('micropower') for finding lost things and being able to sense who lost them. However, returning lost things to their owners has got him labelled as a thief and by the time he got to high school he was shunned by everyone and had no friends. That is until Beth Sorenson, a very smart thirteen year old and fellow outcast as a result of her dwarfism, decides to walk with him to and from school starting an unusual friendship.
I'll be interested to see if YA readers like this better than I did. This is not Orson Scott Card at his best, although it has its moments and is very readable. I found the constant smart, snarky banter between Ezekiel and Beth and his father a little unrelenting for even a bitter, lonely teenager. In many places less would have been better and sharper. The plot also felt like it could have been developed more to extend the drama and action, particularly in the first half of the novel. I felt the inclusion of other teens with micropowers was also underdeveloped and the group could have been better utilised in the plot. The suggestion that together they could potentiate each other was never clearly demonstrated or explored. However, I think that teenage fans of Orson Scott Card will nevertheless enjoy this ya novel.
With thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for a digital ARC to read.
I'll be interested to see if YA readers like this better than I did. This is not Orson Scott Card at his best, although it has its moments and is very readable. I found the constant smart, snarky banter between Ezekiel and Beth and his father a little unrelenting for even a bitter, lonely teenager. In many places less would have been better and sharper. The plot also felt like it could have been developed more to extend the drama and action, particularly in the first half of the novel. I felt the inclusion of other teens with micropowers was also underdeveloped and the group could have been better utilised in the plot. The suggestion that together they could potentiate each other was never clearly demonstrated or explored. However, I think that teenage fans of Orson Scott Card will nevertheless enjoy this ya novel.
With thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for a digital ARC to read.
July 7, 2019
A very lite fare for non-discriminating YA readers. Sure, it reads fast with some interesting and likable characters, but there's nothing stand-out about this. Snark, check. Minor superpowers so minor that they're MircoPowers, like being able to find lost objects? Check. Murder, kidnapping, and fairly dark situations for a couple of new teens? Check.
What are we expecting, really? A YA version of that recent defunct tv show called The Finder. Or back it up to the rather huge quasi-genre of psychic detectives in general, and you'll get a pretty good idea about the kind of book you'll be picking up.
Is this anything like early Card? No.
Is it okay for the general throwaway YA market, being pleasing and usual and cute and uplifting as a result of getting through all the dark stuff? Yes. I actually enjoyed it for what it is. Lite fare. ... And there's nothing wrong with this. Unfortunately, nothing really stands out about it other than the solid characters.
What are we expecting, really? A YA version of that recent defunct tv show called The Finder. Or back it up to the rather huge quasi-genre of psychic detectives in general, and you'll get a pretty good idea about the kind of book you'll be picking up.
Is this anything like early Card? No.
Is it okay for the general throwaway YA market, being pleasing and usual and cute and uplifting as a result of getting through all the dark stuff? Yes. I actually enjoyed it for what it is. Lite fare. ... And there's nothing wrong with this. Unfortunately, nothing really stands out about it other than the solid characters.
March 26, 2020
3.5 STARS! Brilliant, and yet lacking.
You know, I've always wondered—we say my eyes stung or burst or burned, and all that is good and true, but to me it feels more like being stung by a vicious bug and starting to swell up and then generally failing to be of any use.
And reading this book, my eyes were stung by a vicious bug and started swelling up and generally failed to be of any use.
Lost and Found could've easily been a five-star read; it had everything: clever, weird, and creative observations and ideas; amazing, thrilling plot, unforgettable characters; unique magic-micropower-whatever-you-wanna-call-it; and much witty, hilarious dialogue.
The only problem (which is also kind of a big one) is that the whole book was an endless string of dialogue, sprinkled with occasional endless streams of thought. There were no descriptions of anything. At all. Places? Barely. People? What. Expressions? Haha. Tones? Don't even think about it. Feelings? What are they even. The fact that the characters had actually left the house and were walking to other houses? Duh. Even plays include a note on tone or movements of the characters. It felt like only reading the subtitles of a spectacular film, if the subtitles also included conversations in our heads as well as on our lips.
Yes, those were all awesome, fantastic, perfetto, but they weren't enough. Seriously, this is Orson Card! Sure, I haven't read anything else by him yet but, I mean, it's Orson Card. Truth, I can see why Orson Card is Orson Card, the genius in this book is testament enough. And truth, this was an ARC. But. I can't believe they gave out ARCs at such an early stage and that the finished copy would actually have the missing 100-150 pages of...well...everything.
All that aside, I truly enjoyed this book. Hell, I even loved it. And no, I didn't mind that most all the characters sounded the same smart-snotty, because it was such an entertaining, brilliant, creative smart-snotty that I couldn't help but crave more despite it being quite unrealistic.
I loved it, and it drove me utterly insane.
I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing!
“Look, Ezekiel Blast, the past is like gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe. When bad stuff first happens, it’s like when the gum is sticking to everything—the road, the sidewalk. And you can’t wear that shoe into the house because it will get all involved in the carpet and the bathroom rug, but when you try to scrape it off on the edge of the sidewalk or the edge of the porch, or you try to rub it off in the grass, it won’t come off. So you have to just live with it. You walk along, your foot trying to stick with every step, but gradually as the gum gets dirtier and dries out more and more, it loses its stickiness. And eventually, without ever actually removing it, you forget the gum is there. Except maybe on a hot day the gum gets soft and a little sticky again, and you think, Oh, yeah, gum on my shoe.”
You know, I've always wondered—we say my eyes stung or burst or burned, and all that is good and true, but to me it feels more like being stung by a vicious bug and starting to swell up and then generally failing to be of any use.
And reading this book, my eyes were stung by a vicious bug and started swelling up and generally failed to be of any use.
Lost and Found could've easily been a five-star read; it had everything: clever, weird, and creative observations and ideas; amazing, thrilling plot, unforgettable characters; unique magic-micropower-whatever-you-wanna-call-it; and much witty, hilarious dialogue.
The only problem (which is also kind of a big one) is that the whole book was an endless string of dialogue, sprinkled with occasional endless streams of thought. There were no descriptions of anything. At all. Places? Barely. People? What. Expressions? Haha. Tones? Don't even think about it. Feelings? What are they even. The fact that the characters had actually left the house and were walking to other houses? Duh. Even plays include a note on tone or movements of the characters. It felt like only reading the subtitles of a spectacular film, if the subtitles also included conversations in our heads as well as on our lips.
Yes, those were all awesome, fantastic, perfetto, but they weren't enough. Seriously, this is Orson Card! Sure, I haven't read anything else by him yet but, I mean, it's Orson Card. Truth, I can see why Orson Card is Orson Card, the genius in this book is testament enough. And truth, this was an ARC. But. I can't believe they gave out ARCs at such an early stage and that the finished copy would actually have the missing 100-150 pages of...well...everything.
All that aside, I truly enjoyed this book. Hell, I even loved it. And no, I didn't mind that most all the characters sounded the same smart-snotty, because it was such an entertaining, brilliant, creative smart-snotty that I couldn't help but crave more despite it being quite unrealistic.
I loved it, and it drove me utterly insane.
“It’s driving me crazy.”
“We’re all just a quick bike ride from crazy, Ezekiel,”said Dad. “It almost never requires any driving.”
“Dad, I carry crazy in my pocket all the time and keep taking it out to look at it...makes me wonder if it’s sanity I keep in my pocket and it only looks like crazy because I’m already bonkers.”
“As good a description of human life as I’ve ever heard,” said Father.
I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing!
September 5, 2019
Ezekiel is almost 15 and in ninth grade at Downy High School. His usual mood is one of “resentful loneliness”. The other kids have actively avoided him since the fifth grade because they think he’s a thief, although he isn’t. He actually has a micropower, which enables him to find things that are lost and return them to their owner.
Ezekiel’s micropower is of interest to Dr. Withunga, who runs the Group of Rare and Useless Talents (GRUT). The others in the group also have their own individual talents, which run the gamut from being able to make people yawn to knowing if someone’s belly button is an innie or an outie when they’re fully clothed. While these talents are used by the participants they’re not exactly lining up to save the world with them. These are micropowers, after all; there’s no one from DC or Marvel in sight.
Until Ezekiel is approached by a police officer with an unusual request. Help him find a missing girl. Except Ezekiel has never found a person before, only objects. Scrunchies appear to be a particular forte.
I was really excited to read this book. I love anything superhero related so figured anything even hinting at micro heroes would be right up my alley. I’ve had Ender’s Game on my TBR pile for years but this is my first Orson Scott Card read. I’m not sure if there’ll be a second.
I loved the concept and there were sections of this book I would have loved as a kid. I’m certain I would have spent considerable time figuring out what my micropower would/should be and I would have cheered Ezekiel on as he figured out what he was truly capable of.
Adult me is conflicted. I had trouble figuring out the audience for this book. The writing felt like I was reading a middle grade book but then very dark themes were introduced, which would be more suitable for older readers.
I found the reveals predictable and I didn’t like most of the characters. Ezekiel could be a semi thoughtful human being at times but when he was in “brat mode” I found him insufferable. Besides knowing which character had which micropower, the kids in GRUT were fairly interchangeable. No one had a distinct voice and practically everyone in this book was trying to out-snark each another.
While I usually enjoy banter it exhausted me here. Most of the characters spoke almost exclusively in sarcasm (I would usually love this) but there was a lot of dialogue that was mean, rude and offensive.
I wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall with the sentences that irritated me and needed to switch my brain into ‘don’t question this’ mode whenever law enforcement allowed children to be involved in their investigation. What police officer would allow a child to be
Some conversations had me scratching my head:
Although it’s made clear that Beth has her own mind, and a very intelligent one at that, Ezekiel and her father both take it upon themselves to speak on her behalf towards the end of the book. At no time has she requested this. She even annoyed me at times. Even though I assumed this was sarcastic, when discussing who could own a lost toy cement mixer, she comes up with, “With a truck it has to be a boy.”
The experiences is glossed over and there are unanswered questions, like .
Content warnings include . Oh, and if you haven’t read it already, this book spoils the ending of Charlotte’s Web.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
It was as if he had been born with this mission in life: to see that all lost things were returned.Beth is almost 14 but is in tenth grade and declares she’s “smart enough for college”. She tells Ezekiel she’s “a proportionate dwarf” and her height is referenced at every opportunity during the book, often in offensive ways. Beth is Ezekiel’s only friend.
Ezekiel’s micropower is of interest to Dr. Withunga, who runs the Group of Rare and Useless Talents (GRUT). The others in the group also have their own individual talents, which run the gamut from being able to make people yawn to knowing if someone’s belly button is an innie or an outie when they’re fully clothed. While these talents are used by the participants they’re not exactly lining up to save the world with them. These are micropowers, after all; there’s no one from DC or Marvel in sight.
Until Ezekiel is approached by a police officer with an unusual request. Help him find a missing girl. Except Ezekiel has never found a person before, only objects. Scrunchies appear to be a particular forte.
I was really excited to read this book. I love anything superhero related so figured anything even hinting at micro heroes would be right up my alley. I’ve had Ender’s Game on my TBR pile for years but this is my first Orson Scott Card read. I’m not sure if there’ll be a second.
I loved the concept and there were sections of this book I would have loved as a kid. I’m certain I would have spent considerable time figuring out what my micropower would/should be and I would have cheered Ezekiel on as he figured out what he was truly capable of.
Adult me is conflicted. I had trouble figuring out the audience for this book. The writing felt like I was reading a middle grade book but then very dark themes were introduced, which would be more suitable for older readers.
I found the reveals predictable and I didn’t like most of the characters. Ezekiel could be a semi thoughtful human being at times but when he was in “brat mode” I found him insufferable. Besides knowing which character had which micropower, the kids in GRUT were fairly interchangeable. No one had a distinct voice and practically everyone in this book was trying to out-snark each another.
While I usually enjoy banter it exhausted me here. Most of the characters spoke almost exclusively in sarcasm (I would usually love this) but there was a lot of dialogue that was mean, rude and offensive.
I wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall with the sentences that irritated me and needed to switch my brain into ‘don’t question this’ mode whenever law enforcement allowed children to be involved in their investigation. What police officer would allow a child to be
Some conversations had me scratching my head:
“But that’s how scared I am, Dad. I’m just shaking. Like I’m freezing cold.”Others infuriated me with their poor taste, even if they were intended to be sarcastic. A psychology professor calls Beth Ezekiel’s “companion animal” and doesn’t seem to understand why Beth can’t see the “joke”. I almost refused to keep reading because of the flippant use of ‘crazy’ and ‘insane’, like when Ezekiel “played the crazy-kid card”. And who thought this was a good sentence:
“It’s going to be a chilly night, maybe under forty. It really is getting cold.”
Although it’s made clear that Beth has her own mind, and a very intelligent one at that, Ezekiel and her father both take it upon themselves to speak on her behalf towards the end of the book. At no time has she requested this. She even annoyed me at times. Even though I assumed this was sarcastic, when discussing who could own a lost toy cement mixer, she comes up with, “With a truck it has to be a boy.”
The experiences is glossed over and there are unanswered questions, like .
Content warnings include . Oh, and if you haven’t read it already, this book spoils the ending of Charlotte’s Web.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
September 11, 2019
Rating: 3.5 curious stars rounded up to 4 stars
This was such an interesting book. Orson Scott Card took me on a really unique reading experience. This Young Adult book slotted, as in the Sci-Fi genre was not was I expecting to read at all. I was pleasantly surprised it get to know Ezekiel Bliss/Blast and most of the characters that surrounded him. Ninth grader, Ezekiel has a not a superpower, but a micropower that enables him to find lost things. He then feels compelled to try to find the owner of the objects, which has gotten him into trouble in the past because the assumption is that he has stolen the item, not simply found it.
What I especially loved about the storytelling in this book was that the dialogue was so clever. Pay close attention while reading this book. It is often subtle. The book is so funny when you catch the irony and the understated humor. It can also be heartbreaking. I imagine Ezekiel as somewhere on the autism spectrum, or in the genius IQ range. I can’t decide which. Either way he can be obstinate in his logic that to him sees perfectly correct.
Ezekiel and his friend Beth join a research group to if they can harness their micropowers to provide some good in the world. However, all may not be as it seems on the surface. This is a bit of a family drama, a coming-of-age story, and a quirky sci-fi adventure. Keep reading. This is a good one!
‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Blackstone Publishing; and the author, Orson Scott Card; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was such an interesting book. Orson Scott Card took me on a really unique reading experience. This Young Adult book slotted, as in the Sci-Fi genre was not was I expecting to read at all. I was pleasantly surprised it get to know Ezekiel Bliss/Blast and most of the characters that surrounded him. Ninth grader, Ezekiel has a not a superpower, but a micropower that enables him to find lost things. He then feels compelled to try to find the owner of the objects, which has gotten him into trouble in the past because the assumption is that he has stolen the item, not simply found it.
What I especially loved about the storytelling in this book was that the dialogue was so clever. Pay close attention while reading this book. It is often subtle. The book is so funny when you catch the irony and the understated humor. It can also be heartbreaking. I imagine Ezekiel as somewhere on the autism spectrum, or in the genius IQ range. I can’t decide which. Either way he can be obstinate in his logic that to him sees perfectly correct.
Ezekiel and his friend Beth join a research group to if they can harness their micropowers to provide some good in the world. However, all may not be as it seems on the surface. This is a bit of a family drama, a coming-of-age story, and a quirky sci-fi adventure. Keep reading. This is a good one!
‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Blackstone Publishing; and the author, Orson Scott Card; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2019
Lost and Found
This was my first OSCard book, and I was captured from the very start. The tag line got me, even though it was listed as YA, and as I’m very OA, I don’t usually dip my toes in this pond much. I am so very glad I did!
Main protagonist Ezekiel isn’t comfortable in his own skin, world, and life. He’s got many good reasons, all of which give him plenty of justification for his crankiness. The short girl who steps up on the walk from and to school invading his bubble doesn’t help. . . .until she does. This book is about the growth of that relationship, and the irony of where the people who bug you most turn up in your priority list if they last. But like Ginsu knives, Wait! There’s More! Introduced for the first time to this reader are Micropowers and how they fit in a person’s life, and if they make any difference at all. Clearly, they do. There’s a book about it! And a non-therapy group of micropotents with a leader, and an FBI agent, and kidnappers, and threats of death are involved. There are responsible parents, irresponsible parents, dead parents, bullies, reformed bullies, discussions of belly-buttons, spiders and the power of the yawn. Randomness you’d never believe could work so well together. I enjoyed the character development, and the depths to which the author explored “head talk,” those voices in our heads that never stop contradicting themselves until you get down to the nugget of what’s being discussed. For some that might be tedious, but since that happens in my head, it felt very familiar.
So many tidbits got me - but the wordplay and fun with words written and verbalised, their origins and uses - that had to be very close to the top. The banter between Ekeziel and his dad as they discussed language and its power was sporty and nimble; it made me smile.
The engaged reader of Lost and Found finds, at its heart, how families succeed, how they fail; and of what fabric friendship is made. Just so you know, I’ve begun working on identifying my micropowers (I can recognize a “face” in just about any textured surface! HA!) I highly recommend this book, and will be looking for my own copy to keep on hand for the grandkids. And in case anyone is taking a vote, I’d love to read more of these characters, along the line of a series.
My sincere thanks to Orson Scott Card, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC copy of this book.
This was my first OSCard book, and I was captured from the very start. The tag line got me, even though it was listed as YA, and as I’m very OA, I don’t usually dip my toes in this pond much. I am so very glad I did!
Main protagonist Ezekiel isn’t comfortable in his own skin, world, and life. He’s got many good reasons, all of which give him plenty of justification for his crankiness. The short girl who steps up on the walk from and to school invading his bubble doesn’t help. . . .until she does. This book is about the growth of that relationship, and the irony of where the people who bug you most turn up in your priority list if they last. But like Ginsu knives, Wait! There’s More! Introduced for the first time to this reader are Micropowers and how they fit in a person’s life, and if they make any difference at all. Clearly, they do. There’s a book about it! And a non-therapy group of micropotents with a leader, and an FBI agent, and kidnappers, and threats of death are involved. There are responsible parents, irresponsible parents, dead parents, bullies, reformed bullies, discussions of belly-buttons, spiders and the power of the yawn. Randomness you’d never believe could work so well together. I enjoyed the character development, and the depths to which the author explored “head talk,” those voices in our heads that never stop contradicting themselves until you get down to the nugget of what’s being discussed. For some that might be tedious, but since that happens in my head, it felt very familiar.
So many tidbits got me - but the wordplay and fun with words written and verbalised, their origins and uses - that had to be very close to the top. The banter between Ekeziel and his dad as they discussed language and its power was sporty and nimble; it made me smile.
The engaged reader of Lost and Found finds, at its heart, how families succeed, how they fail; and of what fabric friendship is made. Just so you know, I’ve begun working on identifying my micropowers (I can recognize a “face” in just about any textured surface! HA!) I highly recommend this book, and will be looking for my own copy to keep on hand for the grandkids. And in case anyone is taking a vote, I’d love to read more of these characters, along the line of a series.
My sincere thanks to Orson Scott Card, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC copy of this book.
September 22, 2019
I received this eARC from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof and are subject to change.
Obligatory Summary
Ezekiel Blast is a thief, or that’s what everyone thinks. Truth is, he’s a finder. It’s his micropower. He finds lost things and returns them, which has given him quite the reputation. Beth Sorenson, a proportionate little person, wants in on that reputation and the shunning bubble that comes with it, and makes fast (and reluctant) friends with Ezekiel.
When the FBI ask for his help finding a missing little girl, he isn’t sure he can do it. But when the unthinkable happens, it’s up to Ezekiel to do what only he can: return lost things to their owners.
My Thoughts
I was honestly pretty conflicted about this book. To begin with, I didn’t even want to finish it until the plot actually kicked off, which really wasn’t for a long time. The first few chapters threw me into things too quickly (mostly thanks to the inordinate amount of dialogue) and left me feeling drained and disinterested.
But then stuff happened, and it kinda took me by surprise. This was way darker than I had ever imagined it would be. What felt like a middle grade book suddenly had very adult themes and elements, and it resulted in an intriguing but tonally unbalanced story.
The biggest issue, though, was the writing. Consider me surprised that someone who’s been writing for longer than I’ve been alive somehow needs to brush up on his atmosphere and pacing and descriptions of any kind. It felt consistently like a white room. Dialogue went without tags for so long, and the characters speaking had essentially the same exact syntax, that I often forgot who was who and had to sleuth my answers from context clues. It honestly felt like a script for a comic book, not a regular novel. The things that were severely lacking were beginner mistakes. It really makes no sense. Add to that Card’s weirdly important discussion about pubescent breasts and the highly questionable descriptor “concentration-camp scrawniness” and you’ve got yourself a WTF kinda book.
And why on Earth was Ezekiel so butthurt about people calling him by his actual last name? That was such an unnecessary detail and it only made me dislike him. His character definitely grew on me, but he was such a bratty smart aleck most of the time.
I did, however, like some things. The banter was sometimes great, especially between Ezekiel and his father. The mystery was alright, but some extremely concerning aspects were kinda brushed over. I liked how it ended and the train of logic some scenes had. The climax was handled well and I appreciated Shank’s character a lot (but what is it with male LDS authors and their insistence on weird nicknames? Card and Dashner do this and it’s so annoying and juvenile).
Overall, this was fine. It could have been really cool, with superhero elements merged with a very Criminal Minds meets SVU plot, but the technical errors and some poor choices really dragged it down. I’m disappointed.
Obligatory Summary
Ezekiel Blast is a thief, or that’s what everyone thinks. Truth is, he’s a finder. It’s his micropower. He finds lost things and returns them, which has given him quite the reputation. Beth Sorenson, a proportionate little person, wants in on that reputation and the shunning bubble that comes with it, and makes fast (and reluctant) friends with Ezekiel.
When the FBI ask for his help finding a missing little girl, he isn’t sure he can do it. But when the unthinkable happens, it’s up to Ezekiel to do what only he can: return lost things to their owners.
"When people treat you like you’re guilty, then you feel the shame just as if you were. Shame is what other people force on you."
My Thoughts
I was honestly pretty conflicted about this book. To begin with, I didn’t even want to finish it until the plot actually kicked off, which really wasn’t for a long time. The first few chapters threw me into things too quickly (mostly thanks to the inordinate amount of dialogue) and left me feeling drained and disinterested.
But then stuff happened, and it kinda took me by surprise. This was way darker than I had ever imagined it would be. What felt like a middle grade book suddenly had very adult themes and elements, and it resulted in an intriguing but tonally unbalanced story.
The biggest issue, though, was the writing. Consider me surprised that someone who’s been writing for longer than I’ve been alive somehow needs to brush up on his atmosphere and pacing and descriptions of any kind. It felt consistently like a white room. Dialogue went without tags for so long, and the characters speaking had essentially the same exact syntax, that I often forgot who was who and had to sleuth my answers from context clues. It honestly felt like a script for a comic book, not a regular novel. The things that were severely lacking were beginner mistakes. It really makes no sense. Add to that Card’s weirdly important discussion about pubescent breasts and the highly questionable descriptor “concentration-camp scrawniness” and you’ve got yourself a WTF kinda book.
And why on Earth was Ezekiel so butthurt about people calling him by his actual last name? That was such an unnecessary detail and it only made me dislike him. His character definitely grew on me, but he was such a bratty smart aleck most of the time.
I did, however, like some things. The banter was sometimes great, especially between Ezekiel and his father. The mystery was alright, but some extremely concerning aspects were kinda brushed over. I liked how it ended and the train of logic some scenes had. The climax was handled well and I appreciated Shank’s character a lot (but what is it with male LDS authors and their insistence on weird nicknames? Card and Dashner do this and it’s so annoying and juvenile).
Overall, this was fine. It could have been really cool, with superhero elements merged with a very Criminal Minds meets SVU plot, but the technical errors and some poor choices really dragged it down. I’m disappointed.
Read
September 4, 2019I am nearly always a sucker for stories about teens with powers (except horror and zombies).
I've also always liked Card's super smart kids. And all the snark is here, as oddball Ezekiel Blast (he tends to rename people, including himself) deals with the fallout of his micro power, which is to always know where lost things are.
He finally makes a friend for the first time in his life. Beth is another really smart teen, hampered as she's a little person--at first glance she looks about eight years old. But she is determined, focused, and when she decides to make friends with prickly Ezekiel, she is going to prevail.
It's she who inspires Ezekiel to stop ignoring his power (which is having emotional and even physical fallout) and help out a cop, who is trying to find a kidnapped child.
Here's where I get ambivalent. There are certain subjects I try to avoid in my fiction reading, and the subject matter lying behind this missing child pretty much tops the list. Add to that that this book is slated for teens, and my ambivalence heightens. (Yes, I know teens are watching Game of Thrones etc. But I still would not have given this book to either of my teens, until they were college age.)
That aside, the story was fast-paced, racing to a frenetic finish. I loved Ezekiel's relationships--with his dad, with Beth, with the crusty cop he ends up working with, despite initial antagonism. Except for that one aspect (and at least there is no excruciating detail) I found it an absorbing read, with some real gems of scenes, all of these being interactions between Ezekiel and the people he gets close to.
Copy provided by NetGalley
I've also always liked Card's super smart kids. And all the snark is here, as oddball Ezekiel Blast (he tends to rename people, including himself) deals with the fallout of his micro power, which is to always know where lost things are.
He finally makes a friend for the first time in his life. Beth is another really smart teen, hampered as she's a little person--at first glance she looks about eight years old. But she is determined, focused, and when she decides to make friends with prickly Ezekiel, she is going to prevail.
It's she who inspires Ezekiel to stop ignoring his power (which is having emotional and even physical fallout) and help out a cop, who is trying to find a kidnapped child.
Here's where I get ambivalent. There are certain subjects I try to avoid in my fiction reading, and the subject matter lying behind this missing child pretty much tops the list. Add to that that this book is slated for teens, and my ambivalence heightens. (Yes, I know teens are watching Game of Thrones etc. But I still would not have given this book to either of my teens, until they were college age.)
That aside, the story was fast-paced, racing to a frenetic finish. I loved Ezekiel's relationships--with his dad, with Beth, with the crusty cop he ends up working with, despite initial antagonism. Except for that one aspect (and at least there is no excruciating detail) I found it an absorbing read, with some real gems of scenes, all of these being interactions between Ezekiel and the people he gets close to.
Copy provided by NetGalley
October 4, 2020
A 'minor' talent that's been nothing but trouble is slowly unlocked when Ezekiel makes a friend. What it teaches him about life is a well done story, almost a parable, but it's all set in our world. Such a fine, small twist & well worth the time to read. It gets a little preachy at times & I don't think it's really a YA book for all that the main characters are. Well narrated by Rudnicki whose voice made even the slow parts a pleasure to listen to.
April 17, 2019
Not every science fiction involves an intergalactic space battle where all of humanity is saved from extinction. Lost and Found takes place in a much smaller scale universe. It involves two high school outcasts, who buddy up with some real snarky dialogue. One is too short for a high school student and no one ever lets her forget it. The other has a micropower ( you heard that correctly), which is the exact opposite of a superpower. A micro power is a talent or power that others don’t have, but it’s not always obvious how useful it can be. In some cases, indeed, it can be downright annoying and get you accused of being a thief. But, you can’t help it if you have a talent for reuniting lost items with their owners. It’s an enjoyable quick-reading story told from a teenager’s snarky precocious point of view. Interesting characters. 3.5 to 3.75 stars.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.
dnf
May 15, 2021This was such an odd and problematic book. I don’t know why I expected anything better from Orson Scott Card, the man who is a bigot, openly racist and homophobic.
The protagonist was unlikeable and weird. Funnily enough, the weird aspect wasn’t what made him unlikeable, it was the way he was rude and would make up demeaning nicknames for everyone he met, regardless of whether they were nice or not. At one point he called a girl named Jannus “Juh-anus” TO HER FACE. And when he wasn’t speaking rudely (which was most of the time) he spoke like a 40 year old man. He and all the characters shared this trait, even his 4 year-old self (featured in a flashback).
There were many other offensive things in this book and keep in mind that this was all I found in the first quarter—imagine what there is in the rest of the book!
1. The protagonist walked into a room occupied by a woman called Banerjee and before he even said hello he asked “Hindi, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi?” Not only was it an incorrect question because Hindi is a language and NOT a nationality, but the racist stereotyping of a woman with the name Banerjee was done in extremely poor taste.
2. At one point this same Banerjee character was described as maybe being “Paki” instead of Pakistani. The former is an offensive insult and the latter is the correct way to describe a person from Pakistan.
3. Then at another moment, a grown woman called a teenage a girl an animal by saying she was a “companion animal” to a boy. Let alone the implications of a girl not being able to exist in her own right, the woman also had the gall to say “if you bite and snarl are you civilised?” as a way of telling this girl to sit down and shut up and be domesticated as a girl should be.
4. And a doctor character was described by the protagonist as having “concentration-camp scrawniness”. WHAT ON EARTH?! Who says that?!?
All these problematic things make you wonder where the hell the editor was. How did this even get to print?!
But setting aside all the problematic aspects doesn’t suddenly make this book better. It still suffered from a whole host of other problems such as characters all sounding the same, a lack of direction and an out-pouring of emotion without any build up to name a few. It wasn’t fun, touching, or intriguing. It also managed to resemble one of my law lectures in the sense that it boringly tried to define the concept of “lost” in every sense possible. It became tiring and dull and the over-complication of the concept was both pretentious and nonsensical.
The biggest hurdle this book fell down at was the general concept itself. The idea of micropowers was not only absurd but also completely laughable. It could’ve been sold by a protagonist who wasn’t such a sceptic, instead it came across as a weirdly unbelievable fantasy element that looked completely out of place in the real world setting.
So this was a problematic book with so many issues. I couldn’t finish it and I really recommend you don’t even bother starting it.
The protagonist was unlikeable and weird. Funnily enough, the weird aspect wasn’t what made him unlikeable, it was the way he was rude and would make up demeaning nicknames for everyone he met, regardless of whether they were nice or not. At one point he called a girl named Jannus “Juh-anus” TO HER FACE. And when he wasn’t speaking rudely (which was most of the time) he spoke like a 40 year old man. He and all the characters shared this trait, even his 4 year-old self (featured in a flashback).
There were many other offensive things in this book and keep in mind that this was all I found in the first quarter—imagine what there is in the rest of the book!
1. The protagonist walked into a room occupied by a woman called Banerjee and before he even said hello he asked “Hindi, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi?” Not only was it an incorrect question because Hindi is a language and NOT a nationality, but the racist stereotyping of a woman with the name Banerjee was done in extremely poor taste.
2. At one point this same Banerjee character was described as maybe being “Paki” instead of Pakistani. The former is an offensive insult and the latter is the correct way to describe a person from Pakistan.
3. Then at another moment, a grown woman called a teenage a girl an animal by saying she was a “companion animal” to a boy. Let alone the implications of a girl not being able to exist in her own right, the woman also had the gall to say “if you bite and snarl are you civilised?” as a way of telling this girl to sit down and shut up and be domesticated as a girl should be.
4. And a doctor character was described by the protagonist as having “concentration-camp scrawniness”. WHAT ON EARTH?! Who says that?!?
All these problematic things make you wonder where the hell the editor was. How did this even get to print?!
But setting aside all the problematic aspects doesn’t suddenly make this book better. It still suffered from a whole host of other problems such as characters all sounding the same, a lack of direction and an out-pouring of emotion without any build up to name a few. It wasn’t fun, touching, or intriguing. It also managed to resemble one of my law lectures in the sense that it boringly tried to define the concept of “lost” in every sense possible. It became tiring and dull and the over-complication of the concept was both pretentious and nonsensical.
The biggest hurdle this book fell down at was the general concept itself. The idea of micropowers was not only absurd but also completely laughable. It could’ve been sold by a protagonist who wasn’t such a sceptic, instead it came across as a weirdly unbelievable fantasy element that looked completely out of place in the real world setting.
So this was a problematic book with so many issues. I couldn’t finish it and I really recommend you don’t even bother starting it.
May 19, 2022
Another wonderful book by Orson Scott Card!
The protagonist is a fifteen-year-old boy, Ezekiel, so this book would be classified as Young Adult, but there’s plenty in here for grown-ups, too.
The book starts on a silly note, with Ezekiel attending Downy Soft High School, situated near the Haw Haw River, on the corner of Blynken and Nod streets… It doesn’t take long to figure out that these aren’t the real names of the school, river and streets, but what Ezekiel calls them in his mind, as he seems to have a funny secret name for just about everything and everyone. Ezekiel is shunned by everyone in school (including faculty) because he has a reputation as a thief. How did this come about? Because Ezekiel is a thief? Of course not. Instead, Ezekiel has a micropower (as opposed to a superpower) and that power is knowing when he passes by something that is lost – and who and where the owner is. Now, of course, he no longer returns lost items because his youth has taught him that when you return an item to a perfect stranger, the assumption is naturally made that you stole it in the first place. How else would you know where to return it?
Ezekiel’s lonely life changes when Beth insists on being his friend (she is wonderfully pushy about it). With Beth’s help, Ezekiel starts learning the strengths and limitations of his power but also learns the meaning of having and being a friend. When Beth is kidnapped by ring of child kidnappers and her life is on the line, Ezekiel has to take what he knows of Beth and of his micropower to help the police find her in time…
As usual, this is a terrific read, with great characterization (no cardboard characters here!), great character interaction (between Ezekiel and Beth, Ezekiel and his father, Ezekiel and the Shank (a policeman), and even between Ezekiel and the school counselor). There is also plenty of plot, to include a kidnapped six-year-old, a desiccated corpse, a psychologist gathering a group of people with micropowers for study, and – of course – the attempted rescue of Beth.
This was a fun and quick read, but included moments of seriousness – even profound sadness – and also contained lessons about friendship, family, and the coming-of-age lesson of beginning to realize your own potential. Highly recommended!
The protagonist is a fifteen-year-old boy, Ezekiel, so this book would be classified as Young Adult, but there’s plenty in here for grown-ups, too.
The book starts on a silly note, with Ezekiel attending Downy Soft High School, situated near the Haw Haw River, on the corner of Blynken and Nod streets… It doesn’t take long to figure out that these aren’t the real names of the school, river and streets, but what Ezekiel calls them in his mind, as he seems to have a funny secret name for just about everything and everyone. Ezekiel is shunned by everyone in school (including faculty) because he has a reputation as a thief. How did this come about? Because Ezekiel is a thief? Of course not. Instead, Ezekiel has a micropower (as opposed to a superpower) and that power is knowing when he passes by something that is lost – and who and where the owner is. Now, of course, he no longer returns lost items because his youth has taught him that when you return an item to a perfect stranger, the assumption is naturally made that you stole it in the first place. How else would you know where to return it?
Ezekiel’s lonely life changes when Beth insists on being his friend (she is wonderfully pushy about it). With Beth’s help, Ezekiel starts learning the strengths and limitations of his power but also learns the meaning of having and being a friend. When Beth is kidnapped by ring of child kidnappers and her life is on the line, Ezekiel has to take what he knows of Beth and of his micropower to help the police find her in time…
As usual, this is a terrific read, with great characterization (no cardboard characters here!), great character interaction (between Ezekiel and Beth, Ezekiel and his father, Ezekiel and the Shank (a policeman), and even between Ezekiel and the school counselor). There is also plenty of plot, to include a kidnapped six-year-old, a desiccated corpse, a psychologist gathering a group of people with micropowers for study, and – of course – the attempted rescue of Beth.
This was a fun and quick read, but included moments of seriousness – even profound sadness – and also contained lessons about friendship, family, and the coming-of-age lesson of beginning to realize your own potential. Highly recommended!
September 10, 2019
Ezekiel Blast is a 14 year old boy with an unusual gift, he senses when objects are lost and returns them to their owners or to Lost and Found. Unfortunately other people, being cynical and suspicious, prefer to believe that Ezekiel is a thief (although why he feels the need to return things is never explained) and he has become a pariah, ostracised by his school-fellows and living a sad, solitary life with his father, the only one who believes him.
Then two extraordinary things happen to Ezekiel. First, a new girl called Beth Sorenson, 13 years old but with a growth hormone deficiency and a metabolic disorder that makes her look like a proportionate dwarf, decides to make friends with Ezekiel, or at least travel in his "shunning bubble" on the way to school so she doesn't get bullied. It's the first time that Ezekiel has had a friend, although he finds her more of a nuisance at first. Secondly, Ezekiel is invited to take part in a study called 'Group of Rare and Useless Talents' which explores the boundaries of talents like Ezekiel's through scientific experiments.
Then a policeman comes to Ezekiel's home, not this time to arrest him for stealing things but instead to assist with looking for a young girl who has gone missing. Although Ezekiel refuses to help the policeman at first, explaining that he finds objects not people, because people are never really lost, as he and Beth test his talent he finds he may be able to find people after all.
The first half of this book is everything I would expect of a young teen novel. Funny, clever, full of the trials and tribulations of being a child, especially a clever child, in a world where adults rule. Obviously it's Orson Scott Card so the writing is witty and engaging right from the get-go but like his other young adult series, the incomparable Ender's Saga, there is a dark and scary undertone. When tragedy strikes (and it is shocking) Ezekiel must put his new found skills to their limit.
I loved this book although I found the adult theme shocking for a teen novel, maybe that's a sign of my age, so I would recommend parental caution if the reader is a young or sensitive reader.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Then two extraordinary things happen to Ezekiel. First, a new girl called Beth Sorenson, 13 years old but with a growth hormone deficiency and a metabolic disorder that makes her look like a proportionate dwarf, decides to make friends with Ezekiel, or at least travel in his "shunning bubble" on the way to school so she doesn't get bullied. It's the first time that Ezekiel has had a friend, although he finds her more of a nuisance at first. Secondly, Ezekiel is invited to take part in a study called 'Group of Rare and Useless Talents' which explores the boundaries of talents like Ezekiel's through scientific experiments.
Then a policeman comes to Ezekiel's home, not this time to arrest him for stealing things but instead to assist with looking for a young girl who has gone missing. Although Ezekiel refuses to help the policeman at first, explaining that he finds objects not people, because people are never really lost, as he and Beth test his talent he finds he may be able to find people after all.
The first half of this book is everything I would expect of a young teen novel. Funny, clever, full of the trials and tribulations of being a child, especially a clever child, in a world where adults rule. Obviously it's Orson Scott Card so the writing is witty and engaging right from the get-go but like his other young adult series, the incomparable Ender's Saga, there is a dark and scary undertone. When tragedy strikes (and it is shocking) Ezekiel must put his new found skills to their limit.
I loved this book although I found the adult theme shocking for a teen novel, maybe that's a sign of my age, so I would recommend parental caution if the reader is a young or sensitive reader.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
October 23, 2019
Sometimes even authors we like disappoint us. Ender's Game is still close to the top of my list of favorite scifi books. I re-read it several times since I discovered it in my tender teens and had my mind blown away. So to say that I was excited to get my hands on this new book by Orson Scott Card is an understatement. I couldn't wait to read it! I dove into it as soon as I got it! And... I don't know... I guess I am not the right audience for his YA books.
I mean the story itself had potential. Kids with micropowers and being ostracized because of them? Excellent. A support group that lets them explore those powers and find useful applications for them or at least to come to terms with having them? Very good. A commentary on friendship and the concept of found family? I'm along for the ride. Add to it a missing person case and cooperation with the police, and this sounded like the perfect book.
Unfortunately, even though these sounded like great individual elements, the mixture turned out to be rather underwhelming. Even though the book is very well written and easy to read, I had several problems with the story.
First of all, the incessant banter between the characters. For a solitary kid, Ezekiel sure talks a lot. While some of it was fun and relevant to the story, but most of it is just that... banter that has nothing to do with the story itself and just fills page after page with words. I think the author wanted to show us how his protagonist thinks and feels by making him talk about irrelevant stuff, but to me it was mostly a snooze fest. I found myself skipping pages upon pages of dialogues that could have been cut without loosing any story at all.
My second problem is with Ezekiel himself. Some of his actions, especially towards the end of the book, make no sense. He is almost 17, not 12. He is painted to be a thoughtful and smart kid... yet he
And deriving from that second frustration is my next one - there are no consequences to this stupidest move of the century. This whole rescue and taking down of the villains goes way too easily and bloodlessly. The resolution isn't on par with the stakes. At no point during the book did I feel a real sense of danger or worry for the characters. I understand that this is YA, but the author describes serious crimes here: sex trafficking, kidnapping, murder, etc. Yet the language is so sanitized that it doesn't grip you. The incessant dialogues about nothing inter-spaced in the story might also be at fault.
Finally, I found that apart from Ezekiel, his dad, and his friend, none of the other characters were particularly developed. The micropower support group kids had no personality beyond their individual powers. Heck, I can't even remember their names. The cop was... a cop who really wanted to save that little girl and was willing to use unconventional methods to do it. Other than that, he is a blank page. And the school counselor? Why was she even in the story to begin with?
So in the end, this book was a disappointment. The brew didn't turn out quite like I had expected. Maybe because of the addition of too many different ingredients. I think I might go re-read Ender's Game.
PS: I received and advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I mean the story itself had potential. Kids with micropowers and being ostracized because of them? Excellent. A support group that lets them explore those powers and find useful applications for them or at least to come to terms with having them? Very good. A commentary on friendship and the concept of found family? I'm along for the ride. Add to it a missing person case and cooperation with the police, and this sounded like the perfect book.
Unfortunately, even though these sounded like great individual elements, the mixture turned out to be rather underwhelming. Even though the book is very well written and easy to read, I had several problems with the story.
First of all, the incessant banter between the characters. For a solitary kid, Ezekiel sure talks a lot. While some of it was fun and relevant to the story, but most of it is just that... banter that has nothing to do with the story itself and just fills page after page with words. I think the author wanted to show us how his protagonist thinks and feels by making him talk about irrelevant stuff, but to me it was mostly a snooze fest. I found myself skipping pages upon pages of dialogues that could have been cut without loosing any story at all.
My second problem is with Ezekiel himself. Some of his actions, especially towards the end of the book, make no sense. He is almost 17, not 12. He is painted to be a thoughtful and smart kid... yet he
And deriving from that second frustration is my next one - there are no consequences to this stupidest move of the century. This whole rescue and taking down of the villains goes way too easily and bloodlessly. The resolution isn't on par with the stakes. At no point during the book did I feel a real sense of danger or worry for the characters. I understand that this is YA, but the author describes serious crimes here: sex trafficking, kidnapping, murder, etc. Yet the language is so sanitized that it doesn't grip you. The incessant dialogues about nothing inter-spaced in the story might also be at fault.
Finally, I found that apart from Ezekiel, his dad, and his friend, none of the other characters were particularly developed. The micropower support group kids had no personality beyond their individual powers. Heck, I can't even remember their names. The cop was... a cop who really wanted to save that little girl and was willing to use unconventional methods to do it. Other than that, he is a blank page. And the school counselor? Why was she even in the story to begin with?
So in the end, this book was a disappointment. The brew didn't turn out quite like I had expected. Maybe because of the addition of too many different ingredients. I think I might go re-read Ender's Game.
PS: I received and advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2019
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Sarah C
From best-selling author Orson Scott Card comes Lost and Found, a touching and quirky novel. This story was a quick page turner about bizarre “supernatural” abilities, missing people, and it handles some real issues facing teenagers and families.
So back to those “supernatural” abilities. This book calls them “micropowers” as the abilities are too odd and useless to be deemed “superpowers”. Ezekiel Blast has such a power. His micropower means he finds lost things and will always know who they belong to and how to return them to their owners. However, finding lost hair ties and scrunchies leaves him looking a bit odd, and at worse, finding missing bikes and toys leaves him looking like a thief. He has earned a bit of a reputation at school and finds himself alone and distrusting of adults. One day, he meets another outcast named Beth, who insists on walking to school with him. It appears he has met his match, and he cannot shake her. She talks and talks and probes him with questions. The two of them try to look at his micropower and dismantle and analyse it to see just how it works, whilst wondering if Beth has one of her own. When Beth goes off the radar, Ezekiel is faced with the challenge – is she missing, lost, or something else? Can he find her?
On the surface, and when first starting the book, it seems hard to get connected with moody teenager Ezekiel, as he is a loner with an attitude, and can be quite sharp with his words. However, what unfolds is a novel which looks at anxiety, loss, bereavement, and friendship. It is handled with gentle humour, but with raw honesty too.
The thing that was different about Lost and Found than other stories with “powers” in, is that the first part of the book is where the micropower is discussed at length and tested and evaluated by the characters. The readers are finding out about how this all works along with them. The reader will also come across a character that can make people yawn, as well as a someone who knows whether a person has an innie or outie bellybutton – useless micropowers right? After this, comes a mystery type story with a few shocks and turns.
It was my first time reading something by this author and I was surprised by this book. It starts off as something sweet, but soon turns sinister and parts were quite sad, but there was always some form of wit, humour, or hope to keep things from becoming too dark. At first, I thought the story would be good for younger teens, but after finishing it, I would say it is more in the young adult genre due to some of the subject matter (child abduction, trafficking, and death). I didn’t think I would like at first, but there were parts that got me right in the feels.
You’ll find lots of dialogue in this book, including plenty of back and forth banter between Ezekiel and Beth. There are sniping and playground insults, it seems like they always have to have the last word. Ezekiel argues with everyone and I think he uses his sass as a defense mechanism. Some of it seems childish, but you have to remember that Ezekiel and Beth are young teens. I sometimes felt there was too much banter and meandering conversations, and readers may feel parts of the story are about to go off tangent, but it goes with the style of the book, and to be honest, it made a change for me to read something like this and not lots of prose. I don’t think this style will be to every reader’s taste, but it does ease up halfway through.
A special mention must go to Mr Blast, Ezekiel’s father, as it is good to see a parent taking a positive and supporting role in a YA novel. He’s a real hero and I really liked the tender scenes between father and son.
I would recommend this to all YA fans, plus anyone who is going through a hard time at the moment, feeling lonely or lost, or missing someone, or who just wants to read a book and escape for a while and go through a whole range of emotions.
Read this and come back and tell me…What’s your micropower?
From best-selling author Orson Scott Card comes Lost and Found, a touching and quirky novel. This story was a quick page turner about bizarre “supernatural” abilities, missing people, and it handles some real issues facing teenagers and families.
So back to those “supernatural” abilities. This book calls them “micropowers” as the abilities are too odd and useless to be deemed “superpowers”. Ezekiel Blast has such a power. His micropower means he finds lost things and will always know who they belong to and how to return them to their owners. However, finding lost hair ties and scrunchies leaves him looking a bit odd, and at worse, finding missing bikes and toys leaves him looking like a thief. He has earned a bit of a reputation at school and finds himself alone and distrusting of adults. One day, he meets another outcast named Beth, who insists on walking to school with him. It appears he has met his match, and he cannot shake her. She talks and talks and probes him with questions. The two of them try to look at his micropower and dismantle and analyse it to see just how it works, whilst wondering if Beth has one of her own. When Beth goes off the radar, Ezekiel is faced with the challenge – is she missing, lost, or something else? Can he find her?
On the surface, and when first starting the book, it seems hard to get connected with moody teenager Ezekiel, as he is a loner with an attitude, and can be quite sharp with his words. However, what unfolds is a novel which looks at anxiety, loss, bereavement, and friendship. It is handled with gentle humour, but with raw honesty too.
The thing that was different about Lost and Found than other stories with “powers” in, is that the first part of the book is where the micropower is discussed at length and tested and evaluated by the characters. The readers are finding out about how this all works along with them. The reader will also come across a character that can make people yawn, as well as a someone who knows whether a person has an innie or outie bellybutton – useless micropowers right? After this, comes a mystery type story with a few shocks and turns.
It was my first time reading something by this author and I was surprised by this book. It starts off as something sweet, but soon turns sinister and parts were quite sad, but there was always some form of wit, humour, or hope to keep things from becoming too dark. At first, I thought the story would be good for younger teens, but after finishing it, I would say it is more in the young adult genre due to some of the subject matter (child abduction, trafficking, and death). I didn’t think I would like at first, but there were parts that got me right in the feels.
You’ll find lots of dialogue in this book, including plenty of back and forth banter between Ezekiel and Beth. There are sniping and playground insults, it seems like they always have to have the last word. Ezekiel argues with everyone and I think he uses his sass as a defense mechanism. Some of it seems childish, but you have to remember that Ezekiel and Beth are young teens. I sometimes felt there was too much banter and meandering conversations, and readers may feel parts of the story are about to go off tangent, but it goes with the style of the book, and to be honest, it made a change for me to read something like this and not lots of prose. I don’t think this style will be to every reader’s taste, but it does ease up halfway through.
A special mention must go to Mr Blast, Ezekiel’s father, as it is good to see a parent taking a positive and supporting role in a YA novel. He’s a real hero and I really liked the tender scenes between father and son.
I would recommend this to all YA fans, plus anyone who is going through a hard time at the moment, feeling lonely or lost, or missing someone, or who just wants to read a book and escape for a while and go through a whole range of emotions.
Read this and come back and tell me…What’s your micropower?
August 14, 2020
I was not in the mood for this book. I was hip deep in an ocean urban fantasy series and wanted to continue the trek when this book was recommended in a challenge. So. I was not in the mood for this book. It wasn't what I wanted to read. But, I picked it up anyway. I thought that I could at least read a couple chapters, read another urban fantasy, read another couple chapter, and so on and so forth until I finished this book for my challenge. Something happened along the way to enacting this plan . . . I fell in love with this book.
Lost and Found is about a 14 year old boy. First strike. I do not enjoy reading children's fiction. Or young adult fiction. Or wherever a 14 year old may fall in that spectrum. I'm just too old to appreciate it. But, *challenge*. I started it. Right away I realized this was not an ordinary 14 year old. I was immediately sucked in by the isolation felt by young Ezekiel. We soon meet up with young Beth who has her own set of isolation issues. And, she refuses to allow Ezekiel to not be her friend.
From this point, the story eventually leads to a child pornography ring (though not in any great and gory detail) and one has to wonder with that as a them, how "young adult" or "juvenile" this novel can possibly be. And, truly this is by the author of Ender's Game, a much beloved - by all ages - science fiction series about another young boy, so it should come at no surprise that the author is able to pull in readers of all ages.
The writing style is so smooth and almost poetic in its characterizations that we feel Ezekiel's pain and isolation and determination. I found myself cheering him on and wondering where each of his interactions would end up and how and why. The external characters who guide young Ezekiel are strong and sensitive and kind, though it is evident from the story that this has not always been the case and explains why he is not eager to respond to the encouragement and options available to him.
Of particular joy to me in this story is his father. It would be so easy to have an uncaring and unresponsive father created her. I mean, his mother was killed some years ago and his father was left alone to care for their young boy, the natural assumption reading into this was that the father was wallowing in despair. But, this is not the case and this story shows a loving and kind father who is there for his son every step of the way, encouraging and guiding. It was beautiful to behold.
Maybe that is why I loved this story. Not *just* the relationships, but the beauty in the relationships. The loving father, the kind and persistent friend, the determined policeman, and the observant counselor. Yes, there was the dark and dirty of the child pornography but it is so overshadowed by the loving kindness of others. It was a joy to read. I could not put it down.
And, my friends, this 5 star read is why I do challenges and read books that I don't want to read. To find books like this one.
Lost and Found is about a 14 year old boy. First strike. I do not enjoy reading children's fiction. Or young adult fiction. Or wherever a 14 year old may fall in that spectrum. I'm just too old to appreciate it. But, *challenge*. I started it. Right away I realized this was not an ordinary 14 year old. I was immediately sucked in by the isolation felt by young Ezekiel. We soon meet up with young Beth who has her own set of isolation issues. And, she refuses to allow Ezekiel to not be her friend.
From this point, the story eventually leads to a child pornography ring (though not in any great and gory detail) and one has to wonder with that as a them, how "young adult" or "juvenile" this novel can possibly be. And, truly this is by the author of Ender's Game, a much beloved - by all ages - science fiction series about another young boy, so it should come at no surprise that the author is able to pull in readers of all ages.
The writing style is so smooth and almost poetic in its characterizations that we feel Ezekiel's pain and isolation and determination. I found myself cheering him on and wondering where each of his interactions would end up and how and why. The external characters who guide young Ezekiel are strong and sensitive and kind, though it is evident from the story that this has not always been the case and explains why he is not eager to respond to the encouragement and options available to him.
Of particular joy to me in this story is his father. It would be so easy to have an uncaring and unresponsive father created her. I mean, his mother was killed some years ago and his father was left alone to care for their young boy, the natural assumption reading into this was that the father was wallowing in despair. But, this is not the case and this story shows a loving and kind father who is there for his son every step of the way, encouraging and guiding. It was beautiful to behold.
Maybe that is why I loved this story. Not *just* the relationships, but the beauty in the relationships. The loving father, the kind and persistent friend, the determined policeman, and the observant counselor. Yes, there was the dark and dirty of the child pornography but it is so overshadowed by the loving kindness of others. It was a joy to read. I could not put it down.
And, my friends, this 5 star read is why I do challenges and read books that I don't want to read. To find books like this one.
October 26, 2019
I've never read Ender's Game (though I'd heard the hype and praise) or anything by Orson Scott Card so I was curious to see how good this one would turn out based on his sci-fi rep.
Fourteen-year-old Ezekiel Blast has a unique affinity to find and return lost items, a micropower both a curse and a blessing as he constantly gets labeled as a thief and liar since people assume he stole the items in the first place. However, a girl goes missing, Ezekiel must use his talent to find them while also trying to find the missing things is his own life...
This book was an interesting fusion of sci-fi, contemporary, and a bit of magical realism. The themes brought up throughout this novel including child pornography, abandonment, trafficking which definitely gave it a darker tone more geared toward older audiences. Also, while there was a lot of sarcasm and dry humor (both things I am OK with and love in literature), there was an awful lot of poor taste in humor and came across very insulting and offending.
The plot was decent though I had to suspend my belief and fill in plotholes here and there. Also, there were many sub-plots such as Beth's family situation, Ezekiel's father's religious beliefs, and the idea of micro-powers, that they felt very glossed over and felt kind of thrown in. And the writing style was a bit odd. Lost and Found is written in the third person yet when Ezekiel expresses his inner thought, it transitions to first-person rather awkwardly. Also, I found it a bit odd that Card changes "Father" and "Dad" interchangeably and uses it in dialogue that makes the dialogue choppy. That is not to say that there was not quality dialogue but it varied throughout from amazing to sub-par. Ezekiel was a solid MC yet didn't have much substance and rubbed me the wrong way with how snarky he was to his father. Beth was a bit better (ha, a tongue-twister!) and I found her character to be refreshing in here (but less so towards the end).
Overall, not as impressed as I wanted to be, but it still was moderately good that I could see this concept being developed better.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing a free ARC
Fourteen-year-old Ezekiel Blast has a unique affinity to find and return lost items, a micropower both a curse and a blessing as he constantly gets labeled as a thief and liar since people assume he stole the items in the first place. However, a girl goes missing, Ezekiel must use his talent to find them while also trying to find the missing things is his own life...
This book was an interesting fusion of sci-fi, contemporary, and a bit of magical realism. The themes brought up throughout this novel including child pornography, abandonment, trafficking which definitely gave it a darker tone more geared toward older audiences. Also, while there was a lot of sarcasm and dry humor (both things I am OK with and love in literature), there was an awful lot of poor taste in humor and came across very insulting and offending.
The plot was decent though I had to suspend my belief and fill in plotholes here and there. Also, there were many sub-plots such as Beth's family situation, Ezekiel's father's religious beliefs, and the idea of micro-powers, that they felt very glossed over and felt kind of thrown in. And the writing style was a bit odd. Lost and Found is written in the third person yet when Ezekiel expresses his inner thought, it transitions to first-person rather awkwardly. Also, I found it a bit odd that Card changes "Father" and "Dad" interchangeably and uses it in dialogue that makes the dialogue choppy. That is not to say that there was not quality dialogue but it varied throughout from amazing to sub-par. Ezekiel was a solid MC yet didn't have much substance and rubbed me the wrong way with how snarky he was to his father. Beth was a bit better (ha, a tongue-twister!) and I found her character to be refreshing in here (but less so towards the end).
Overall, not as impressed as I wanted to be, but it still was moderately good that I could see this concept being developed better.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing a free ARC
Read
June 7, 2020I tried VERY HARD to like this book, mostly because 1) it was by Orson Scott Card and 2) I loved Ender's Game and had some pretty [unacceptable] high expectations before diving in. I knew, from reading the blurb, that it will be NOTHING like Ender's Game, but I still had high hopes. My bad.
I just really couldn't get into it. The first thing I noticed and was mainly the reason why I'm dropping this, was how the characters all sound alike and are all snarky, snotty, and, a lot of times, come off as rude? So it was hard for me to connect the characters because I can't differentiate their personalities.
I was actually planning to give this 1 star, but gave it a 2 since I found the concept of ~micropowers~ interesting. Made me think about MY micropower or if I even have one. The main character's micropower is finding lost things. Again, it was interesting, but the author spent so much time forming debates around the concept of "finding lost things" and other micropowers that instead of making me go "OH. YEAH. RIGHT.", it just made me... lost. One laughable micropower mentioned in the book is how a Doctor can accurately pinpoint and describe/picture where a person's belly button is and whether it's an innie or an outie.
Still, thank you Edelweiss and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read the DRC.
I just really couldn't get into it. The first thing I noticed and was mainly the reason why I'm dropping this, was how the characters all sound alike and are all snarky, snotty, and, a lot of times, come off as rude? So it was hard for me to connect the characters because I can't differentiate their personalities.
I was actually planning to give this 1 star, but gave it a 2 since I found the concept of ~micropowers~ interesting. Made me think about MY micropower or if I even have one. The main character's micropower is finding lost things. Again, it was interesting, but the author spent so much time forming debates around the concept of "finding lost things" and other micropowers that instead of making me go "OH. YEAH. RIGHT.", it just made me... lost. One laughable micropower mentioned in the book is how a Doctor can accurately pinpoint and describe/picture where a person's belly button is and whether it's an innie or an outie.
Still, thank you Edelweiss and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read the DRC.
July 8, 2019
A very solid 4.5 stars, which I will round up because I enjoyed it so much and had to force myself to stop halfway through so I could catch some sleep! I ended up finishing it on the plane at midnight with a satisfied sigh.
So why not a 5 star rating? I think it's because the mystery of the first girl seemed to be resolved a bit too quickly, and then it was fairly easy to predict how it would end for the second part. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story and yet, I wish it had been a bit more balanced.
So what did I love about the book? I loved the characters. I loved the banter that Ezekiel had with others, especially his dad, Shank, Beth, and "Banshee". I have always loved the author's writing style and these conversations are intelligent without being condescending. The idea of "micropowers" was very interesting and I loved how the characters explored and talked through what they were feeling or thinking of, etc., so that they could figure out how they might work.
The friendships Ezekiel eventually developed as he learned what friendship was and who really mattered to him were also very enjoyable to read about.
I would probably categorize this as young adult rather than middle school age, mostly because some of the topics mentioned (kidnapping, child trafficking/pornography, death) might be tough for some younger readers. But an older middle schooler could probably handle it.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
So why not a 5 star rating? I think it's because the mystery of the first girl seemed to be resolved a bit too quickly, and then it was fairly easy to predict how it would end for the second part. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story and yet, I wish it had been a bit more balanced.
So what did I love about the book? I loved the characters. I loved the banter that Ezekiel had with others, especially his dad, Shank, Beth, and "Banshee". I have always loved the author's writing style and these conversations are intelligent without being condescending. The idea of "micropowers" was very interesting and I loved how the characters explored and talked through what they were feeling or thinking of, etc., so that they could figure out how they might work.
The friendships Ezekiel eventually developed as he learned what friendship was and who really mattered to him were also very enjoyable to read about.
I would probably categorize this as young adult rather than middle school age, mostly because some of the topics mentioned (kidnapping, child trafficking/pornography, death) might be tough for some younger readers. But an older middle schooler could probably handle it.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2020
This book follows two characters who meet mysteriously. Our main character has a special ability not everyone knows about that can track down people in need. I felt like this book was very well written and it was enjoyable all the way around. The characters were written to where you could see they weren’t perfect and had a soft side and a strong side to them. The atmosphere of the book and the plot were very easy to follow. I’ve never read a book by this author before but, I feel like I picked the perfect book to start their writing with
August 12, 2019
Card is a very diverse writer and this book is no exception. I love the fun language with sarcasm that seems to follow the main character, but he is so funny and sincere. I like the relationship between father and son and how he interacts with Beth. I would defiantly recommend this book, unlike any other Card book I have read, but still fun and insightful and contains a range of emotions that you will experience while reading.
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
October 16, 2019
Fourteen-year Ezekial Blast has an unusual 'micropower' (a power that isn't quite super). He not only can find lost objects but, once found, he can locate the owner. Unfortunately, after being accused of stealing a bike he was trying to return, he is labeled a thief and has become an outcast at school. When an FBI agent approaches him to help locate a missing child, he is reluctant. However, when his new (and only) friend, Beth, who has a form of dwarfism that makes her appear much younger than her age, is taken, he agrees to help.
Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card is aimed at a middle grade audience but I enjoyed it quite a bit. In fact, once started, I couldn't put it down. Both Ezekial and Beth are precocious but very likeable characters, the story is infused with wit and dark humour, and the mystery is compelling. A warning though: it might not be suitable for a child under twelve as the story does deal with the issue of child pornography. Overall, a high recommendation for children (and adults) 12 and up.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card is aimed at a middle grade audience but I enjoyed it quite a bit. In fact, once started, I couldn't put it down. Both Ezekial and Beth are precocious but very likeable characters, the story is infused with wit and dark humour, and the mystery is compelling. A warning though: it might not be suitable for a child under twelve as the story does deal with the issue of child pornography. Overall, a high recommendation for children (and adults) 12 and up.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
February 20, 2021
For one: I can't believe this was published. There are so many typos that it seems like this book was never edited. But putting that aside, this was still a bad book.
The concept is that Ezekiel has a "micropower" which is a small and basically useless power, and he starts using it as a way to help with criminal cases. It sounds intriguing enough. however, if you were hoping for a tense, exciting YA mystery or thriller with that synopsis, you're gravely mistaken. This book is 95% dialogue. Just people talking about things that are going to happen, and then things that have already happened, and then speculation about how things happened....
And then, there is no actual mystery. Every time any character made guesses about how something worked, or what was really happening, or what to try next, they were immediately right. There was never a moment a character had a wrong idea or came to the wrong conclusion.
Also a trivial thing, but this book has the most boring cover and title. I'm surprised I picked this one up at all.
The concept is that Ezekiel has a "micropower" which is a small and basically useless power, and he starts using it as a way to help with criminal cases. It sounds intriguing enough. however, if you were hoping for a tense, exciting YA mystery or thriller with that synopsis, you're gravely mistaken. This book is 95% dialogue. Just people talking about things that are going to happen, and then things that have already happened, and then speculation about how things happened....
And then, there is no actual mystery. Every time any character made guesses about how something worked, or what was really happening, or what to try next, they were immediately right. There was never a moment a character had a wrong idea or came to the wrong conclusion.
Also a trivial thing, but this book has the most boring cover and title. I'm surprised I picked this one up at all.
May 24, 2021
14 year old Ezekiel Blast has an unusual talent (a "micropower" - not a superpower) of finding lost things and knowing who and where the owner is. But it gets him into trouble when he tries to return the lost items, since the owner invariably thinks Ezekiel must have stolen it in the first place... which also makes him a pariah. He has no friends until a very short girl named Beth, who is also in high school but looks like she's 6 years old due to being a "proportionate dwarf," befriends him. But everything changes when a policeman asks his help in finding a kidnapped little girl.
For me, Orson Scott Card holds the distinction of having written my most-hated book. I don't hate him - I heard him speak at a writer's conference in 2014 and I thought he was great. But this book got off to a poor start for me. A very poor start. You see, Ezekiel has a very bad attitude. It's understandable, given the way everyone treats him, but basically he's become a jerk and it's tedious to read. Plus there's some confusion over his name, which was just annoying. And I nearly marked it DNF and moved on, but I kept at it and it actually got better... mostly. Basically, my 3 star review comes down to 2 things. First, the way everyone talks is super annoying. It's like they're all trying to be witty and clever, but it just sounds snotty. (I'm reminded of when I'm watching a funny sitcom and my wife says "Why aren't we funny like that?" And I say, "Because we don't have scriptwriters, like they do." The dialog sounds like a it's trying to be super witty and clever.) Second, this might be YA but it deals with a very heavy subject: child pornography with kidnapped children who are killed ("snuffed") at the end of the video. Card deals with it in a sensitive way, but it's still a disgusting topic (which doesn't mean it shouldn't be acknowledged, but it doesn't mean I have to like it). And just because a book turns into a real page-turner, doesn't always mean it's enjoyable. So, I waver between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm going to round down on this one. For now at least. There are probably plenty of people who will love this book, but I think I'm going to give Mr. Card's books a pass from now on.
For me, Orson Scott Card holds the distinction of having written my most-hated book. I don't hate him - I heard him speak at a writer's conference in 2014 and I thought he was great. But this book got off to a poor start for me. A very poor start. You see, Ezekiel has a very bad attitude. It's understandable, given the way everyone treats him, but basically he's become a jerk and it's tedious to read. Plus there's some confusion over his name, which was just annoying. And I nearly marked it DNF and moved on, but I kept at it and it actually got better... mostly. Basically, my 3 star review comes down to 2 things. First, the way everyone talks is super annoying. It's like they're all trying to be witty and clever, but it just sounds snotty. (I'm reminded of when I'm watching a funny sitcom and my wife says "Why aren't we funny like that?" And I say, "Because we don't have scriptwriters, like they do." The dialog sounds like a it's trying to be super witty and clever.) Second, this might be YA but it deals with a very heavy subject: child pornography with kidnapped children who are killed ("snuffed") at the end of the video. Card deals with it in a sensitive way, but it's still a disgusting topic (which doesn't mean it shouldn't be acknowledged, but it doesn't mean I have to like it). And just because a book turns into a real page-turner, doesn't always mean it's enjoyable. So, I waver between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm going to round down on this one. For now at least. There are probably plenty of people who will love this book, but I think I'm going to give Mr. Card's books a pass from now on.
April 28, 2022
Good YA novel about people with special abilities. I couldn't get into it the first time I tried it, but I'm really glad I tried it again when my book club selected it. It gets intense in the 2nd half and was hard to put down.
October 20, 2019
A thoroughly enjoyable read. Though I found the first half to be better than the back half. The introduction of the players, wrapping my brain around microtalents (maybe we all DO have one). Just getting into the story. The dialog in some places seems a little too polished for teenagers, even exceptionally intelligent ones (I don't think anyone swore in this book!). At one point when Ezekiel is relaying a conversation to Beth he tells her what he would have said had he had a moment to think about his words, what he wanted to say. I think Card did that a little too well. The characters have flaws, doubts, dreams, pains but their vocabulary seems too polished, even my 88 year old mother swears.
Anyway, the second act, half, of the book was, for me pretty easy to guess. I got Beth's secret before it became a thing but I'm not really the target audience for this book so, yeah, I think it might be better for actual YA readers and not older, well read (and fans of cop shows) fans of the genre.
I'm wondering if Card is going to work this into a series. The microtalent group working together has endless possibilities for more stories and I liked the characters enough that I wouldn't mind revisiting them. Then again it would also be nice to see someone write a good stand alone story and let it go.
An enjoyable easy read. Adults welcome but more geared at the YA crowd.
Anyway, the second act, half, of the book was, for me pretty easy to guess. I got Beth's secret before it became a thing but I'm not really the target audience for this book so, yeah, I think it might be better for actual YA readers and not older, well read (and fans of cop shows) fans of the genre.
I'm wondering if Card is going to work this into a series. The microtalent group working together has endless possibilities for more stories and I liked the characters enough that I wouldn't mind revisiting them. Then again it would also be nice to see someone write a good stand alone story and let it go.
An enjoyable easy read. Adults welcome but more geared at the YA crowd.
September 8, 2019
You can read my full review here: https://thebookishaustin.tumblr.com/p...
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