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Lost at Sea
The Guest Book meets Everything I Never Told You in this gripping novel of a small town caught up in a shocking disappearance, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.
When beloved fisherman John Staybrook vanishes in the night, his loss stirs up more than grief. His daughter Ella is convinced he's still alive and vows to bring him home.
But as she searches the small Massachusetts town, secrets throughout the community begin to bubble to the surface. As the pieces fall into place of what really happened, everyone from the babysitter to the local librarian are swept into a more urgent question: Why would someone go out in the middle of a deadly storm?
Erica Boyce weaves a tense yet hopeful tale of family secrets whispering across the rocky shores and the unshakeable strength that love leaves behind.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2020
18 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Erica Boyce
3 books57 followersErica has been writing since she was in third grade. She wrote an illustrated story about an awkward encounter between a Thanksgiving turkey and a hunter and never looked back. Since then, she's written angsty poetry in high school, angsty short stories as an English/Creative Writing major at Dartmouth College, less-angsty legal memos as a student at Harvard Law School, and her first novel, a speculative-ish work of literary fiction entitled THE FIFTEEN WONDERS OF DANIEL GREEN.
She is currently a member of the Massachusetts bar and an Associate Fiction Editor at Pangyrus. For her day job, she works with fishermen and community organizers across the country to help keep small-boat fishing fleets in business. She lives outside Boston with her husband and dog. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, crafting, reading (of course), and adjectives. She is represented by Eric Smith of P.S. Literary.
She is currently a member of the Massachusetts bar and an Associate Fiction Editor at Pangyrus. For her day job, she works with fishermen and community organizers across the country to help keep small-boat fishing fleets in business. She lives outside Boston with her husband and dog. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, crafting, reading (of course), and adjectives. She is represented by Eric Smith of P.S. Literary.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
March 6, 2020
Being a fisherman’s wife in a small town has its advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages include support from all of the families living in the town when a fisherman goes missing or when he dies at sea.
The disadvantages include everyone knowing everything about every family including secrets.
When John Staybrook goes missing, his daughter doesn’t believe he is gone because he promised to come home after each trip.
Ella was determined that her father didn’t go out to sea on that stormy day and tries to find him with Lacey unwillingly helping in the search.
There are many sub topics addressed with one being drug addiction as we were taken back to the main character's years as a teenager and how drugs ruined her acceptance to Brown and a glimpse into the rehabilitation system.
Alcoholism was also addressed, as well as getting some insight into how the adoption process works.
LOST AT SEA touches on family, choices, hope, and secrets kept.
It took a few chapters to get connected and to see where the story was going, but everything connected and came together in the end for a satisfying read with many memorable characters.
The title also seems to have two connotations for me...LOST because of the ocean’s power and LOST because of the power of addictions. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The advantages include support from all of the families living in the town when a fisherman goes missing or when he dies at sea.
The disadvantages include everyone knowing everything about every family including secrets.
When John Staybrook goes missing, his daughter doesn’t believe he is gone because he promised to come home after each trip.
Ella was determined that her father didn’t go out to sea on that stormy day and tries to find him with Lacey unwillingly helping in the search.
There are many sub topics addressed with one being drug addiction as we were taken back to the main character's years as a teenager and how drugs ruined her acceptance to Brown and a glimpse into the rehabilitation system.
Alcoholism was also addressed, as well as getting some insight into how the adoption process works.
LOST AT SEA touches on family, choices, hope, and secrets kept.
It took a few chapters to get connected and to see where the story was going, but everything connected and came together in the end for a satisfying read with many memorable characters.
The title also seems to have two connotations for me...LOST because of the ocean’s power and LOST because of the power of addictions. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2020
A truly beautiful read.
Lost At Sea is set in a small fishing village of Devils Purse. The main focus is the disappearance of beloved fisherman John Staybrook who vanishes in the night. Ella, Johns daughter is distraught, convinced he's still alive and sets her sights on bringing her father home. Though, within her search secrets start to come to light and many truths are exposed.
It was a bit of a slow start, getting to know many characters, remembering names, etc. I found a rhythm fairly quickly and couldn't put this book down. Finished it in a day! Really enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the feel for the small fishing village.
Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my review copy!
Lost At Sea is set in a small fishing village of Devils Purse. The main focus is the disappearance of beloved fisherman John Staybrook who vanishes in the night. Ella, Johns daughter is distraught, convinced he's still alive and sets her sights on bringing her father home. Though, within her search secrets start to come to light and many truths are exposed.
It was a bit of a slow start, getting to know many characters, remembering names, etc. I found a rhythm fairly quickly and couldn't put this book down. Finished it in a day! Really enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the feel for the small fishing village.
Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my review copy!
March 4, 2020
A beautiful book, slow to start, with characters dispersed in the fishing town, hiding their deepest secrets. Until a fisherman John was lost at sea, the town and its members unraveled. The story dealt with the repercussions of losing a loved one and revealing the secrets.
My first book by author Erica Boyce, the story pulled me in one chapter at a time until I was completely immersed in its characters. The writing felt dismembered initially until the author craftily joined all the connections together. It soon felt I too was part of this rich tapestry.
The book was different than my thrillers, dealing with a lot of social issues, it still could make my pulse jump with its secrets. The characters complexed and flawed, wanting a good life, soon touched my heart with their light and dark shades. They were just so human. The story was character driven, the prose subtle in its poignancy, there was something quite deep as the sea in Erica's writing that I was lost in.
A delightful afternoon read.
My first book by author Erica Boyce, the story pulled me in one chapter at a time until I was completely immersed in its characters. The writing felt dismembered initially until the author craftily joined all the connections together. It soon felt I too was part of this rich tapestry.
The book was different than my thrillers, dealing with a lot of social issues, it still could make my pulse jump with its secrets. The characters complexed and flawed, wanting a good life, soon touched my heart with their light and dark shades. They were just so human. The story was character driven, the prose subtle in its poignancy, there was something quite deep as the sea in Erica's writing that I was lost in.
A delightful afternoon read.
April 30, 2020
This book! First off, the setting is so fascinating. I don't think I've read a book set in a small fishing town that I loved - this book changed that opinion for me! I loved all the characters, and how they seemed so REAL. They have real life struggles, from drug addiction to financial troubles. Erica Boyce wrote such an amazing cast of characters that will stick with me for a while!
I liked how interconnected the characters are, too. Everyone knows everyone in little towns like this, but it's the secrets that eventually just flood over and rock a lot of lives (quite literally). I liked how it all came together slowly too - the book progressed at a good pace!
If you're on the hunt for a contemporary fiction book that has great characters, then this is the book for you!
I liked how interconnected the characters are, too. Everyone knows everyone in little towns like this, but it's the secrets that eventually just flood over and rock a lot of lives (quite literally). I liked how it all came together slowly too - the book progressed at a good pace!
If you're on the hunt for a contemporary fiction book that has great characters, then this is the book for you!
December 12, 2019
With beautiful, tender prose and a captivating web of characters, LOST AT SEA is a masterful portrait of a fishing village marked by tragedy—and all the secrets therein. Boyce has crafted a poignant and thought-provoking narrative that stuck with me long after I read the final page.
February 18, 2020
This book has reassured my faith in the more character driven, family based novel. This book is propelled forward with the disappearance of a local fisherman which is a common occurrence in this fictional seaside New England town. How the plot branches off to address how this affects his direct family as well as uncovers the many dramas and intricacies of this blue collar town is accomplished with perfection. The entire book felt so fulfilling to me and leaves the reader with an amount of hope that so many comparable books tend to take away from its audience. I was also deeply impressed that the author managed to pull off so many twists between the character connections that I did not see coming yet made perfect sense. Very often, I see twists coming from a mile away but these were so beautifully understated and hidden in plain sight.
Containing trigger warnings for drug/alcohol abuse, the opioid crisis overall, and adoption, this book covers some very heavy topics but conveys them with class and understanding for their repercussions. By the end of the book, I felt deeply connected to all of the characters and cherished the journey I was taken on, no matter how heartbreaking it was at times. It is an honest portrayal of flawed humans that I highly recommend picking up.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks for my gifted copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Containing trigger warnings for drug/alcohol abuse, the opioid crisis overall, and adoption, this book covers some very heavy topics but conveys them with class and understanding for their repercussions. By the end of the book, I felt deeply connected to all of the characters and cherished the journey I was taken on, no matter how heartbreaking it was at times. It is an honest portrayal of flawed humans that I highly recommend picking up.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks for my gifted copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
May 31, 2020
I hadn't heard of this book when I got it, so I wasn't even really sure what it was about. But, when a man doesn't come back from fishing, I assumed it was a mystery about what happened to him (especially with the title Lost at Sea). That's really not what it was about, though, which was a little weird. I think I would have liked it better if I knew what to expect. That being said, it was a pretty good story, about a girl who was dealing with mental health issues and addiction. She also has a complicated family life, and there is a lot of small town drama and mystery as well. I thought Lacey's character was well-written, and her descriptions of anxiety were pretty accurate. I don't really read a lot of family/town drama books, but it was still interesting enough that I wanted to finish it and find out what happened to her in the end. Overall, a decent story, just very misleading title and description.
January 19, 2020
"She felt she could get up and dance on it when she realized the beetle was silent. In fact, when she prodded at the back of her mind, she realized it was gone. She no longer cared what the others thought or did or what they thought of her. It no longer mattered to her that Amanda and Chloe were being assholes, that she hadn’t started studying for finals yet, or that who-knows-what chemicals were being pumped through her body that very minute. It wasn’t like she always thought it would be: a sharp hit to her system and she was somebody else. Her body slipped into it easily, naturally, like this was how she was always supposed to be. She felt curiously warm and safer than she’d ever been. She felt gloriously, sparklingly fine."
I read Erica Boyce's The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green last year and loved it, so when I saw she had a new novel, I knew I wanted to read it. Just like the previous novel, what made this story magical for me was the character development. Similar to Daniel Green, this book started slowly. I wasn't sure who was who and how they were related. But just like the previous novel, it all came together.
Each of the characters in this story is textured, complicated, and real. They have their own stories and a series of experiences that led them here to be this person. They are 3-dimensional and rich and I couldn't help but get attached to them.
There are some surprises in the story but nothing that felt super twisty to me, nothing that distracted from the overall quiet but powerful nature of this story.
The depictions of anxiety are so vivid and so visual and so visceral in this story that I could both see and experience it as I read it. I loved this story as much as, if not more than the previous novel. I cannot wait to read more of Erica Boyce's stories.
With gratitude to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
I read Erica Boyce's The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green last year and loved it, so when I saw she had a new novel, I knew I wanted to read it. Just like the previous novel, what made this story magical for me was the character development. Similar to Daniel Green, this book started slowly. I wasn't sure who was who and how they were related. But just like the previous novel, it all came together.
Each of the characters in this story is textured, complicated, and real. They have their own stories and a series of experiences that led them here to be this person. They are 3-dimensional and rich and I couldn't help but get attached to them.
There are some surprises in the story but nothing that felt super twisty to me, nothing that distracted from the overall quiet but powerful nature of this story.
The depictions of anxiety are so vivid and so visual and so visceral in this story that I could both see and experience it as I read it. I loved this story as much as, if not more than the previous novel. I cannot wait to read more of Erica Boyce's stories.
With gratitude to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2019
Erica Boyce has crafted a heartfelt, deeply moving novel about identity, friendship and family. Thought-provoking and propulsive, with a strong sense of place and a set of intriguing, complex characters, Lost at Sea is impossible to put down.
March 24, 2020
Dislikes- It was hard to follow the characters and their relationships as they weren’t fully written out or explained. It almost felt like it was a sequel to another book. I thought at first I had skipped some pages. The book's storyline was difficult to follow and jumped from plot to plot. It had me saying “What? Why did it just give me two chapters on a different character and her mental illness and now it’s jumping to a little girl losing her father..” In the very end though, it added up. I would have although liked to see a different ending because it didn’t explain what happened to all the characters in full detail.
Likes- The main storyline is intriguing and unique and I really wanted to like this book! I’ve never read a fiction mystery were it’s based on men who go out to sea for their jobs and a local fisherman who goes missing. All the insight in the book through the fishing world and the strength/ stress it takes to be a fisherman or have a family member as a fisherman was learned personally through the author's own experiences. The book had a summery cape cod feeling to it and made me want to go to the beach. I enjoyed the tough independent woman who we're all the main characters in the book.
If you're looking for a read without many details in it to keep up with, then this is the book!
Triggers: Mental Illness, Drug abuse, adoption, loss
Likes- The main storyline is intriguing and unique and I really wanted to like this book! I’ve never read a fiction mystery were it’s based on men who go out to sea for their jobs and a local fisherman who goes missing. All the insight in the book through the fishing world and the strength/ stress it takes to be a fisherman or have a family member as a fisherman was learned personally through the author's own experiences. The book had a summery cape cod feeling to it and made me want to go to the beach. I enjoyed the tough independent woman who we're all the main characters in the book.
If you're looking for a read without many details in it to keep up with, then this is the book!
Triggers: Mental Illness, Drug abuse, adoption, loss
May 14, 2020
This book was not good, I have no idea how it has such good reviews. What seems to be the driving plot point is not really a main focus of the book. There are sub plots that don’t go anywhere, and what ends up being the main storyline wasn’t all that interesting. The writing was good, but the story just didn’t have enough meat to make it a good read. I would pass on this one.
March 9, 2020
Living in a small town everyone knows everyone else's business. There is no secret that can be kept quiet for long. Eventually it may not be gossiped about, but its known. The good thing is that there is a line of invisible support and in this small town it is more than most when fishermen's wives are left suddenly bereft with the loss of a husband.
The story revolves around the sudden disappearance of John Staybrook from his fishing boat and as to why he took the boat out in very difficult circumstances. His little daughter Ella refuses to accept that he is dead, believing he is still missing and somewhere out there waiting to be found. Apart from the basic heart break of sudden loss the story goes into many, many stories such as adoption, alcoholism, drug addiction, relationships, family ties.
It seemed overwhelming to be faced with many issues in one straight forward story but little by little the book settled into an easy reading pace and proved to be a good, interesting story.
The story revolves around the sudden disappearance of John Staybrook from his fishing boat and as to why he took the boat out in very difficult circumstances. His little daughter Ella refuses to accept that he is dead, believing he is still missing and somewhere out there waiting to be found. Apart from the basic heart break of sudden loss the story goes into many, many stories such as adoption, alcoholism, drug addiction, relationships, family ties.
It seemed overwhelming to be faced with many issues in one straight forward story but little by little the book settled into an easy reading pace and proved to be a good, interesting story.
June 14, 2021
While this book is well-written, I was very disappointed in it. The description on the back describes a fisherman lost at sea and the mystery behind his disappearance and the secrets that emerge while his daughter searches for him. While there is a lost fisherman, there is no mystery behind why he was lost at sea (like he wasn't murdered or anything like that) and the majority of the plot is about a teenage girl with a drug problem who was adopted by single mother , the story of her biological mother, and some other townspeople. The only secrets revealed are how some of the townspeople are related to each other. I wouldn't choose the book based on the description on the back because it isn't very accurate. Even the discussion questions admit that the book really isn't about the loss of the fisherman but about the teenager and the community that surrounds her. I'm not sure why the person who wrote the description chose to mislead the readers about the plot line. I'm not sure I would choose to read another book by this author or I would at least be less trusting of the true plot based on the description provided.
July 6, 2020
Erica Boyce has written a story about addiction and grief and love and loss that goes across generations. The story revolves around a young high school girl with a promising future who lives in a New England Town called Devils Purse. They are a fishing community of men and women who deal with death more than most should and they carry on as best they can with the support of their friends and family. Boyce weaves a interconnecting web of the lives of several seemingly unrelated characters to a surprising conclusion. The book is aimed at the young adult audience but I enjoyed it and it does deal with how addiction affects more than just the addict. So, worth a read. I read it in two days and couldn't put it down for long. So two thumbs up from me.
March 24, 2020
I really enjoyed another book by this author, The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green mostly for the uniqueness of the storyline. I saw this coming out and was intrigued enough to pick it up!
This title is symbolic in some ways, there is the actual sea, and the metaphorical one as people contemplate their roles in daily life. The actual sea is the life and blood of the small town, and a lot of families who depend on it are struggling to stay afloat (here in terms of finding enough money to go around). I was not sure how invested I was going to be partway into the narrative, there were many voices and a lot of different angles that we are watching the unfolding of events from. I will not talk about them all because the way they are woven together is part of its charm. There are numerous mentions and in-depth conversations about addictions and enablers here so that might be something that people should be aware of as they go in, in case it acts as a trigger.
We have one girl whose mind is rebelling against her, and she ended up in a hole she is valiantly but almost unsuccessfully trying to dig herself out of. There is another who has been handed lousy news but does not want it to be true. There are four(ish) grown women who are essential to the story, and they all have had ripple effects on each other and especially the girls in various ways. It was a different type of account, one of struggle and only mildly tinged with hope. I might have liked it even more if it had some probably improbable twists to make it happier, but that’s just me and my need to stay upbeat.
I recommend this to those who like reading books with relationships under a microscope and the fascinating nuances in them all.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
This title is symbolic in some ways, there is the actual sea, and the metaphorical one as people contemplate their roles in daily life. The actual sea is the life and blood of the small town, and a lot of families who depend on it are struggling to stay afloat (here in terms of finding enough money to go around). I was not sure how invested I was going to be partway into the narrative, there were many voices and a lot of different angles that we are watching the unfolding of events from. I will not talk about them all because the way they are woven together is part of its charm. There are numerous mentions and in-depth conversations about addictions and enablers here so that might be something that people should be aware of as they go in, in case it acts as a trigger.
We have one girl whose mind is rebelling against her, and she ended up in a hole she is valiantly but almost unsuccessfully trying to dig herself out of. There is another who has been handed lousy news but does not want it to be true. There are four(ish) grown women who are essential to the story, and they all have had ripple effects on each other and especially the girls in various ways. It was a different type of account, one of struggle and only mildly tinged with hope. I might have liked it even more if it had some probably improbable twists to make it happier, but that’s just me and my need to stay upbeat.
I recommend this to those who like reading books with relationships under a microscope and the fascinating nuances in them all.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
March 31, 2020
When I first decided to read this book it was because of the summary. Ella's dad dies and she thinks he is alive. Except that was not even close to the main plot. In fact, Ella isn't even really a main character. There are plenty others we get to hear from and see more of. That really threw me off the entire book and kind of made me ??? most of the time. A lot of the main themes actually happen before he's even properly missing. (The Goodreads description is a bit different but I still think that we get to the main themes, more or less, before John is even missing.)
The book isn't bad. It's good. It's a light read while also tackling hard topics. There are good points and frustrating points. In the end, I just felt like I signed up to read a different book based on the description and instead was thrust one entirely different.
The women is this book are all complex and written in such a lovely way. They all have their faults and positive moments. I'd be interested in seeing where hey all go after this, actually. It has a definite ending but given the events of the book the future will be interesting to navigate and I'd be curious how things went. Taking the book without the description it is good and I'm glad I spent my (sleepless) night with these women and their problems that were all too human and touch most of us, in one way or another.
The book isn't bad. It's good. It's a light read while also tackling hard topics. There are good points and frustrating points. In the end, I just felt like I signed up to read a different book based on the description and instead was thrust one entirely different.
The women is this book are all complex and written in such a lovely way. They all have their faults and positive moments. I'd be interested in seeing where hey all go after this, actually. It has a definite ending but given the events of the book the future will be interesting to navigate and I'd be curious how things went. Taking the book without the description it is good and I'm glad I spent my (sleepless) night with these women and their problems that were all too human and touch most of us, in one way or another.
March 3, 2020
Title: Lost at Sea
Author: Erica Boyce
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
When fisherman John Staybrook vanishes one night during a storm, his disappearance raises questions. His daughter, Ella, is convinced he’s still alive and someone in the town is hiding secrets—and the key to his disappearance.
Her friend and former babysitter, Lacey, helps Ella investigate her father’s disappearance. Lacey is struggling with her own demons—her addition to painkillers after a knee injury, the “beetle” in her brain that makes her question everything around her and that’s only quieted by the pills—and secrets from her own past, but she and the rest of the town also wonder why an experienced fisherman like John was out in that deadly storm.
This novel, like Boyce’s previous novel, The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green, has a slow, easy pace that nevertheless keeps the reader intrigued to find out just what’s going on. So many secrets—and so few answers—keep that pace alive. Lacey’s struggle is at the heart of this novel, although Ella’s pain also holds a key place. With secrets from the past spilling over into the present, this novel manages to turn what seem to be random threads into a complex tapestry.
(Galley courtesy of Sourcebook Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)
More reviews at Tomorrow is Another Day
Author: Erica Boyce
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
When fisherman John Staybrook vanishes one night during a storm, his disappearance raises questions. His daughter, Ella, is convinced he’s still alive and someone in the town is hiding secrets—and the key to his disappearance.
Her friend and former babysitter, Lacey, helps Ella investigate her father’s disappearance. Lacey is struggling with her own demons—her addition to painkillers after a knee injury, the “beetle” in her brain that makes her question everything around her and that’s only quieted by the pills—and secrets from her own past, but she and the rest of the town also wonder why an experienced fisherman like John was out in that deadly storm.
This novel, like Boyce’s previous novel, The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green, has a slow, easy pace that nevertheless keeps the reader intrigued to find out just what’s going on. So many secrets—and so few answers—keep that pace alive. Lacey’s struggle is at the heart of this novel, although Ella’s pain also holds a key place. With secrets from the past spilling over into the present, this novel manages to turn what seem to be random threads into a complex tapestry.
(Galley courtesy of Sourcebook Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)
More reviews at Tomorrow is Another Day
November 16, 2019
From Netgalley
The summary appealed to me on several levels: I love any family drama, any book that promises to reveal a secret, a small town setting, and the disappearance intrigued me.
A man has disappeared from a fishing town while on a boat during the storm. The story is told from the perspective of several people including his fishing partner, wife, daughter, and the former babysitter for his daughter. The book covers hard topics - infertility, adoption, and drug use. People aren’t always who they seem to be, and even in a small town, there are plenty of secrets.
I struggled at first; there are a bunch of female characters and the perspective is always changing, so it was hard to keep them all straight. Eventually it gets easier. I thought the first half of the book was rather slow; the story picks up in the last half. I really like how Lacey personified (or objectified rather) her insecurities as an insect that eats away at things. It was a very apt comparison. Overall, I liked the book - it was an easy read with some depth to it and the very ending was fitting.
The summary appealed to me on several levels: I love any family drama, any book that promises to reveal a secret, a small town setting, and the disappearance intrigued me.
A man has disappeared from a fishing town while on a boat during the storm. The story is told from the perspective of several people including his fishing partner, wife, daughter, and the former babysitter for his daughter. The book covers hard topics - infertility, adoption, and drug use. People aren’t always who they seem to be, and even in a small town, there are plenty of secrets.
I struggled at first; there are a bunch of female characters and the perspective is always changing, so it was hard to keep them all straight. Eventually it gets easier. I thought the first half of the book was rather slow; the story picks up in the last half. I really like how Lacey personified (or objectified rather) her insecurities as an insect that eats away at things. It was a very apt comparison. Overall, I liked the book - it was an easy read with some depth to it and the very ending was fitting.
March 20, 2020
In the small fishing village of Devil's Purse, John Staybrook is a well liked neighbor and respected local fisherman.
He goes out fishing in terrible weather conditions and is lost at sea.
His young daughter Ella doesn't believe he is dead. She heard her parents fighting earlier and she thinks her dad just wanted to get away from her mom.
She enlists the help of her teenage friend Lacey, to look for her dad.
Lacey has problems of her own. Suffering opioid addiction and anxiety, she is trying to remain sober, not wanting to once again disappoint her adoptive mother Maureen.
As they investigate, they begin stumbling onto the many secrets that their little town is hiding.
This emotional and moving story captivated me. The characters were engaging and appealing. Told with a quiet beauty that touched my heart.
Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-ARC via NetGalley.
He goes out fishing in terrible weather conditions and is lost at sea.
His young daughter Ella doesn't believe he is dead. She heard her parents fighting earlier and she thinks her dad just wanted to get away from her mom.
She enlists the help of her teenage friend Lacey, to look for her dad.
Lacey has problems of her own. Suffering opioid addiction and anxiety, she is trying to remain sober, not wanting to once again disappoint her adoptive mother Maureen.
As they investigate, they begin stumbling onto the many secrets that their little town is hiding.
This emotional and moving story captivated me. The characters were engaging and appealing. Told with a quiet beauty that touched my heart.
Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-ARC via NetGalley.
April 18, 2020
I hastily grabbed this book off the shelf when my library was closing during the Covid-19 quarantine. I had grabbed a bunch and left the bag sitting around, since it was hard to focus on reading there for a little bit. One day, I perused over my library choices and grabbed this book. I’m so glad I did.
Heart-warming and at time heart-wrenching, Ms. Boyce does a fantastic job of letting the reader feel the characters feelings. The way she writes the dialogue makes it very easy to imagine the conversation happening right in front of you. I fell in love with Jess, a true tomboy and Rebecca seemed a steady anchor in which the town depended on, but she was fighting her own battles.
Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. I truly believe books call to you and I’m just sad it took me so so long to answer the call about this one.
Heart-warming and at time heart-wrenching, Ms. Boyce does a fantastic job of letting the reader feel the characters feelings. The way she writes the dialogue makes it very easy to imagine the conversation happening right in front of you. I fell in love with Jess, a true tomboy and Rebecca seemed a steady anchor in which the town depended on, but she was fighting her own battles.
Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. I truly believe books call to you and I’m just sad it took me so so long to answer the call about this one.
March 13, 2025
It was okay, but did not deliver on the implied promise. This was not about a man who was lost at sea, it was about a man who everyone thought took a boat out in bad weather and died in the storm, which is…uh... exactly what happened. This book is about a teenager's substance abuse issues and finding her birth mother. (The big shock on that is that her birth mother happens to be someone she knows who lives in the same town.) It had a few mildly interesting twists in the search for the birth mother, but most of it was just the girl's substance abuse problems and flashbacks to when her birth mother was pregnant with her. Not sure what I missed here, but I missed something major. Hats off to anyone who enjoyed it. I just didn't get the title and the write up when compared with what the book was actually about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2020
Lost at Sea by Erica Boyce, published by Sourcebook Landmark is a full length, stand-alone novel.
I started reading and was right thrown into the story. There is no easying in. And to be honest, it took me some time to get in the story, but then , oh boy, what a ride it was.
The story is told in a multiple pov- including his partner, wife, daughter, and the former babysitter.
The story deals with sensitive subjects and is not for the faint of heart.
Al in all, a fast paced read, well written and beautifully told, secrThe story is told from the perspective of several people including his fishing partner, wife, daughter, and the former babysitter for his daughter. Secrets are revealed that change everyones life, a complex story, 4,5 stars.
I started reading and was right thrown into the story. There is no easying in. And to be honest, it took me some time to get in the story, but then , oh boy, what a ride it was.
The story is told in a multiple pov- including his partner, wife, daughter, and the former babysitter.
The story deals with sensitive subjects and is not for the faint of heart.
Al in all, a fast paced read, well written and beautifully told, secrThe story is told from the perspective of several people including his fishing partner, wife, daughter, and the former babysitter for his daughter. Secrets are revealed that change everyones life, a complex story, 4,5 stars.
January 13, 2020
I don’t read too many seafaring books, but this one intrigued me and I enjoyed it more than I expected. Why would an experienced fisherman 1) go out to sea in inclement weather and 2) what happened and where is he. You have to read the entire book to get the answers. What started out simple became complex very quickly. Add in a small town, gossip, family dynamics, love, devotion and a determination to get to the truth of the matter, I read this book in one sitting, as it became more interesting the further on I read. While there is no happy ending, there comes a new understanding of just how far someone is willing to take their commitment to ensure their family is taken care of. Poignant and beautiful. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 2, 2020
This is less about the loss of John, a fisherman, at sea than it is about the women in his life. The main focus is Lacey, a teen who becomes addicted to opioids first because of a knee injury and then to quiet the beetle in her brain. She was adopted as an infant by her mother Maureen, who has moved them to Devil's Purse so that Lacey can find, she hopes, her bio mom. This is also the story of Annie, the bio mom, and Rebecca, the town librarian who desperately wants a child. There's a twist you (like me) might see coming but I didn't see all of it. This is topical, emotional, and doesn't shy away from Lacey's problems. Boyce is a storyteller and I found myself swept in and carried away. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An excellent read.
September 4, 2021
Giving this 3 stars because I think it would be pretty good for the right audience. That isn't me. I thought I was going to read a book about a fishing village in the northeast which would be more like others I've read on the same subject. That is not what this really was. It was really directed to teen girls and was more a discourse on all the things that can go wrong in a teen's life and information on all the many things that can happen-unplanned pregnancy, drugs, alcohol, mental illness, adoption, it was just too much. The only part I enjoyed was the Ella character. I also thought it was written somewhat disjointedly.
Disappointed but as I said I was not the targeted audience; I didn't know it was a YA novel.
Disappointed but as I said I was not the targeted audience; I didn't know it was a YA novel.
November 19, 2019
John Staybrook fishes for scallops. And tuna. He's gone out hundreds of times. But one night, he doesn't come back. His family, his fellow fishermen, and the community of Devil's Purse are absolutely in shock. How could this happen?? He was an accomplished fisherman, never known to take unnecessary chances.
Woven throughout the search for John are a young adopted woman's search for her birth mother, another kind of loss. And John's loss of income, due to an unsuccessful season of fishing. And Ella's search for her father.
I read this EARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark. pub date 03/03/20
Woven throughout the search for John are a young adopted woman's search for her birth mother, another kind of loss. And John's loss of income, due to an unsuccessful season of fishing. And Ella's search for her father.
I read this EARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark. pub date 03/03/20
January 23, 2020
In a small fishing town called Devil’s Purse, a well-known fisherman and father goes missing while taking a tuna boat out on rough waters. Initially the focus of the story revolves around loss and each characters grief. What the synopsis doesn’t tell you is the focus shifts to a troubled teenage girl addicted to drugs with a troubling anxiety disorder. So trigger warning to readers who may not know what they signed up for with this book; it heavily tackles issues like drug and alcohol addiction, unwanted pregnancy and adoption. Lost at Sea is about a group of women who couldn’t be more different, but you hope all pull together for the greater good of how this story might end.
February 11, 2020
The cover alone was enough to make me drop everything and start reading. I loved this one, and flew through it in a weekend. I am a sucker for a good changing perspectives/back and forth timeline book- must be the mystery lover in me. Lost at Sea is has all of the best women's fiction elements. It touches on love and loss, self discovery, and a twisted character plot that was so enthralling I literally couldn't put it down. This is one that I know will get a lot of love as I pass it around to my fellow reader friends.
March 24, 2020
This book was not what I expected after reading the description from the publisher. I expected a book about a town pulling together after fisherman John Staybrook vanishes. To a certain extent, that was what I got. But, I also was rewarded with a thoughtful, intricate novel about adoption, addiction and loss. I came to care about all these characters and the clever way their lives intersected. I found it an eye-opening story abut a fishing town and the effects addiction has on its townspeople. I was more than satisfied with the not neatly tied up with a bow ending. I really loved this.
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