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The Lost Girl
Three starred reviews
A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2019
Anne Ursu, author of the National Book Award nominee The Real Boy , returns with a story of the power of fantasy, the limits of love, and the struggles inherent in growing up.
When you’re an identical twin, your story always starts with someone else. For Iris, that means her story starts with Lark.
Iris has always been the grounded, capable, and rational one; Lark has been inventive, dreamy, and brilliant—and from their first moments in the world together, they’ve never left each other’s side. Everyone around them realized early on what the two sisters already knew: they had better outcomes when they were together.
When fifth grade arrives, however, it's decided that Iris and Lark should be split into different classrooms, and something breaks in them both.
Iris is no longer so confident; Lark retreats into herself as she deals with challenges at school. And at the same time, something strange is happening in the city around them, things both great and small going missing without a trace.
As Iris begins to understand that anything can be lost in the blink of an eye, she decides it’s up to her to find a way to keep her sister safe.
A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2019
Anne Ursu, author of the National Book Award nominee The Real Boy , returns with a story of the power of fantasy, the limits of love, and the struggles inherent in growing up.
When you’re an identical twin, your story always starts with someone else. For Iris, that means her story starts with Lark.
Iris has always been the grounded, capable, and rational one; Lark has been inventive, dreamy, and brilliant—and from their first moments in the world together, they’ve never left each other’s side. Everyone around them realized early on what the two sisters already knew: they had better outcomes when they were together.
When fifth grade arrives, however, it's decided that Iris and Lark should be split into different classrooms, and something breaks in them both.
Iris is no longer so confident; Lark retreats into herself as she deals with challenges at school. And at the same time, something strange is happening in the city around them, things both great and small going missing without a trace.
As Iris begins to understand that anything can be lost in the blink of an eye, she decides it’s up to her to find a way to keep her sister safe.
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2019
158 people are currently reading
5120 people want to read
About the author
Anne Ursu
19 books848 followersAnne Ursu is the author of several fantasies for young readers, including THE REAL BOY, which was longlisted for the National Book Award, and BREADCRUMBS, which was named as one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly, Amazon, and School Library Journal. She is also the recipient of a McKnight Fellowship. She teaches at the Hamline University's Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and lives in Minneapolis. Her next book, THE LOST GIRL, will be out in February 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 401 reviews
March 20, 2019
3 stars
Picked this book up because the premise sounded interesting. I liked the depiction of what it was like to be a twin and I think many twin children and adults will identify with these characters. I also liked the artwork. There was just too much exposition for me and not enough action, 200 pages in and there still didn't seem to be much of a plot.
But overall I liked it and I can totally see myself recommending it to middle graders and/or their parents when I am at work.
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Picked this book up because the premise sounded interesting. I liked the depiction of what it was like to be a twin and I think many twin children and adults will identify with these characters. I also liked the artwork. There was just too much exposition for me and not enough action, 200 pages in and there still didn't seem to be much of a plot.
But overall I liked it and I can totally see myself recommending it to middle graders and/or their parents when I am at work.
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April 8, 2019
Powerful story about sisterhood, twinhood, girlhood. I highly recommend this to all readers, regardless of age or gender, because of what it has to say about growing up, finding yourself, and being independent vs. knowing when you need help.
May 7, 2018
MY NEED. IT IS MIGHTY.
March 7, 2019
2.5 stars
Anne Ursu writes well and her stories are imaginative; however, after reading The Lost Girl, I learned that we may have different views on certain topics and that difference hindered me from enjoying the book as much as I would have liked. Otherwise, I will say that this was an overall interesting book that I recommend for middle school readers who enjoy realistic fiction and a touch of magic/mystery. A forewarning to sensitive readers that the ending is kind of creepy, although the creepiness is vanquished. Also, I will add that Lark and Iris's relationship with its strong bond of love and the lesson of letting those we love most make their own way into the world is very much like C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces - that book is excellent and I strongly recommend that.
My lengthty complaint that knocked the rating down - the Camp Awesome's fairy tale and superhero conversations. "Strong females" and fairy tale shaming seem to be a trend. Because of this trend, it is conveyed in children's literature. There is nothing wrong with being strong, but I believe the culture's definition of strong is misinterpreted. Women don't have to avoid men like the plague and defeat villians whilst wearing black spandex to be strong, which is what many of the characters seemed to believe. Many fairy tales are symbolic of real life and just because the Disney versions have taken front and center for the past eighty years doesn't mean we cannot go back and introduce children to the original fairy tales. A lot of those original fairy tales held a deeper meaning than just the guy saving the girl (think redemption - us in need of a Savior=the princess in need of rescue, Jesus our Savior=the prince rescuing the princess, Satan tempting us to sin=the wicked witch/monster out to get the princess, Jesus's promise to return and take us to live with Him in Heaven=the happily ever after). I realize Iris and the other girls' mutual dislike for fairy tales is what at last bonds them and they are 5th graders with a lot to learn, but I feel like Ursu could have used a different approach than having the characters bash poor princesses.
Anne Ursu writes well and her stories are imaginative; however, after reading The Lost Girl, I learned that we may have different views on certain topics and that difference hindered me from enjoying the book as much as I would have liked. Otherwise, I will say that this was an overall interesting book that I recommend for middle school readers who enjoy realistic fiction and a touch of magic/mystery. A forewarning to sensitive readers that the ending is kind of creepy, although the creepiness is vanquished. Also, I will add that Lark and Iris's relationship with its strong bond of love and the lesson of letting those we love most make their own way into the world is very much like C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces - that book is excellent and I strongly recommend that.
My lengthty complaint that knocked the rating down - the Camp Awesome's fairy tale and superhero conversations. "Strong females" and fairy tale shaming seem to be a trend. Because of this trend, it is conveyed in children's literature. There is nothing wrong with being strong, but I believe the culture's definition of strong is misinterpreted. Women don't have to avoid men like the plague and defeat villians whilst wearing black spandex to be strong, which is what many of the characters seemed to believe. Many fairy tales are symbolic of real life and just because the Disney versions have taken front and center for the past eighty years doesn't mean we cannot go back and introduce children to the original fairy tales. A lot of those original fairy tales held a deeper meaning than just the guy saving the girl (think redemption - us in need of a Savior=the princess in need of rescue, Jesus our Savior=the prince rescuing the princess, Satan tempting us to sin=the wicked witch/monster out to get the princess, Jesus's promise to return and take us to live with Him in Heaven=the happily ever after). I realize Iris and the other girls' mutual dislike for fairy tales is what at last bonds them and they are 5th graders with a lot to learn, but I feel like Ursu could have used a different approach than having the characters bash poor princesses.
December 20, 2019
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I knew The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu was going to hold a special place in my heart just a couple chapters in. About half way through I had a feeling it would be the book of 2019 that I would try to shove into the hands of any and all who expressed slightest interest in a book recommendation. By the time I was finished with it, I knew it would be a book that would stay with me always. Then comes this part. The part where I want to tell the world why. I kept thinking that I needed to give my emotions time to settle. That I needed to be able to approach it with calm rationale. But you know what? That is nonsense. This book made me feel. That is part of its power. So this isn't going to be objective. I doubt I will ever be able to think about this book objectively.
Iris and Lark are identical twins. Though they might look the same they are completely different people. However, they are also two halves of a whole. A pair. A team. When fifth grade begins, they discover the powers in their lives have decided it is time for them to learn to navigate life without the other one to rely on. They are in separate classes for the first time ever. They are being forced into separate after school activities. Practical, rational, fierce Iris finds she lacks the confidence she once had. She is quieter. Less in command. As if in not being able to speak for Lark, she has lost her voice. Lark shrinks further into herself unsure of how to navigate a teacher who terrifies her, the grade bully, and an environment that doesn't value her creativity without her sister there to help her. And then things start going missing. Small things at home. Big things around the city. And. a mysterious shop opens up that seems to hold both questions and answers and has a strange pull on Iris.
One of the reasons I can't really look at this book objectively is Iris. The story mainly follows her. We have far more insight into her activities and thoughts than we do into Lark's world. It is a brilliant narrative choice on Ursu's part. The mysterious narrator begins the novel discussing both girls and slowly narrows the focus to Iris. Because Lark is such an integral part of Iris, she's there too, but we aren't in her head nearly as often. I identify with Iris so thoroughly that it is almost scary. There are so many pages with so many quotes that felt pulled directly from my own head. I get Iris on a molecular level, so it was inevitable that I would be invested in thoroughly invested in her story. In her. Iris is prickly, values rationality, knows she is smart (but probably shouldn't say it out loud), has trouble making friends, is confident but introverted, and is a unilateral problem solver. She doesn't consult others, but acts when and how she deems it necessary. And speaks her mind without thinking of all the consequences. That she ends up in trouble is unsurprising though how she gets there is in many ways. Lark is the creative one. She makes up stories, is an artist, and sees the world in beautiful ways. She has a talent for seeing the light in the dark and twisting the tale to show that the monsters are weak and beatable. Lark does have trouble navigating the world the way it is in many aspects, but she has an inner strength and courage all her own. The girls have a beautiful relationship, and I felt every bit of their anger, fear, and resentment at being separated.
The story itself is highly relatable for all readers. No one likes change. No one likes feeling out of control. Any person who has ever felt lonely, isolated, abandoned, or lost will find something in this book with which to relate. All of the day to day to school and family problems are typical of any child. I loved how well Ursu gets the dichotomy between kids and adults though. Sometimes you read a MG book and know that it is being written by someone who is remembering being a kid and not really spending time getting to know actual kids. Then sometimes you a read a book that gets it so exactly right, and this is one of them. It's one of those books I want to hand to adults and say, "Read this so you understand them. Read this so you remember they are beings with feelings and emotions all their own and not just an extension of you." A place this is really obvious is in the generational differences in how the characters speak and handle problems. I love that the college student who is in charge of Iris's after school club is often flabbergasted by her young charges and what they know and can converse about. It's not a wide age gap, and yet the difference is staggering, which is very true to what I see in my own experience working with a wide range of ages. The way the girls at the library club discuss both super-heroes and fairy tales is very true to Gen Z (or whatever we're calling the current crop of elementary students now).
The other major reason I can't think objectively about this book lies in its very premise and resolution. It's hard to discuss thoroughly without spoilers. Suffice it to say that the villain is one any girl will recognize from ten paces out, but it is also completely understandable why Iris is not more wary. What Ursu did with that whole part of the plot is nothing short of phenomenal crafting. Read it as it is and accept its surface value and it has so much power. Stop and thinking about all the possible symbolism there, and it packs a whole other punch. Either way, it will have an impact. And the way that evil is finally defeated even more so. I sobbed my way through last the pages of the novel. Cried all over it. It was good crying. The sort that has a power all of its own and is renewing.
I want to put this book in every girl's hands so they know that they are not alone.
I knew The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu was going to hold a special place in my heart just a couple chapters in. About half way through I had a feeling it would be the book of 2019 that I would try to shove into the hands of any and all who expressed slightest interest in a book recommendation. By the time I was finished with it, I knew it would be a book that would stay with me always. Then comes this part. The part where I want to tell the world why. I kept thinking that I needed to give my emotions time to settle. That I needed to be able to approach it with calm rationale. But you know what? That is nonsense. This book made me feel. That is part of its power. So this isn't going to be objective. I doubt I will ever be able to think about this book objectively.
Iris and Lark are identical twins. Though they might look the same they are completely different people. However, they are also two halves of a whole. A pair. A team. When fifth grade begins, they discover the powers in their lives have decided it is time for them to learn to navigate life without the other one to rely on. They are in separate classes for the first time ever. They are being forced into separate after school activities. Practical, rational, fierce Iris finds she lacks the confidence she once had. She is quieter. Less in command. As if in not being able to speak for Lark, she has lost her voice. Lark shrinks further into herself unsure of how to navigate a teacher who terrifies her, the grade bully, and an environment that doesn't value her creativity without her sister there to help her. And then things start going missing. Small things at home. Big things around the city. And. a mysterious shop opens up that seems to hold both questions and answers and has a strange pull on Iris.
One of the reasons I can't really look at this book objectively is Iris. The story mainly follows her. We have far more insight into her activities and thoughts than we do into Lark's world. It is a brilliant narrative choice on Ursu's part. The mysterious narrator begins the novel discussing both girls and slowly narrows the focus to Iris. Because Lark is such an integral part of Iris, she's there too, but we aren't in her head nearly as often. I identify with Iris so thoroughly that it is almost scary. There are so many pages with so many quotes that felt pulled directly from my own head. I get Iris on a molecular level, so it was inevitable that I would be invested in thoroughly invested in her story. In her. Iris is prickly, values rationality, knows she is smart (but probably shouldn't say it out loud), has trouble making friends, is confident but introverted, and is a unilateral problem solver. She doesn't consult others, but acts when and how she deems it necessary. And speaks her mind without thinking of all the consequences. That she ends up in trouble is unsurprising though how she gets there is in many ways. Lark is the creative one. She makes up stories, is an artist, and sees the world in beautiful ways. She has a talent for seeing the light in the dark and twisting the tale to show that the monsters are weak and beatable. Lark does have trouble navigating the world the way it is in many aspects, but she has an inner strength and courage all her own. The girls have a beautiful relationship, and I felt every bit of their anger, fear, and resentment at being separated.
The story itself is highly relatable for all readers. No one likes change. No one likes feeling out of control. Any person who has ever felt lonely, isolated, abandoned, or lost will find something in this book with which to relate. All of the day to day to school and family problems are typical of any child. I loved how well Ursu gets the dichotomy between kids and adults though. Sometimes you read a MG book and know that it is being written by someone who is remembering being a kid and not really spending time getting to know actual kids. Then sometimes you a read a book that gets it so exactly right, and this is one of them. It's one of those books I want to hand to adults and say, "Read this so you understand them. Read this so you remember they are beings with feelings and emotions all their own and not just an extension of you." A place this is really obvious is in the generational differences in how the characters speak and handle problems. I love that the college student who is in charge of Iris's after school club is often flabbergasted by her young charges and what they know and can converse about. It's not a wide age gap, and yet the difference is staggering, which is very true to what I see in my own experience working with a wide range of ages. The way the girls at the library club discuss both super-heroes and fairy tales is very true to Gen Z (or whatever we're calling the current crop of elementary students now).
The other major reason I can't think objectively about this book lies in its very premise and resolution. It's hard to discuss thoroughly without spoilers. Suffice it to say that the villain is one any girl will recognize from ten paces out, but it is also completely understandable why Iris is not more wary. What Ursu did with that whole part of the plot is nothing short of phenomenal crafting. Read it as it is and accept its surface value and it has so much power. Stop and thinking about all the possible symbolism there, and it packs a whole other punch. Either way, it will have an impact. And the way that evil is finally defeated even more so. I sobbed my way through last the pages of the novel. Cried all over it. It was good crying. The sort that has a power all of its own and is renewing.
I want to put this book in every girl's hands so they know that they are not alone.
April 10, 2019
I was so bored throughout more than three-quarters of this book. I'm a fan of character based world building. If the author gives me someone to care about, I'm all there. Iris and Lark however, just seemed to wallow in the enjoyment of their own perceived victim-hood. I had no patience for it. When the final twisty climax arrived, which could be seen from a mile away, the solution was easily arrived at, giving no sense of accomplishment.
There were some good girl-power conversations, but echo so many of the conversations I've seen played out every day on Twitter, not really anything ten-year-olds would be aware of.
There were some good girl-power conversations, but echo so many of the conversations I've seen played out every day on Twitter, not really anything ten-year-olds would be aware of.
January 8, 2019
A DRC was provided by Edelweiss for a fair and honest review.
Lark and Iris, how I wanted to like you more! Despite this reader being wary of books about twins, your author is a good writer with the best of intentions for you. She wants to write a book about girls being diminished by the patriarchy, an insensitive school culture, poor though well-meaning parenting, and their own self-doubt. She also wants to throw in a good dose of not-so-nice magic borrowed from everyone from Grimm to Stephen King to Angela Carter. She wants Girl Power to rescue you. It's just that your battles are undermined by your problems with each other and everyone else, and the subsequent confusion sorting it all out. This reader found herself sympathizing with your clueless parents coping with your crippling codependency, rather than condemning them for siding with the school that wants you to develop independently. And believable magic needs more to be established as a motif than just dark hints from a creepy antique store owner (especially when everything about him should scream RUN.) But your twin bubble becomes suffocating for the reader too, and your inability to get along with others is disturbing.
The book's premise is intriguing - twins struggling through their first real separation when they are placed in separate fifth-grade classrooms must balance the challenges of making other friends, contending with bullies and uncomprehending adults, with a growing awareness that all is not right in their world. The supernatural beckons what with vanishing objects, a vanished girl from long ago, cranky crows and a mysterious cat, and enough illnesses for a 19th century neurasthenic heroine. The intrusion of an omniscient narrator warning the reader that something wicked this way comes becomes tiresome since there are enough signals of its coming littered through the plot.
Ursu does a nice job of conveying the funkiness of the twins' Minneapolis neighborhood, and the addition of believable everyday details of elementary school life, such as forced conversations between students in small groups known as "pods," Iris' participation in a "Girl Power" program, and the pressures of homework and gossip make the twins' struggles realistic. Ursu is a lovely phrase-maker and all of her skill is on display " It was only the first day, and no one knew yet how the girls would arrange themselves over the course of the camp-a series of open circles, or in tight sharp immovable shapes.”
Lark, with her social maladjustments, twee wardrobe, and quirky personality, is just a little too wet, and Iris, with her obsessive-compulsive ways and desire to control everything, is complicated without sometimes being likable enough. Mr. Green, the antiquary, comes off as downright sinister, even when he isn't making inappropriate speeches to little girls in his shop. What is positive is the portrayal of the majority of their peers as bright, empathetic kids who put up with the twins’ neuroses and willingly extend social support and more. Lark and Iris, with friends like these, you must have something going for you.
By the way, another read-alike about twins caught up in the supernatural is Janet Lunn's Twin Spell, a forgotten classic which gets the push-me/pull-you nature of twinship, with a haunting sense of the power and potential tragedy this unique relationship can have.
Lark and Iris, how I wanted to like you more! Despite this reader being wary of books about twins, your author is a good writer with the best of intentions for you. She wants to write a book about girls being diminished by the patriarchy, an insensitive school culture, poor though well-meaning parenting, and their own self-doubt. She also wants to throw in a good dose of not-so-nice magic borrowed from everyone from Grimm to Stephen King to Angela Carter. She wants Girl Power to rescue you. It's just that your battles are undermined by your problems with each other and everyone else, and the subsequent confusion sorting it all out. This reader found herself sympathizing with your clueless parents coping with your crippling codependency, rather than condemning them for siding with the school that wants you to develop independently. And believable magic needs more to be established as a motif than just dark hints from a creepy antique store owner (especially when everything about him should scream RUN.) But your twin bubble becomes suffocating for the reader too, and your inability to get along with others is disturbing.
The book's premise is intriguing - twins struggling through their first real separation when they are placed in separate fifth-grade classrooms must balance the challenges of making other friends, contending with bullies and uncomprehending adults, with a growing awareness that all is not right in their world. The supernatural beckons what with vanishing objects, a vanished girl from long ago, cranky crows and a mysterious cat, and enough illnesses for a 19th century neurasthenic heroine. The intrusion of an omniscient narrator warning the reader that something wicked this way comes becomes tiresome since there are enough signals of its coming littered through the plot.
Ursu does a nice job of conveying the funkiness of the twins' Minneapolis neighborhood, and the addition of believable everyday details of elementary school life, such as forced conversations between students in small groups known as "pods," Iris' participation in a "Girl Power" program, and the pressures of homework and gossip make the twins' struggles realistic. Ursu is a lovely phrase-maker and all of her skill is on display " It was only the first day, and no one knew yet how the girls would arrange themselves over the course of the camp-a series of open circles, or in tight sharp immovable shapes.”
Lark, with her social maladjustments, twee wardrobe, and quirky personality, is just a little too wet, and Iris, with her obsessive-compulsive ways and desire to control everything, is complicated without sometimes being likable enough. Mr. Green, the antiquary, comes off as downright sinister, even when he isn't making inappropriate speeches to little girls in his shop. What is positive is the portrayal of the majority of their peers as bright, empathetic kids who put up with the twins’ neuroses and willingly extend social support and more. Lark and Iris, with friends like these, you must have something going for you.
By the way, another read-alike about twins caught up in the supernatural is Janet Lunn's Twin Spell, a forgotten classic which gets the push-me/pull-you nature of twinship, with a haunting sense of the power and potential tragedy this unique relationship can have.
February 15, 2019
This was WONDERFUL. Beautifully written and emotional and I could relate with Iris so MUCH for taking care and worrying about her sister to the point of forgetting about her own health <3
and then there are the groups that surround the girls - and Camp Awesome is SO AWESOME
and then there are the groups that surround the girls - and Camp Awesome is SO AWESOME
March 13, 2019
This really wasn't my thing. I know it was supposed to be touching and affirming, but I couldn't get into all of the strangeness. First of all, I had a hard time keeping the two twins separate in my mind. The twin that was supposed to have one characteristic kept showing the other characteristic. That could have been part of the point, but it didn't seem to be. Second of all, it hurt me whenever the parents and the school people kept insisting that they had made the best decision for the girls' sake. I once made a decision for one of my children that the child later felt was wrong and I tried to rectify it. No one seemed to feel the girls had anything valid to say. Yes, I know: parents do sometimes have to make difficult decisions for their children. In this case, I felt they needed more buy-in from the children. And, finally magical realism evidently isn't my thing. The author took what could have been a good real-life problem and added a bunch of mystical / magical / supernatural whatever that seemed unnecessary and confusing. I am evidently an outlier with regard to reviewers of this book, however. Take it with a grain of salt.
November 20, 2018
Amazing. Captivating. Distinguished.
March 26, 2019
1.5 stars I think. The writing is objectively good, but the story itself made me so angry and is riddled with problems.
I read this aloud to my 9 yr old and had to pause repeatedly to add: 'They're making a bad choice... they should trust their parents... call the police... don't lie... her parents' decision is the right one... if a friend is missing and you know they are somewhere they shouldn't be or that is unsafe, SPEAK UP! TELL SOMEONE! Certainly DO NOT tell your parents you are somewhere you are not when you intend to go into a place with a man who you think is a creep!'
Were we supposed to side with Iris? My guess is that a reader between the ages of 8 and 12, you know- THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC- is going to relate to her and assume that, as the protagonist, Iris is right and all the adults are mean and not being fair and not listening to her and should just take her word for it and do what she wants. But as a parent it is obvious that the girls need to be in different classes and clubs to develop their own sense of selves... and should probably see a counselor regarding their dangerous codependency. Which is why, as I said above, I made sure to point out where Iris was making a poor choice. Of course a reader of the same age as the character is going to put themselves in her place and assume she is the one in the right. It is never really mentioned that no, actually, Iris ISN'T correct.
The pacing of the story was all wrong, too- the book went on and on without anything really happening. The synopsis promises so much and it takes probably 60-70% of the book to actually get there. And then BOOM! The last 30 pages (maybe, I don't actually know) are go go go! magic magic magic! rescue rescue rescue!
I enjoyed the part with the camp awesome girls discussing superheros, but when they got to fairy tales it was just surface level princess bashing based solely on Disney versions. Real missed opportunity there to identify the strength of the characters which gets so easily dismissed in the romanticized versions, and examine the tales' origins.... Especially when the plot relies so much on incorporating fairy tale retellings.
And then the last scene of the book tries to sum up the whole story using really dark rape/assault imagery that... oh I don't know... I'm not for censoring or sheltering kids from topics... but I feel like a middle grade reader of the middle grade age is not going to pick up on anyway. It didn't feel necessary especially since the event that it was referencing happened only a few pages before. Reading another review that mentioned the books alignment with the #metoo movement makes it obvious that the author is trying really hard to make this book important and hard hitting, and it just didn't sit right with me. It was kind of forced and extra aggressive. Iris herself was aggressive and unpleasant throughout the whole book. I'm all for a strong and assertive protagonist, but if that was the intent, Ursu definitely missed the mark.
I am honestly surprised by the high rating this has on goodreads. 4.25?! Of course I am seeing a lot of preemptive 5 star ratings... which come on, can we stop doing that please!? I was pleasantly surprised by one part:
I feel like the promising plot of sisterhood, girl power, and grimm magical realism is lost among the dangerous and irresponsible child vs adult theme that overpowers the story.
I read this aloud to my 9 yr old and had to pause repeatedly to add: 'They're making a bad choice... they should trust their parents... call the police... don't lie... her parents' decision is the right one... if a friend is missing and you know they are somewhere they shouldn't be or that is unsafe, SPEAK UP! TELL SOMEONE! Certainly DO NOT tell your parents you are somewhere you are not when you intend to go into a place with a man who you think is a creep!'
Were we supposed to side with Iris? My guess is that a reader between the ages of 8 and 12, you know- THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC- is going to relate to her and assume that, as the protagonist, Iris is right and all the adults are mean and not being fair and not listening to her and should just take her word for it and do what she wants. But as a parent it is obvious that the girls need to be in different classes and clubs to develop their own sense of selves... and should probably see a counselor regarding their dangerous codependency. Which is why, as I said above, I made sure to point out where Iris was making a poor choice. Of course a reader of the same age as the character is going to put themselves in her place and assume she is the one in the right. It is never really mentioned that no, actually, Iris ISN'T correct.
The pacing of the story was all wrong, too- the book went on and on without anything really happening. The synopsis promises so much and it takes probably 60-70% of the book to actually get there. And then BOOM! The last 30 pages (maybe, I don't actually know) are go go go! magic magic magic! rescue rescue rescue!
I enjoyed the part with the camp awesome girls discussing superheros, but when they got to fairy tales it was just surface level princess bashing based solely on Disney versions. Real missed opportunity there to identify the strength of the characters which gets so easily dismissed in the romanticized versions, and examine the tales' origins.... Especially when the plot relies so much on incorporating fairy tale retellings.
And then the last scene of the book tries to sum up the whole story using really dark rape/assault imagery that... oh I don't know... I'm not for censoring or sheltering kids from topics... but I feel like a middle grade reader of the middle grade age is not going to pick up on anyway. It didn't feel necessary especially since the event that it was referencing happened only a few pages before. Reading another review that mentioned the books alignment with the #metoo movement makes it obvious that the author is trying really hard to make this book important and hard hitting, and it just didn't sit right with me. It was kind of forced and extra aggressive. Iris herself was aggressive and unpleasant throughout the whole book. I'm all for a strong and assertive protagonist, but if that was the intent, Ursu definitely missed the mark.
I am honestly surprised by the high rating this has on goodreads. 4.25?! Of course I am seeing a lot of preemptive 5 star ratings... which come on, can we stop doing that please!? I was pleasantly surprised by one part:
I feel like the promising plot of sisterhood, girl power, and grimm magical realism is lost among the dangerous and irresponsible child vs adult theme that overpowers the story.
January 28, 2019
One thing this story does very well is give us a compelling depiction of girl power. Twins Iris and Lark are struggling with their first separation as they begin 5th grade in different homerooms. We see the story for the most part from the perspective of Iris, the down-to-earth twin. There is also a mystery narrator contributing to the magical aspects of the story. What did not work for me was the way most of the adults were depicted as bumbling around and then there is the evil owner of the antique store. All in all, a twin tale with elements of a Hansel and Gretel retelling.
Thank you to Walden Pond Press and Edelweiss for a digital ARC of this new middle grade novel.
Thank you to Walden Pond Press and Edelweiss for a digital ARC of this new middle grade novel.
did-not-finish
February 5, 2019I requested an ARC of this book based on how much I enjoyed the author's previous novel, Breadcrumbs. Unfortunately, after reading the author's note about the patriarchy and "subversive female friendships" and then seeing reviews here on Goodreads associating the book with #MeToo and the Resistance, I have decided not to read it after all. I make it a point to avoid children's books with political agendas, and this book seems to have a strong one. I'm disappointed, but my reading list is long and reading time is limited, so I have to move on.
February 16, 2022
به نام خدا🙂
شاید بشه گفت یه کتابی که قطعاااا اگر ۴ سال پیش میخوندم روانیش میشدم... ولی بازم من موقع خوندنش برگشتم به همون زمانا و با همون حس و حال خوندمش😍خیلی قشنگ بود
ولی یه نمره کم کردم چون فانتزی بودنش خیلی یهویی شروع شد و خیلی یهویی تموم شد و این یکم غیرقابل باور بود...
لذت بردمازش😍😍😍🧡🧡🧡
اگه دختر ۱۰ تا ۱۳ سال دارید شاید بشه گفت جزو بهترین کتاباسبراشون چون درسایی زیادی توش داشت برای یاد دادن بهشون🍊🧡
شاید بشه گفت یه کتابی که قطعاااا اگر ۴ سال پیش میخوندم روانیش میشدم... ولی بازم من موقع خوندنش برگشتم به همون زمانا و با همون حس و حال خوندمش😍خیلی قشنگ بود
ولی یه نمره کم کردم چون فانتزی بودنش خیلی یهویی شروع شد و خیلی یهویی تموم شد و این یکم غیرقابل باور بود...
لذت بردمازش😍😍😍🧡🧡🧡
اگه دختر ۱۰ تا ۱۳ سال دارید شاید بشه گفت جزو بهترین کتاباسبراشون چون درسایی زیادی توش داشت برای یاد دادن بهشون🍊🧡
October 1, 2019
Oh, how I love this wondrous book!
September 3, 2018
Review by 11yo Novalee : )
Did you know that a character in The Lost Girl is named after me? She only shows up for a chapter, but she is kick-butt! (I refuse to swear here). Novalee, a member of the Camp Awesome, that Iris’s mom makes Iris join. And with me in it, Camp Awesome is not ironic at all. It really lives up to its name now!!! I was like, YASSSS Queen : )
The novel, The Lost Girl, by Anne Ursu, was an outstanding book about two twins sisters, named Iris and Lark, who do absolutely everything together. But, as the next grade starts, for the first time ever,the dynamic duo are separated in classes. Iris, who is forever looking out for Lark is angry, and as she realizes to herself that Lark won’t be okay on her own, she swears to herself that she will protect her sister, whatever it takes.
The first thing about the book that I loved was the character development. Iris, smart, firm, intent, and it feels like part of her is gone when Lark isn’t around. Lark, the dreamer, artist, shy, and she sees things that others do not. These characters and their personalities were what the whole story revolves around. Iris, with her determination to help her sister do well, even if her sister doesn’t need it, or when Lark, the carefree soul, sees things in a different way than people like. These are the kinds of things that hold the story up.
I also liked the suspense. Seriously, the suspense in this book kept me up at night. Not kidding. In the story, objects are going missing, and nothing can be explained. Lark’s bracelet, for instance, her most valued possession, went missing, as well as a number of other things. As the story goes on, theories begin to arise from different perspectives of the reader. And, at the same time, Iris and Lark are in a fight, and Iris feels as though Lark would be better off without her, so the reader is also anticipating on how this will play out.
The relationships between the characters is something I loved, specifically Iris and Lark. Iris is looking out for her sister, while Lark is the dreamer. The two always are inseparable until, of course, they separate in classes.they always care so much about each other. They hold the story together.You know, I think that in this scenario, my sister and I would both try to be Iris. Weird, but true.
As someone who reads and re-reads again and again and again, I can say that this book has things that make me want to re-read. Because, no, I don’t re-read to find out what happens, because I already know. I re-read because I love spending time with the characters,seeing where their personalities lead them. I can’t wait to hang with Lark again, and explore deeper into her imagination and how she analyzes what is put in front of her. I can’t wait to see Iris again, and watch her yet again figure out what obstacles she must surpass. Put this on your TBR list. Pre-order!!!
Did you know that a character in The Lost Girl is named after me? She only shows up for a chapter, but she is kick-butt! (I refuse to swear here). Novalee, a member of the Camp Awesome, that Iris’s mom makes Iris join. And with me in it, Camp Awesome is not ironic at all. It really lives up to its name now!!! I was like, YASSSS Queen : )
The novel, The Lost Girl, by Anne Ursu, was an outstanding book about two twins sisters, named Iris and Lark, who do absolutely everything together. But, as the next grade starts, for the first time ever,the dynamic duo are separated in classes. Iris, who is forever looking out for Lark is angry, and as she realizes to herself that Lark won’t be okay on her own, she swears to herself that she will protect her sister, whatever it takes.
The first thing about the book that I loved was the character development. Iris, smart, firm, intent, and it feels like part of her is gone when Lark isn’t around. Lark, the dreamer, artist, shy, and she sees things that others do not. These characters and their personalities were what the whole story revolves around. Iris, with her determination to help her sister do well, even if her sister doesn’t need it, or when Lark, the carefree soul, sees things in a different way than people like. These are the kinds of things that hold the story up.
I also liked the suspense. Seriously, the suspense in this book kept me up at night. Not kidding. In the story, objects are going missing, and nothing can be explained. Lark’s bracelet, for instance, her most valued possession, went missing, as well as a number of other things. As the story goes on, theories begin to arise from different perspectives of the reader. And, at the same time, Iris and Lark are in a fight, and Iris feels as though Lark would be better off without her, so the reader is also anticipating on how this will play out.
The relationships between the characters is something I loved, specifically Iris and Lark. Iris is looking out for her sister, while Lark is the dreamer. The two always are inseparable until, of course, they separate in classes.they always care so much about each other. They hold the story together.You know, I think that in this scenario, my sister and I would both try to be Iris. Weird, but true.
As someone who reads and re-reads again and again and again, I can say that this book has things that make me want to re-read. Because, no, I don’t re-read to find out what happens, because I already know. I re-read because I love spending time with the characters,seeing where their personalities lead them. I can’t wait to hang with Lark again, and explore deeper into her imagination and how she analyzes what is put in front of her. I can’t wait to see Iris again, and watch her yet again figure out what obstacles she must surpass. Put this on your TBR list. Pre-order!!!
August 28, 2020
”we’re the girls who defeat the monsters.”
ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS :D lark and iris maguire are identical twin sisters in 5th grade. they go on an adventure involving crows, thieves, and a mysterious antique shop that opened in the neighborhood the sisters grew up in. iris and lark are so sweet and their love for each other transcends everything else. middle grades are hit or miss with me, but none of the story struck me as “childish.” plus, who doesn’t love a good mind numbing tale. also!!! if you read a physical/ebook there are pictures scattered throughout that really added to the charm for me. // though i’ll admit for the first 1/5-1/4 of the book i couldn’t tell the twins apart—personality wise (obviously). luckily who is who eventually becomes obvious as iris narrates most of the story.
bonus... a few quotes/parts i loved :D
“it happens to you,” she said, talking slowly, “because most people look at a bone and see a bone. you see the whole story.”
it was true. lark saw backward in time—the beginning, the middle, and the terrible end. everything had flesh, everything had feelings, everything had a story, and she felt for everything.
in the morning, iris woke to lark sitting on the foot of her bed, bunny on her lap. this happened—often during the night one of them floated to the other’s room due to general sister gravity and just hung out until the other one woke up.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS :D lark and iris maguire are identical twin sisters in 5th grade. they go on an adventure involving crows, thieves, and a mysterious antique shop that opened in the neighborhood the sisters grew up in. iris and lark are so sweet and their love for each other transcends everything else. middle grades are hit or miss with me, but none of the story struck me as “childish.” plus, who doesn’t love a good mind numbing tale. also!!! if you read a physical/ebook there are pictures scattered throughout that really added to the charm for me. // though i’ll admit for the first 1/5-1/4 of the book i couldn’t tell the twins apart—personality wise (obviously). luckily who is who eventually becomes obvious as iris narrates most of the story.
bonus... a few quotes/parts i loved :D
“it happens to you,” she said, talking slowly, “because most people look at a bone and see a bone. you see the whole story.”
it was true. lark saw backward in time—the beginning, the middle, and the terrible end. everything had flesh, everything had feelings, everything had a story, and she felt for everything.
in the morning, iris woke to lark sitting on the foot of her bed, bunny on her lap. this happened—often during the night one of them floated to the other’s room due to general sister gravity and just hung out until the other one woke up.
May 28, 2020
1.5 STARS
THE LOST GIRL begins on a strong note, highlighting the differences between identical twins Lark and Iris and their reaction learning they’d be in separate classrooms for the first time.
The story gets progressively worse, told from differed third person points of view, mostly Iris and an omniscient narrator. If the story had focused solely on the twin’s relationship, their need to stay close while becoming more independent, Anne Ursu could have told an interesting story with broad appeal. Instead, she veered into a creepy, and at times inappropriate story about Iris’s relationship with a creepy shopkeeper no parent would want an eleven-year-old talking to.
As interesting as the beginning of THE LOST GIRL, it became more dull and likely confusing to kids. I did enjoy the Girl Power aspect, though it was written in such a way to elevate girls at the expense of boys, not making them equal.
I cannot recommend THE LOST GIRL.
THE LOST GIRL begins on a strong note, highlighting the differences between identical twins Lark and Iris and their reaction learning they’d be in separate classrooms for the first time.
The story gets progressively worse, told from differed third person points of view, mostly Iris and an omniscient narrator. If the story had focused solely on the twin’s relationship, their need to stay close while becoming more independent, Anne Ursu could have told an interesting story with broad appeal. Instead, she veered into a creepy, and at times inappropriate story about Iris’s relationship with a creepy shopkeeper no parent would want an eleven-year-old talking to.
As interesting as the beginning of THE LOST GIRL, it became more dull and likely confusing to kids. I did enjoy the Girl Power aspect, though it was written in such a way to elevate girls at the expense of boys, not making them equal.
I cannot recommend THE LOST GIRL.
May 12, 2019
So a lot of this book was five stars all the way, but the ending didn't quite work for me! (I knew this book included magic, but I think I needed more magic along the way. It just felt like a LOT all at once. Also I sort of expected something to be up more specifically with Lark, with the wolf in the closet and all.
So I really don't know how to rate this! I was so into this but then it left me feeling disappointed. (Tracy, do read this, though!)
So I really don't know how to rate this! I was so into this but then it left me feeling disappointed. (Tracy, do read this, though!)
May 18, 2019
Of course you know already that I love Ursu's stories. So well-crafted that even when the first 2/3 or so is more about the beautiful writing and the interesting world-building than it is about the characters or themes, I know to push on... and then I say Oh! Oh! the hidden truths, oh! the allegories exposed, oh! so *that's* what that is all about....
I particularly love the crows, in both their literal and symbolic roles. And the cat. And the mystery of just who the narrator is. And the other characters who were all so real, even the bully and the scary teacher and the bad parents actually weren't those things, really....
Bookdart to remind me to try Bunnicula again.
Bookdart about a traditional zoo:
"[A]nimals trapped in small iron-and-concrete cages serving life sentences for the crime of being interesting, ... waiting for the occasional little girl or boy with the big heart who would look into their eyes and see the sadness there and take a little bit of it away with them."
I will reread this, and continue to read more by the author.
Breadcrumbs is probably her best book, but this one is likely to be a bit more accessible to a wider audience.
I particularly love the crows, in both their literal and symbolic roles. And the cat. And the mystery of just who the narrator is. And the other characters who were all so real, even the bully and the scary teacher and the bad parents actually weren't those things, really....
Bookdart to remind me to try Bunnicula again.
Bookdart about a traditional zoo:
"[A]nimals trapped in small iron-and-concrete cages serving life sentences for the crime of being interesting, ... waiting for the occasional little girl or boy with the big heart who would look into their eyes and see the sadness there and take a little bit of it away with them."
I will reread this, and continue to read more by the author.
Breadcrumbs is probably her best book, but this one is likely to be a bit more accessible to a wider audience.
May 1, 2019
Ursu's books have always been inspired by fairy tales. The Lost Girl's inspiration isn't quite as direct as Breadcrumbs ("The Snow Queen") or The Real Boy ("Pinocchio") but there are pieces of "Hansel and Gretel," "The Glass Coffin," "The Seven Ravens," and "Jorinde and Joringel" here. I found myself getting bored of Iris's angst and wanting to get answers to what felt so mysterious about the plot, and when I finally got there, I was a bit underwhelmed. Like, the fairy tale elements of this were all borrowed from so many different places that it didn't exactly come together as seamlessly as I expected it would.
But Ursu is a great writer and Lark and Iris's relationship explored some very real feelings that many siblings, twins or not, will be able to relate to. It was fun to see the names of author friends or inspirations (Barnhill, Messner, Snyder, McGuire - a nod to her Breadcrumbs illustrator) pop up as characters. I'm sure I missed some not so obvious ones.
One last thing. I'm going to bury one annoyance in SPOILER territory so only read on if you've read the book...
But Ursu is a great writer and Lark and Iris's relationship explored some very real feelings that many siblings, twins or not, will be able to relate to. It was fun to see the names of author friends or inspirations (Barnhill, Messner, Snyder, McGuire - a nod to her Breadcrumbs illustrator) pop up as characters. I'm sure I missed some not so obvious ones.
One last thing. I'm going to bury one annoyance in SPOILER territory so only read on if you've read the book...
March 5, 2019
What a beautiful, powerful book this is!! The writing is so magical and lyrical, while still being completely accessible to young readers- I was hooked from page one! I adored the messages woven into this story, and the depiction of love between sisters, family, and friends was wonderful. There is some fantastic feminist moments in this one, it is so empowering and moving, I absolutely cannot wait to get this into the hands of the younger women in my life! Fight that patriarchy girls!
September 4, 2018
In every Anne Ursu book there is a paragraph, sometimes many, that you have to stop and reread because you have to experience the way words are used perfectly to encapsulate the world of emotion. The Lost Girl has several. The story of twins who are identical but not the same, struggling through the world and becoming the people they were meant to be.
September 20, 2018
I received an ARC of this book. I read it in one day. And now I want to give this book to every girl child and every woman I know. I want you to read it. It's magical, but not *just* magical.
May 17, 2019
Way too much exposition in this book. I kept waiting for something—anything to happen. The message about girls was admittedly over the top but I still liked that aspect. That pushes this to a 3.
April 18, 2019
4.5 stars for now. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Read
April 21, 2020I recently wrote a rather critical review for Anne Ursu's The Lost Boy.
This review will not follow the nature of its predecessor.
Iris and Lark Maguire are identical twins. Identical, but not the same; Iris is capable, sensible, and fiercely protective of her inventive, dreamy, and sensitive sister Lark. Ever since their preemie birth, they've always been together-- Iris and Lark, Lark and Iris. Everyone knows almost as well as Lark and Iris do that things always turn out better when they're together.
But then comes fifth grade, and the (to the twins) irrational decision to split the girls into different classrooms-- even different after-school activities while their mother is at work. Suddenly there are long days with no twin to tap secret messages to, no twin to retreat into their own world with, and, for Iris, no twin to protect, while Lark is left exposed after the shield of her sister she's experienced her whole life is taken away. As a strange shop appears with even stranger signs, and things-- from famous sculptures to beanbag cats-- begin to disappear, Iris decides that she needs to find a way to keep her sister from becoming lost inside the self she's been retreating into since school started, no matter how. In a beautiful coming-of-age tale of friendship, changes, the search to find yourself, and the true nature of sisterhood, Anne Ursu weaves a lovely tale centered around two girls lost in the world.
This was such a good book! If you couldn't tell by the four-star rating. Iris and Lark are lovable, delightful characters, and the situations they encounter really shape them, especially as things begin to progress in the book. 'Camp Awesome' was really great, and the girls in it were too. I especially liked the strong girl power message that this book sent, and the insecure questions Iris asked herself as she began to slide down a slippery slope of loneliness, despair, and indecision. The amazing imagery and questions were very good, and I really liked the We Are Here. Are You? Alice, Where Are You? things that happened.
Another beautiful part of this book was the simple fact of the main characters being identical twins. I'm not a twin myself, but I have friends who are, and it was cool getting to be inside the heads of girls who are similar to my friends and wondering if maybe they think that sometimes, too? Iris and Lark were always annoyed at the questions everyone asks them, at the way people sometimes treat them like an oddity, of the way no one can tell them apart, though they each have separate clothing styles that are remarkably different.
Spoiler Alert!
One thing that I didn't like much was the reveal of the magic and Mr. Green's betrayal. It all felt too fantastical and unreal. I mean, the magic was just all of a sudden there, out of nowhere. If it was written a bit less... magical, it would have fit better with the realistic, urban feel the rest of the book had contained. And Mr. Green's betrayal was so much of a turnaround that it felt like it couldn't be true-- I mean, he'd been this awesome, broken man searching for his sister and giving Iris advice so she wouldn't lose hers, then all of a sudden he was half-crazy, against Alice's well-being, and about to turn Iris into a doll. The thing that brought that book from unbelievability and a bit of frustration on my part was the attack that the Camp Awesome girls led. They were a superhero team, fairytale girls who were not waiting for someone else to save them, a group of girls bonded by weeks of being told that they were awesome. Not trapped anymore.
End of spoiler alert!
"We need this. We're the girls who defeat the monsters."
Tolle et lege.
This review will not follow the nature of its predecessor.
Iris and Lark Maguire are identical twins. Identical, but not the same; Iris is capable, sensible, and fiercely protective of her inventive, dreamy, and sensitive sister Lark. Ever since their preemie birth, they've always been together-- Iris and Lark, Lark and Iris. Everyone knows almost as well as Lark and Iris do that things always turn out better when they're together.
But then comes fifth grade, and the (to the twins) irrational decision to split the girls into different classrooms-- even different after-school activities while their mother is at work. Suddenly there are long days with no twin to tap secret messages to, no twin to retreat into their own world with, and, for Iris, no twin to protect, while Lark is left exposed after the shield of her sister she's experienced her whole life is taken away. As a strange shop appears with even stranger signs, and things-- from famous sculptures to beanbag cats-- begin to disappear, Iris decides that she needs to find a way to keep her sister from becoming lost inside the self she's been retreating into since school started, no matter how. In a beautiful coming-of-age tale of friendship, changes, the search to find yourself, and the true nature of sisterhood, Anne Ursu weaves a lovely tale centered around two girls lost in the world.
This was such a good book! If you couldn't tell by the four-star rating. Iris and Lark are lovable, delightful characters, and the situations they encounter really shape them, especially as things begin to progress in the book. 'Camp Awesome' was really great, and the girls in it were too. I especially liked the strong girl power message that this book sent, and the insecure questions Iris asked herself as she began to slide down a slippery slope of loneliness, despair, and indecision. The amazing imagery and questions were very good, and I really liked the We Are Here. Are You? Alice, Where Are You? things that happened.
Another beautiful part of this book was the simple fact of the main characters being identical twins. I'm not a twin myself, but I have friends who are, and it was cool getting to be inside the heads of girls who are similar to my friends and wondering if maybe they think that sometimes, too? Iris and Lark were always annoyed at the questions everyone asks them, at the way people sometimes treat them like an oddity, of the way no one can tell them apart, though they each have separate clothing styles that are remarkably different.
Spoiler Alert!
One thing that I didn't like much was the reveal of the magic and Mr. Green's betrayal. It all felt too fantastical and unreal. I mean, the magic was just all of a sudden there, out of nowhere. If it was written a bit less... magical, it would have fit better with the realistic, urban feel the rest of the book had contained. And Mr. Green's betrayal was so much of a turnaround that it felt like it couldn't be true-- I mean, he'd been this awesome, broken man searching for his sister and giving Iris advice so she wouldn't lose hers, then all of a sudden he was half-crazy, against Alice's well-being, and about to turn Iris into a doll. The thing that brought that book from unbelievability and a bit of frustration on my part was the attack that the Camp Awesome girls led. They were a superhero team, fairytale girls who were not waiting for someone else to save them, a group of girls bonded by weeks of being told that they were awesome. Not trapped anymore.
End of spoiler alert!
"We need this. We're the girls who defeat the monsters."
Tolle et lege.
August 20, 2018
Oh, Anne Ursu, you've done it again. On an emotional level, The Lost Girl expertly captures the pain of separation and the fear/joy/bravery/hope involved in forging new bonds. Making friends, facing bullies, feeling different than peers, wondering where/if you'll ever fit in, being taken seriously as a young person~ all are addressed in a way that really made me feel as though I were in Iris's shoes (and Lark's as well). As for the technical side of the writing, there is so much to admire here--the structure is worthy of study~ the weaving of plot threads and emotional threads and character threads...just incredible. And the magic~ oh yes, the magic. *Hugs book*
September 6, 2018
While an arc isn't always the same as the final-product (the lack of interior art, for ex), nothing could change how simply perfect The Lost Girl was from page one forward.
Few authors have ever truly mastered the lyrical voice of the narrator the way Anne Ursu has; at once the classical wink-and-a-nod narrator you'd find in a Grimm's tale and simultaneously refreshingly original, new and modern. Anne Ursu is that supreme figure singing Homer's epics with Annie Lennox's voice.
Whether she's casually referencing pop culture, familiar characters found in other strong, amazing novels or filling your world with her own, perfectly wonderful tale ... The Lost Girl is anything but.
Few authors have ever truly mastered the lyrical voice of the narrator the way Anne Ursu has; at once the classical wink-and-a-nod narrator you'd find in a Grimm's tale and simultaneously refreshingly original, new and modern. Anne Ursu is that supreme figure singing Homer's epics with Annie Lennox's voice.
Whether she's casually referencing pop culture, familiar characters found in other strong, amazing novels or filling your world with her own, perfectly wonderful tale ... The Lost Girl is anything but.
September 7, 2018
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Anne Ursu's upcoming novel, THE LOST GIRL, the story of two sisters trying to survive growing up in a world that is far too quick to judge and underestimate them. Lark and Iris are unlike any characters I've read before. The twin girls leap to life on the page, each different in their own way. Ursu's lyrical prose weaves a dreamlike narrative rich in emotion as the sisters endure an unexpected separation, during which time each of them must discover what truly defines her. Lyrical, bold, and surprising, THE LOST GIRL is a story of sisterhood, friendship, and overturning the patriarchy.
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