What do you think?
Rate this book
Let's Get Lost
A compelling YA novel from the best-selling author of Guitar Girl !
Isabel is the girl who rules the school with an iron fist and a gang of minions who do her bidding. Her friends are scared of her, her teachers can’t get through to her, and that’s just the way she likes it. With her razor-sharp edges and tall walls, nothing gets to Isabel—and no one, but no one, is ever going to discover her dark, sad secrets. Then she meets Smith. And Isabel learns that sometimes when all the expectations and pressures are too much, you just need someone to help you get lost.
Isabel is the girl who rules the school with an iron fist and a gang of minions who do her bidding. Her friends are scared of her, her teachers can’t get through to her, and that’s just the way she likes it. With her razor-sharp edges and tall walls, nothing gets to Isabel—and no one, but no one, is ever going to discover her dark, sad secrets. Then she meets Smith. And Isabel learns that sometimes when all the expectations and pressures are too much, you just need someone to help you get lost.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2006
28 people are currently reading
1847 people want to read
About the author
Sarra Manning
43 books1,911 followersSarra Manning is a teen queen extraordinaire. She spent five years working on the now sadly defunct J17, first as a writer and then as Entertainment Editor. She then joined the launch team of teen fashion bible Ellegirl, which she later went on to edit and has consulted on a wide range of youth titles including Bliss, The Face and More.
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
May 16, 2008
Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning holds the place of my favorite book [it actually ties for first place with The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen]. It is such an amazing book, I could not put it down once I started reading it. I'll admit it, the reason I picked the book up was because the of the cover, something about the girl on the front, the expression on her face looked familiar for some reason, I know, that sounds stupid, but I'm glad I DID pick it up. This book always touches a spot in my heart every time I read it. The main character, Isabel, all the feelings she gets while reading the book, I can relate to them SO well, I think she can relate to many people. Numerous times throughout the book, I felt like I myself was Isabel. This book simply is a work of art. Everyone should read it.
February 2, 2013
2 ½ stars. Subject matter is not entertaining for me. Readers who are grieving or in another place of sadness might like this.
I rounded up to 3 stars because the author is an excellent writer. Her character creation and methods of story telling are good. No contrivances to move the plot. It’s thought provoking. It’s about two things: bullying and the death of one’s mother causing grief and guilt.
BULLYING:
Sweet smart girl suffered from bullies when in middle school. When she went to high school she was determined never to be bullied again. And she succeeded. But to succeed she had to become the meanest toughest leader of bullies. She had to be fast and hurt others before they could hurt her.
The worst part was how terribly she treated her father. She was a parent’s nightmare. He couldn’t do anything to control her. And when he threatened to sent her to a strict boarding school she damaged his property. I am so grateful that my teenage children were not like her. Watching the way she bullied her peers and her father was depressing.
THE MOTHER’S DEATH:
We don't know until the end of the book how and why Faith died. The story shows Faith's husband and two children Isabel and Felix grieving. We also don't know why Isabel feels guilt until the end of the book. But that was ok to learn later. I'm not complaining.
Most of the book had me feeling sad and depressed. A couple parts had me in tears. There is a happy ending for Isabel, but I felt disturbed more than happy. I would not recommend this book for me. I prefer entertainment. This is more of a psychological study.
The author’s note at the end says “I started Let’s Get Lost about three months after my mum died. I never got a chance to say good-bye to her, so I wrote this book instead.”
WHAT I LIKED:
Isabel meets a guy. I liked his parts. I also liked the concept of a shy sensitive bullied victim changing herself into something to stop the bullies. Unfortunately she hurt herself when she changed.
SEXUAL CONTENT:
Some readers may not want to read about a sixteen-year-old having sex. There are three sex scenes briefly described, nothing explicit.
It’s sad that the educational system forces kids to be part of social groups that they would never choose if they had a choice. It’s a world of bully or be bullied.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Isabel. Story length: 304 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 3. Setting: current day Brighton, UK. Copyright: 2006. Genre: young adult bullying and grief.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Sarra Manning books. Dates are copyright dates.
5 stars. You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me 2011
4 ½ stars. Unsticky 2009
2 ½ stars. Let’s Get Lost 2006
I rounded up to 3 stars because the author is an excellent writer. Her character creation and methods of story telling are good. No contrivances to move the plot. It’s thought provoking. It’s about two things: bullying and the death of one’s mother causing grief and guilt.
BULLYING:
Sweet smart girl suffered from bullies when in middle school. When she went to high school she was determined never to be bullied again. And she succeeded. But to succeed she had to become the meanest toughest leader of bullies. She had to be fast and hurt others before they could hurt her.
The worst part was how terribly she treated her father. She was a parent’s nightmare. He couldn’t do anything to control her. And when he threatened to sent her to a strict boarding school she damaged his property. I am so grateful that my teenage children were not like her. Watching the way she bullied her peers and her father was depressing.
THE MOTHER’S DEATH:
We don't know until the end of the book how and why Faith died. The story shows Faith's husband and two children Isabel and Felix grieving. We also don't know why Isabel feels guilt until the end of the book. But that was ok to learn later. I'm not complaining.
Most of the book had me feeling sad and depressed. A couple parts had me in tears. There is a happy ending for Isabel, but I felt disturbed more than happy. I would not recommend this book for me. I prefer entertainment. This is more of a psychological study.
The author’s note at the end says “I started Let’s Get Lost about three months after my mum died. I never got a chance to say good-bye to her, so I wrote this book instead.”
WHAT I LIKED:
Isabel meets a guy. I liked his parts. I also liked the concept of a shy sensitive bullied victim changing herself into something to stop the bullies. Unfortunately she hurt herself when she changed.
SEXUAL CONTENT:
Some readers may not want to read about a sixteen-year-old having sex. There are three sex scenes briefly described, nothing explicit.
It’s sad that the educational system forces kids to be part of social groups that they would never choose if they had a choice. It’s a world of bully or be bullied.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Isabel. Story length: 304 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 3. Setting: current day Brighton, UK. Copyright: 2006. Genre: young adult bullying and grief.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Sarra Manning books. Dates are copyright dates.
5 stars. You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me 2011
4 ½ stars. Unsticky 2009
2 ½ stars. Let’s Get Lost 2006
December 5, 2008
After seeing a pretty teenager on the cover, I had to buy Lets Get Lost. In the novel, author Sarra Manning tells the trials and tribulations of Isabel’s life.
“I looked older, which was good because it meant that I might actually be able to buy cigarettes and wine without getting into this whole thing about my date of birth and who the prime minister was on the day I was born”
But in order to understand the situation, you have to know the girl. Isabel is sixteen years old. She comes from a well-off family in England, where her dad works as a professor. Isabel’s mother died shortly before. Being classified as a “mean girl” does not quite let people understand her pain. Since losing her mother, she has been caught taking money from her father then staying out all night long. I think this is when everything spiraled out of control.
At a party, Isabel meets a boy, Smith, who is older and in a band. In my opinion, the plot begins getting too cliché right about then. Smith is completely opposite of her. He is in college and knows a little bit more about the real world that Isabel. Isabel tells Smith she is eighteen and is taking a year off. Understandably, who hasn’t wanted to live an alternative life… Not that most people would take it as far as she did. While completely lying to him and struggling to cope with her mother’s death, Isabel realizes she is breaking down. Just as in any other teenage realistic fiction/romance book, things mess up.
“They wanted me soft and weak so they could stop being scared of me. They were going to have a long wait."
Isabel soon finds herself lying to not only Smith-but to herself as well. She was having more and more trouble coming to terms with her involvement in her mother’s death. As everyone tries to save, she continues to spiral away from the truth. Just as in any situation, the truth catches up to her, giving her more than she can handle.
Lets Get Lost was not the best book on the shelf. It is all too similar to many other books. Girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, something happens, then its all resolved. The plot is all too common. Sarra Manning did not do the best job with the plot line, but she did portray the teenage behaviors quite well. When Isabel lied about her age, a smile came to my face. Sarra Manning could have done better, but reading Lets Get Lost was not a total waste of time.
“I looked older, which was good because it meant that I might actually be able to buy cigarettes and wine without getting into this whole thing about my date of birth and who the prime minister was on the day I was born”
But in order to understand the situation, you have to know the girl. Isabel is sixteen years old. She comes from a well-off family in England, where her dad works as a professor. Isabel’s mother died shortly before. Being classified as a “mean girl” does not quite let people understand her pain. Since losing her mother, she has been caught taking money from her father then staying out all night long. I think this is when everything spiraled out of control.
At a party, Isabel meets a boy, Smith, who is older and in a band. In my opinion, the plot begins getting too cliché right about then. Smith is completely opposite of her. He is in college and knows a little bit more about the real world that Isabel. Isabel tells Smith she is eighteen and is taking a year off. Understandably, who hasn’t wanted to live an alternative life… Not that most people would take it as far as she did. While completely lying to him and struggling to cope with her mother’s death, Isabel realizes she is breaking down. Just as in any other teenage realistic fiction/romance book, things mess up.
“They wanted me soft and weak so they could stop being scared of me. They were going to have a long wait."
Isabel soon finds herself lying to not only Smith-but to herself as well. She was having more and more trouble coming to terms with her involvement in her mother’s death. As everyone tries to save, she continues to spiral away from the truth. Just as in any situation, the truth catches up to her, giving her more than she can handle.
Lets Get Lost was not the best book on the shelf. It is all too similar to many other books. Girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, something happens, then its all resolved. The plot is all too common. Sarra Manning did not do the best job with the plot line, but she did portray the teenage behaviors quite well. When Isabel lied about her age, a smile came to my face. Sarra Manning could have done better, but reading Lets Get Lost was not a total waste of time.
August 26, 2010
Everyone was right when they said I’d carry a piece of you in my heart and I do. And it burns so bright, the tiny corner of my heart that’s exclusively yours, that it’s turned all the terrible things we said that day into ash and all that’s left is the good stuff.
- Isabel
Songs let you see into someone’s soul.
- Isabel
I think the reason why cigarettes are a good thing—apart from speeding you off this mortal coil a few years before your time—is that they give you something to do when you’re sitting with eight close, personal friends of a guy you don’t really know.
- Isabel
There’s nothing to know, don’t you get that? You’ll get to know me and then you’ll wonder why you bothered. I’m not anything that you think I am. You’re not going to break down my defenses and find this sweet, gooey soft center.
- Isabel
Maybe you’re frightened that if someone manages to break down your defenses, then they’ll find that you do have that soft center. That you’re not as badass as you think you are.
- Smith
Lies get so complicated. You tell one lie. And it makes you tell another lie. And another one. And another one. Until you’ve got this big tangle of them that you can’t even begin to start unraveling.
- Isabel
I was having second thoughts. I was having third thoughts. Can you have millionth thoughts? If you could, I was having them, too.
- Isabel
Sometimes silence is the most violent option to choose. It makes people uncomfortable, which is, like, my superpower or something.
- Isabel
Housework would ruin my dangerous mystique.
- Smith
Being alone and being lonely are two different things. I used to be happy being quiet, but no one would let me get on with it.
- Isabel
an enigma that he wanted to unravel
- Isabel
I don’t have an evil alter ego.I have layers.
- Isabel
When I want your opinion I’ll ask for it. Now, was there anything else you wanted or have you fulfilled your bitch quota for the day?
- Isabel
Was this what it was meant to feel like when you were really into someone? Was this what it felt like if you were in love?
- Isabel
Why do I have to think so much all the time?
- Isabel
And I wanted to tell you the truth, really I did, and there were so many things I wanted to share with you and I couldn’t because all the lies kept getting in the way. You’d kiss me and hold me and you did things to me that you’d never have done if I’d told you how old I was. And even though I’d lied to you, I was glad because the way you made me feel was worth it. It was the better end of the deal.
- Isabel
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving.
- Pablo Neruda
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
- Isabel
Because if I didn’t think about it then it didn’t happen.
- Isabel
One day you’ll wake up and find that the pain’s still there but it doesn’t hurt quite so much.
- Isabel
- Isabel
Songs let you see into someone’s soul.
- Isabel
I think the reason why cigarettes are a good thing—apart from speeding you off this mortal coil a few years before your time—is that they give you something to do when you’re sitting with eight close, personal friends of a guy you don’t really know.
- Isabel
There’s nothing to know, don’t you get that? You’ll get to know me and then you’ll wonder why you bothered. I’m not anything that you think I am. You’re not going to break down my defenses and find this sweet, gooey soft center.
- Isabel
Maybe you’re frightened that if someone manages to break down your defenses, then they’ll find that you do have that soft center. That you’re not as badass as you think you are.
- Smith
Lies get so complicated. You tell one lie. And it makes you tell another lie. And another one. And another one. Until you’ve got this big tangle of them that you can’t even begin to start unraveling.
- Isabel
I was having second thoughts. I was having third thoughts. Can you have millionth thoughts? If you could, I was having them, too.
- Isabel
Sometimes silence is the most violent option to choose. It makes people uncomfortable, which is, like, my superpower or something.
- Isabel
Housework would ruin my dangerous mystique.
- Smith
Being alone and being lonely are two different things. I used to be happy being quiet, but no one would let me get on with it.
- Isabel
an enigma that he wanted to unravel
- Isabel
I don’t have an evil alter ego.I have layers.
- Isabel
When I want your opinion I’ll ask for it. Now, was there anything else you wanted or have you fulfilled your bitch quota for the day?
- Isabel
Was this what it was meant to feel like when you were really into someone? Was this what it felt like if you were in love?
- Isabel
Why do I have to think so much all the time?
- Isabel
And I wanted to tell you the truth, really I did, and there were so many things I wanted to share with you and I couldn’t because all the lies kept getting in the way. You’d kiss me and hold me and you did things to me that you’d never have done if I’d told you how old I was. And even though I’d lied to you, I was glad because the way you made me feel was worth it. It was the better end of the deal.
- Isabel
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving.
- Pablo Neruda
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
- Isabel
Because if I didn’t think about it then it didn’t happen.
- Isabel
One day you’ll wake up and find that the pain’s still there but it doesn’t hurt quite so much.
- Isabel
Read
August 2, 2015Me gusto, de verdad que si, al principio pensé que me iba a aburrir y todo eso pero estuve equivocada, uno con el tiempo se cansa de todas esas protagonistas mojigata y que no matan una mosca y así, entonces ame a Is, es una perra, grosera, pero que esconde mucho y a decir verdad me identifique con ella, es realmente una lectura rápida.
September 5, 2011
My first Sarra Manning, I didn't really know what to expect - wasn't sure if this would be a full-on teen angst fest or something more sedate.
It's main draw was the main bad-girl character, Isobel. I am drawn to bad-girls and how well the author manages to get our sympathy and add layers. And I don't mean the highlight kind. A tricky business.
All credit to Manning, she pulls this one off with aplomb - Isobel Clark is a bitch through-an-through, some of her actions inexcusable and on several occasions, I felt she would benefit from a bit of a slap in the face. BUT, she never asks the reader for their sympathy, never offer an excuse for her behaviour, with the author skilfully, gradually revealing the circumstances which have led up to her current situation. Subtlety is the key here - we are not battered around the bonce with emotional or factual overload, everything is in context. Isobel is a complex, well-rounded, interesting girl.
I have a few more problems with the romantic element here. Her entanglement with student Smith, is believable and the sexy set-pieces are great. But, Smith, well, he's just not that much of a catch, really, is he? Described in the back-cover synopsis an 'enigmatic', I would strongly argue he is everything but. A bit of a wet blanket, I just did not 'get' him. Also, he suffered under the weight of such a detailed description of his appearance, I found it very distracting - a huge nose and lots of curly hair? Some things are best left to the imagination.
Anyway, gripes aside, I enjoyed this very much - well structured, great central character, dotted with people you love to hate. Would have loved maybe a little bit more edginess in the first half, but other than that and the rubbish boyfriend, 'twas great.
It's main draw was the main bad-girl character, Isobel. I am drawn to bad-girls and how well the author manages to get our sympathy and add layers. And I don't mean the highlight kind. A tricky business.
All credit to Manning, she pulls this one off with aplomb - Isobel Clark is a bitch through-an-through, some of her actions inexcusable and on several occasions, I felt she would benefit from a bit of a slap in the face. BUT, she never asks the reader for their sympathy, never offer an excuse for her behaviour, with the author skilfully, gradually revealing the circumstances which have led up to her current situation. Subtlety is the key here - we are not battered around the bonce with emotional or factual overload, everything is in context. Isobel is a complex, well-rounded, interesting girl.
I have a few more problems with the romantic element here. Her entanglement with student Smith, is believable and the sexy set-pieces are great. But, Smith, well, he's just not that much of a catch, really, is he? Described in the back-cover synopsis an 'enigmatic', I would strongly argue he is everything but. A bit of a wet blanket, I just did not 'get' him. Also, he suffered under the weight of such a detailed description of his appearance, I found it very distracting - a huge nose and lots of curly hair? Some things are best left to the imagination.
Anyway, gripes aside, I enjoyed this very much - well structured, great central character, dotted with people you love to hate. Would have loved maybe a little bit more edginess in the first half, but other than that and the rubbish boyfriend, 'twas great.
April 14, 2021
Took me quite a while to finish, because the main character was just super prickly and unlikeable. And of course the fall was obviously coming from the start, so I felt like I was waiting for it to happen and cringeing all along.
I finished it on a day I had a fight with my daughter and so I bawled throughout the ending. Mothers and daughters, man.
I finished it on a day I had a fight with my daughter and so I bawled throughout the ending. Mothers and daughters, man.
June 25, 2012
Bueno me ha gustado mucho como manejan el duelo de Isabel en cuanto a la muerte de su madre y el final fue totalmente inesperado... no puedo evitar sentir que no se quedará con Smith (mi lado romántico presente en todos lados xD) pero me gusto como manejo la situación al final Isabel...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 27, 2025My absolute favourite book as a young adult and I understand the complexities of Isabel’s character so much more now. It’s dramatic, angsty and also quite moving.
March 3, 2010
Some girls are born to be bad...Isabel is one of them. Her friends are terrified of her, her teachers can't get through to her...her family doesn't understand her. And that's just the way she likes it. See, when no one can get near you, no one will know what keeps you awake at night, what you're afraid of, what has broken your heart...But then Isabel meets the enigmatic Smith, who can see right through her act. Bit by bit he chips away at her armour, and though she fights hard to keep hold of her cool, and her secrets, Isabel's falling for him, and coming apart at the seams when she does...A poignant, sometimes dark, and utterly heart-breaking novel, told with all the author's trademark wit and sharp observation... From Amazon UK
I was originally recommended this book by Luisa Plaja when I held Sex in Teen Lit Month last year, and when I saw it at my Oxfam Bookshop a few weeks ago, I knew I had to buy it. Then I read Sophie’s review of Nobody’s Girl by Sarra Manning on So Many Books, So Little Time a few days ago, and liked the sound of that book so much, I decided to get on to reading Let’s Get Lost. I’m glad I did, it was such a great story!
I don’t really know where to start with this book, or what to think about it, even though I know I really liked it. It’s a really sad and heartbreaking story, and I read most of it yesterday while I was having a bad day and ended up putting it down, because I was just so annoyed with one of the characters. Why? Because this book isn’t a fairy tale; its part romance, part coming of age/finding yourself novel, and for a book that is part romance, it’s very realistic – the ending isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, and I just needed me a happy ending yesterday. But this is supposed to be a positive, so I’ll get on with it.
Isabel is such a great character; she’s flawed and she has issues. Because she was bullied when she was younger, to keep herself safe she has now become the bully, she’s a right nasty cow to everyone, teachers, family, students at school alike. She doesn’t like the person she pretends to be or her “friends”, but she feels she has to keep it up to keep everyone at arm’s length; letting anyone inside would be a disaster. Then enter Smith, an older guy who breaks through her bitchy exterior and actually makes her feel like she’s more than worth the ground she stands on, and being with him slowly brings the real Isabel out, little by little.
There are so many layers to this book, to Isabel, that it’s a little hard to talk about it without spoiling it. This really is a book where you have to find out what it’s about as you read it. As I said, this isn’t just a romance, there’s so much more going on, and it’s just such a really poignant book, yet with this strong sense of hope that things are going to get better. It’s just really good. In some ways, it reminded me a little of Screwed by Joanna Kenrick, there are similar themes covered, if not an identical plot and ending, and like Screwed, has made it on to my favourites list.
A really awesome story that has had such an effect on me – as I’m writing this review, I’m sitting here feeling quite sad and in need of chocolate. I’ve been hugely impressed by Sarra’s writing and I can’t wait to read more of her novels. Fortunately, I have Guitar Girl on my shelf waiting to start. I really would recommend this book to everyone. Simply fantastic!
From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog
I was originally recommended this book by Luisa Plaja when I held Sex in Teen Lit Month last year, and when I saw it at my Oxfam Bookshop a few weeks ago, I knew I had to buy it. Then I read Sophie’s review of Nobody’s Girl by Sarra Manning on So Many Books, So Little Time a few days ago, and liked the sound of that book so much, I decided to get on to reading Let’s Get Lost. I’m glad I did, it was such a great story!
I don’t really know where to start with this book, or what to think about it, even though I know I really liked it. It’s a really sad and heartbreaking story, and I read most of it yesterday while I was having a bad day and ended up putting it down, because I was just so annoyed with one of the characters. Why? Because this book isn’t a fairy tale; its part romance, part coming of age/finding yourself novel, and for a book that is part romance, it’s very realistic – the ending isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, and I just needed me a happy ending yesterday. But this is supposed to be a positive, so I’ll get on with it.
Isabel is such a great character; she’s flawed and she has issues. Because she was bullied when she was younger, to keep herself safe she has now become the bully, she’s a right nasty cow to everyone, teachers, family, students at school alike. She doesn’t like the person she pretends to be or her “friends”, but she feels she has to keep it up to keep everyone at arm’s length; letting anyone inside would be a disaster. Then enter Smith, an older guy who breaks through her bitchy exterior and actually makes her feel like she’s more than worth the ground she stands on, and being with him slowly brings the real Isabel out, little by little.
There are so many layers to this book, to Isabel, that it’s a little hard to talk about it without spoiling it. This really is a book where you have to find out what it’s about as you read it. As I said, this isn’t just a romance, there’s so much more going on, and it’s just such a really poignant book, yet with this strong sense of hope that things are going to get better. It’s just really good. In some ways, it reminded me a little of Screwed by Joanna Kenrick, there are similar themes covered, if not an identical plot and ending, and like Screwed, has made it on to my favourites list.
A really awesome story that has had such an effect on me – as I’m writing this review, I’m sitting here feeling quite sad and in need of chocolate. I’ve been hugely impressed by Sarra’s writing and I can’t wait to read more of her novels. Fortunately, I have Guitar Girl on my shelf waiting to start. I really would recommend this book to everyone. Simply fantastic!
From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog
January 8, 2012
More of 4.5/5 I hated it as much as I loved it... I'm not sure what to think about it.
Favorite Quote:
"I was a heartless, ungrateful wench of a girl who promised everyone who came into contact with me a one-way ticket to pain and hurt. I didn't know how to love and I didn't deserve to be loved back."
I don’t like to read about mean girls, somehow the author always find a way to twist my mind and make me like them by proving that deep down they are good and kind-hearted, that there’s a reason why they became such cruel creatures, that it’s their defense mechanism against the world so that no one will ever know what’s in their hearts, that they are in pain and their only outlet is to bully.
I’d been a victim of bullying back in middle school and I couldn’t get myself to forgive the persons responsible of my misery, for all what they’ve done to me, because no matter their home’s problems, it didn’t give them the right to look down and to mentally torture me and the others: weaker, helpless and poor persons.
And so, I was enable at times to sympathize with Isabel, sheacted like is a deep-down-to-the-core bitch, the queen bee of her private school, where she terrorized the girls and ruled as she liked.
Her life’s home of course is a terrible mess. After her mother’s death (which she held herself responsible for) her relationship with her father and little brother deteriorate, so she’s barely at home, always getting wasted at parties or spending time with her BFFs hooking up with boys. But then, she meets Atticus Smith at a party, who kissed her (while being both very drunk) thinking she was the girl he met and fell for not long ago. After clearing the misunderstanding, they however start to see each other, they exchanged their iPods then got involved sexually; the problem is Isabel lied about her age telling him she’s 18 just because he’s 20. What started like a little lie soon became a cobweb of lies impossible to get out of, it was too late to tell him the truth, not when she’s falling for him, and not when everything is fugly at home. But when the least she expected it, Isabel got caught up by her own lies and now she’ll have to deal with it and face the truth.
Sarra Manning sure knows how to make you love and hate a character in one page. Her writing is so realistic, so strong, she really masters the art of painting her characters’ feelings and to make you feel like they are real-life persons that you met before and here’s their story. It was unbelievable how strongly I felt towards the book; I loved it, I hated it, it made me want to scream, it made me want to cry, I wanted to slap Isabel and I wanted to hug her too… I’m still confused right now how to rate the book, what to clearly think about it.
One thing’s for sure, it’ll take me some time to read another Manning’s novel. I’m not yet ready to live a further experience any time soon.
Favorite Quote:
"I was a heartless, ungrateful wench of a girl who promised everyone who came into contact with me a one-way ticket to pain and hurt. I didn't know how to love and I didn't deserve to be loved back."
I don’t like to read about mean girls, somehow the author always find a way to twist my mind and make me like them by proving that deep down they are good and kind-hearted, that there’s a reason why they became such cruel creatures, that it’s their defense mechanism against the world so that no one will ever know what’s in their hearts, that they are in pain and their only outlet is to bully.
I’d been a victim of bullying back in middle school and I couldn’t get myself to forgive the persons responsible of my misery, for all what they’ve done to me, because no matter their home’s problems, it didn’t give them the right to look down and to mentally torture me and the others: weaker, helpless and poor persons.
And so, I was enable at times to sympathize with Isabel, she
Her life’s home of course is a terrible mess. After her mother’s death (which she held herself responsible for) her relationship with her father and little brother deteriorate, so she’s barely at home, always getting wasted at parties or spending time with her BFFs hooking up with boys. But then, she meets Atticus Smith at a party, who kissed her (while being both very drunk) thinking she was the girl he met and fell for not long ago. After clearing the misunderstanding, they however start to see each other, they exchanged their iPods then got involved sexually; the problem is Isabel lied about her age telling him she’s 18 just because he’s 20. What started like a little lie soon became a cobweb of lies impossible to get out of, it was too late to tell him the truth, not when she’s falling for him, and not when everything is fugly at home. But when the least she expected it, Isabel got caught up by her own lies and now she’ll have to deal with it and face the truth.
Sarra Manning sure knows how to make you love and hate a character in one page. Her writing is so realistic, so strong, she really masters the art of painting her characters’ feelings and to make you feel like they are real-life persons that you met before and here’s their story. It was unbelievable how strongly I felt towards the book; I loved it, I hated it, it made me want to scream, it made me want to cry, I wanted to slap Isabel and I wanted to hug her too… I’m still confused right now how to rate the book, what to clearly think about it.
One thing’s for sure, it’ll take me some time to read another Manning’s novel. I’m not yet ready to live a further experience any time soon.
May 13, 2011
This is the first book that I’ve read from Sarra Manning and I think it was a clean slate since I don’t know what to expect and I think I don’t have anything in mind the author that gives prejudices about the book.
I think that the book was okay, I actually liked it even if the concept was something similar to the book, The DUFF which I also really liked, with the heroine undergoing a very hard situation in this book Isabel was in denial about her mother’s death and I could really relate to that loss and I think that’s one of the reasons why I liked this book since I know how someone could feel numb or bitchy or a mess in times or sometimes altogether at the same time.
When I read the synopsis of the most popular, bitchy girl in school, I think, oh, the writer wants a Blair Waldorf-like heroine but I think Is was something in between that of Blair’s character and with something Serena-ish which was soft and sweet in her center, even if sometimes, B was really compassionate and caring for those she love, like what Smith had guessed about Is. I also liked the story about her being the meanest girl in campus by influencing her friends to take a picture of someone doing a scandalous act (which again is vey Gossip Girl-ish) that caused the argument between her and her mom, the accident; then her blaming herself of the death of her mother because she was acting bratty and I think she did punish herself even if on the outside no one else could see it, even her dad.
Again, I couldn’t help but compare this to The DUFF what with both heroines trying to escape their personal lives by losing themselves to a boy and how carefree they feel whenever they were in the presence of that boy, in The Duff, it was Wesley who took Bianca’s pain away and here in this book, Is lost her guilt, her pain and al the bad memories away in refocusing her attention to Smith which I think would be a good example of displacement.
I would give this book 3.5 stars since it was good, the plot was really interesting with the bitchy girl burying her guilt and pain deep inside where no one else can see and be a bitch around on the outside to keep those away. I also think that Smith helped her even if they weren’t really together-together even at the end of the book, which I think was better since the author allowed the readers to think that there would be something to be left in their imagination on how those two would end up, together or as friends without benefits. I would definitely want to try more of Manning’s books and see if there is more to her works than meets the readers previous read books and knowledge of television programs.
I think that the book was okay, I actually liked it even if the concept was something similar to the book, The DUFF which I also really liked, with the heroine undergoing a very hard situation in this book Isabel was in denial about her mother’s death and I could really relate to that loss and I think that’s one of the reasons why I liked this book since I know how someone could feel numb or bitchy or a mess in times or sometimes altogether at the same time.
When I read the synopsis of the most popular, bitchy girl in school, I think, oh, the writer wants a Blair Waldorf-like heroine but I think Is was something in between that of Blair’s character and with something Serena-ish which was soft and sweet in her center, even if sometimes, B was really compassionate and caring for those she love, like what Smith had guessed about Is. I also liked the story about her being the meanest girl in campus by influencing her friends to take a picture of someone doing a scandalous act (which again is vey Gossip Girl-ish) that caused the argument between her and her mom, the accident; then her blaming herself of the death of her mother because she was acting bratty and I think she did punish herself even if on the outside no one else could see it, even her dad.
Again, I couldn’t help but compare this to The DUFF what with both heroines trying to escape their personal lives by losing themselves to a boy and how carefree they feel whenever they were in the presence of that boy, in The Duff, it was Wesley who took Bianca’s pain away and here in this book, Is lost her guilt, her pain and al the bad memories away in refocusing her attention to Smith which I think would be a good example of displacement.
I would give this book 3.5 stars since it was good, the plot was really interesting with the bitchy girl burying her guilt and pain deep inside where no one else can see and be a bitch around on the outside to keep those away. I also think that Smith helped her even if they weren’t really together-together even at the end of the book, which I think was better since the author allowed the readers to think that there would be something to be left in their imagination on how those two would end up, together or as friends without benefits. I would definitely want to try more of Manning’s books and see if there is more to her works than meets the readers previous read books and knowledge of television programs.
July 2, 2012
I've read this book twice now; once when I was 16 and the other time at age 18. I don't know whether it was due to any maturity I gained in those two years or (and I expect its the latter) I had just experienced more to my life and so could relate a bit more to the complex character of Isobel who definitely isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but I found myself so torn up over the book the second time round.
Isobel is a deeply flawed teenager who is known as the school bitch that everyone is afraid of. As the book goes on, the author lets you in on why Isobel is the way she is (she had previously been bullied, her mother passed away and she felt she was to blame etc.)
When she meets an older guy by the name of Atticus Smith, she lies about her age and starts a relationship with him which actually progresses into something real and in a way forces her to deal with her emotions more than she had done in the past.
I absolutely loved the way the character of Isobel was written and the author definitely has what it takes to make you go from wanting to slap someone one minute to wanting to comfort them the next. I didn't actually find myself blaming Isobel for her actions or even disliking her; I felt her emotion, her pain and actually warmed up to her quite quickly which, I admit, does sound strange as objectively speaking she did act like a complete nightmare.
One thing I sort of didn't like as much about the book was the way the author continued to bring up Smith's appearance so that is was almost constantly in the reader's mind. That by itself is not a bad thing, but when I get involved in a story I like to picture characters a certain way and I feel sometimes leaving appearence up to the imagination involves a reader even more!
To sum up this rather jumbled review, I ADORE the ending. I love unidealistic endings because I feel as though life isn't always a fairytale and when books consistantly have fairytale endings it creates unrealistic expectations. So overall the ending was a good one, but not a particularly happy ending, although that does depend on the way you view it.
Isobel is a deeply flawed teenager who is known as the school bitch that everyone is afraid of. As the book goes on, the author lets you in on why Isobel is the way she is (she had previously been bullied, her mother passed away and she felt she was to blame etc.)
When she meets an older guy by the name of Atticus Smith, she lies about her age and starts a relationship with him which actually progresses into something real and in a way forces her to deal with her emotions more than she had done in the past.
I absolutely loved the way the character of Isobel was written and the author definitely has what it takes to make you go from wanting to slap someone one minute to wanting to comfort them the next. I didn't actually find myself blaming Isobel for her actions or even disliking her; I felt her emotion, her pain and actually warmed up to her quite quickly which, I admit, does sound strange as objectively speaking she did act like a complete nightmare.
One thing I sort of didn't like as much about the book was the way the author continued to bring up Smith's appearance so that is was almost constantly in the reader's mind. That by itself is not a bad thing, but when I get involved in a story I like to picture characters a certain way and I feel sometimes leaving appearence up to the imagination involves a reader even more!
To sum up this rather jumbled review, I ADORE the ending. I love unidealistic endings because I feel as though life isn't always a fairytale and when books consistantly have fairytale endings it creates unrealistic expectations. So overall the ending was a good one, but not a particularly happy ending, although that does depend on the way you view it.
November 5, 2010
The book by Sara Manning, Lets Get Lost is a very mysterious romance fiction novel. It is very eventful and is full of mystery about Isabel and her mother. This book is generated toward teenagers who can relate to teenage relationships. When life leaves Isabel miserable she does the unexpected. Those who like romance mystery novels will be sure to enjoy this book.
In my opposition this book is great. I loved the mystery of how Isabel's mother died and the emotional roller coaster of Isabel and Smith. This book is a great way of seeing the real feelings of a teenage relationship and all the factors that can make or break it. I highly recommend this book to any teenage girl who is looking for a good read because you are for sure to fall in love.
When Isabel's mom dies, she struggles to find out who her true friends are. In the midst of it all Isabel happens to find herself a little romance with Smith who she met at a party. When Smith and Isabel find themselves doing things they never thought they would they realize the true feelings and complications of a teenage relationship. Isabel's father is left to take care of her and hasn't a clue on how to raise a teenage daughter. When Isabel's father discovers her secrets with Smith, things go haywire. She is forced to new rules and having to obey all of her fathers ridiculous rules. What will happen when Isabel cant handle her fathers rules? Read Lets Ge Lost and discover the mysteries of Isabel's crazy world.
Sara Manning does a great job of keeping the reader interested . Whenever there is an event or problem, right after its solved there is a new one so your never bored. She also does a great job with discovering the mystery of how Isabel's mother dies throughout the book. We find out at the beginning of the story that her mother died but we don't know how and that mystery is presented throughout the book. Sara Manning is a very good author who knows how to keep a reader interested in her book.
In my opposition this book is great. I loved the mystery of how Isabel's mother died and the emotional roller coaster of Isabel and Smith. This book is a great way of seeing the real feelings of a teenage relationship and all the factors that can make or break it. I highly recommend this book to any teenage girl who is looking for a good read because you are for sure to fall in love.
When Isabel's mom dies, she struggles to find out who her true friends are. In the midst of it all Isabel happens to find herself a little romance with Smith who she met at a party. When Smith and Isabel find themselves doing things they never thought they would they realize the true feelings and complications of a teenage relationship. Isabel's father is left to take care of her and hasn't a clue on how to raise a teenage daughter. When Isabel's father discovers her secrets with Smith, things go haywire. She is forced to new rules and having to obey all of her fathers ridiculous rules. What will happen when Isabel cant handle her fathers rules? Read Lets Ge Lost and discover the mysteries of Isabel's crazy world.
Sara Manning does a great job of keeping the reader interested . Whenever there is an event or problem, right after its solved there is a new one so your never bored. She also does a great job with discovering the mystery of how Isabel's mother dies throughout the book. We find out at the beginning of the story that her mother died but we don't know how and that mystery is presented throughout the book. Sara Manning is a very good author who knows how to keep a reader interested in her book.
January 27, 2015
I have mixed feelings about this book for a variety of reasons.
I must admit I started off not really liking this book because of the main character. Put bluntly she is a utter bitch. I couldn't stand her, to way she treated those around her and I just found myself wanting to slap some sense into her from page one. She was just vile in every way she possibly could be and actually liked it when she got pulled down a peg or two at different times through the book.
I loved smith. I loved him completely not only because he was gorgeous but because from the moment he walked on the scene Isabel started to become a much nicer character and one I could actually stand to be around. Definitely a swoon worthy boy if ever there was one.
I loved loved loved the cameo from mollie from guitar girl in this book. The book geek in me got dead excited about it.
So there I am not liking this book and feeling incredibly guilty about not doing so and suddenly it hit me. The final section of the book is where all the rubbish and guards Isabel has built up around her falter and we finally get to see the girl she really is but more importantly why she became that girl to start with and woah it hit me like a ton of bricks. It made the whole story so much better, was raw and moving and took me completely by surprise and actually made me love the book as a whole even though I had started out not being a fan. Talk about sneaking up on you and punching you in the gut.
All in all definitely a book I would recommend highly.
I must admit I started off not really liking this book because of the main character. Put bluntly she is a utter bitch. I couldn't stand her, to way she treated those around her and I just found myself wanting to slap some sense into her from page one. She was just vile in every way she possibly could be and actually liked it when she got pulled down a peg or two at different times through the book.
I loved smith. I loved him completely not only because he was gorgeous but because from the moment he walked on the scene Isabel started to become a much nicer character and one I could actually stand to be around. Definitely a swoon worthy boy if ever there was one.
I loved loved loved the cameo from mollie from guitar girl in this book. The book geek in me got dead excited about it.
So there I am not liking this book and feeling incredibly guilty about not doing so and suddenly it hit me. The final section of the book is where all the rubbish and guards Isabel has built up around her falter and we finally get to see the girl she really is but more importantly why she became that girl to start with and woah it hit me like a ton of bricks. It made the whole story so much better, was raw and moving and took me completely by surprise and actually made me love the book as a whole even though I had started out not being a fan. Talk about sneaking up on you and punching you in the gut.
All in all definitely a book I would recommend highly.
August 11, 2012
Simplemente ame este libro. No se si fue porque me sentía un poco identificada con Isabel o porque realmente podía sentir los sentimientos de ese personaje por la forma en que se narraba.
Isabel había dejado de confiar en todos, se encerraba con todos sus sentimientos, aparentando por fuera que todo estaba bien para seguir siendo la gran perra de la escuela, pero cuando murió su madre era demasiado que guardar, lo que la hacia aun mas infeliz por dentro.
Me gusto la relación Isabel/Smith, siento que el fue el factor mas importante para que ella se volviera a sentir feliz. El la hacia feliz aun cuando ella no se había abierto por completo a el y que habían muchas mentiras de por medio.
El misterio que sembraba la muerte de la madre me incentivaba a seguir y seguir leyendo. Y cuando al final dijo todo no me decepcione para nada y entendí el por que de su actitud.
La lectura fue totalmente agradable, si lo dejaba de leer por un momento me creaba miles de teorías de lo que seguiría pasando en la historia de Isabel. Sin duda se ha vuelto uno de mis libros favoritos.
Isabel había dejado de confiar en todos, se encerraba con todos sus sentimientos, aparentando por fuera que todo estaba bien para seguir siendo la gran perra de la escuela, pero cuando murió su madre era demasiado que guardar, lo que la hacia aun mas infeliz por dentro.
Me gusto la relación Isabel/Smith, siento que el fue el factor mas importante para que ella se volviera a sentir feliz. El la hacia feliz aun cuando ella no se había abierto por completo a el y que habían muchas mentiras de por medio.
El misterio que sembraba la muerte de la madre me incentivaba a seguir y seguir leyendo. Y cuando al final dijo todo no me decepcione para nada y entendí el por que de su actitud.
La lectura fue totalmente agradable, si lo dejaba de leer por un momento me creaba miles de teorías de lo que seguiría pasando en la historia de Isabel. Sin duda se ha vuelto uno de mis libros favoritos.
July 4, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down.
I first got this book a few years ago and I read the first few chapters and I wasn't really interested in it so I stopped reading and some how lost the book. A week ago I stumbled upon it and I thought I'd give it a second chance, and it was well worth it.
Isabel believes that she's this tough, scary girl with no emotions and thinks that everyone will drop at the click of her fingers.
She meets Smith, a geeky big-nosed guy, at a party; but he thinks that she's some girl named Chloe. She later bumps into him again and they begin a relationship, well sort of. Isabel loves him, but he loves some ex-rockstar called Molly
Smith brings out the good in Isabel and she can't get enough of him, and that gets her in trouble with her dad.
In most of the book we see Isabel as a tough girl but by the end we she deeper inside of her.
I must admit I even got a little teary eyed when she spoke about her mother and also when she was in the accident.
It was unputdownable and a well worthy read.
I first got this book a few years ago and I read the first few chapters and I wasn't really interested in it so I stopped reading and some how lost the book. A week ago I stumbled upon it and I thought I'd give it a second chance, and it was well worth it.
Isabel believes that she's this tough, scary girl with no emotions and thinks that everyone will drop at the click of her fingers.
She meets Smith, a geeky big-nosed guy, at a party; but he thinks that she's some girl named Chloe. She later bumps into him again and they begin a relationship, well sort of. Isabel loves him, but he loves some ex-rockstar called Molly
Smith brings out the good in Isabel and she can't get enough of him, and that gets her in trouble with her dad.
In most of the book we see Isabel as a tough girl but by the end we she deeper inside of her.
I must admit I even got a little teary eyed when she spoke about her mother and also when she was in the accident.
It was unputdownable and a well worthy read.
February 11, 2015
Sarra Manning es , sin dudas (al menos en mi opinión) , la mejor escritora de YA que hay en esta época (Al menos en el genero más light y ... Claro que todavía no leí nada de terriblemente popular John Greene ni varios otros famosos)
Me encanta que no tenga una visión distorisionada de lo que es amor adolescente y que entienda a la perfección lo que siente uno a esa edad , acompañandolo siempre con un humor sarcástico y excelente (y digo , genial , al estilo FRIENDS o Arrested Development , esa clase de humor inteligente) y con divertidos o tristes intercambios familiares .
El libro en cuestion trata sobre una chica con problemas de conducta que no soporta a nadie y se lleva mal con cualquiera que se le meta en el camino hasta que -si , obvio que si , NO podia ser de otra manera - conoce a Smith , un universitario a quien miente sobre su edad para caerle bien y de quien mas o menos se enamora (a su mandera)
GENIAAAAAL .
Me encanta que no tenga una visión distorisionada de lo que es amor adolescente y que entienda a la perfección lo que siente uno a esa edad , acompañandolo siempre con un humor sarcástico y excelente (y digo , genial , al estilo FRIENDS o Arrested Development , esa clase de humor inteligente) y con divertidos o tristes intercambios familiares .
El libro en cuestion trata sobre una chica con problemas de conducta que no soporta a nadie y se lleva mal con cualquiera que se le meta en el camino hasta que -si , obvio que si , NO podia ser de otra manera - conoce a Smith , un universitario a quien miente sobre su edad para caerle bien y de quien mas o menos se enamora (a su mandera)
GENIAAAAAL .
February 7, 2015
Este libro fue una montaña rusa de emociones por dios estaba bien en un momento luego e otro cambiaba todo lo que pensaba de cada personaje y que si odie un par y lo de la madre ese misterio de por qué ella no queria hablar sobre ella si que con ese final se paso Sara como después de todo las piezas se unen de nuevo y puede cambiar para bien me gustaron los momentos con Smith y la verdad que me gusto eso de que no sabia que iba a pasar con él le da cierto misterio, fue una rápida lectura y la disfrute unas partes que otras en fin igual siempre voy amar you don't have to say you love me de esta autora Max & Neve forever ♥
February 28, 2010
ehhh
this book was ok
i mean, like, it was a good story and stuff
but the main character just pissed me off. in short (excuse my french) she was a total bitch. and after i finished the book i felt really angry and like punching things and gahh
it was the regular storyline "OH I LOVE YOU BUT IM LYING ABOUT SOMETHING AND THEN SOMETHING BIG IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND NOW YOU HATE ME BUT MY MOM DIED AND YOU FEEL SORRY FOR ME SO WE ARE GOING TO BE TOGETHER HAPPILY EVER AFTER"
so no, i did not like this book.
this book was ok
i mean, like, it was a good story and stuff
but the main character just pissed me off. in short (excuse my french) she was a total bitch. and after i finished the book i felt really angry and like punching things and gahh
it was the regular storyline "OH I LOVE YOU BUT IM LYING ABOUT SOMETHING AND THEN SOMETHING BIG IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND NOW YOU HATE ME BUT MY MOM DIED AND YOU FEEL SORRY FOR ME SO WE ARE GOING TO BE TOGETHER HAPPILY EVER AFTER"
so no, i did not like this book.
April 5, 2012
I really despised the lead character Isabel for 90% of this book but she totally redeems herself at the end. Basically she loses her mum & goes into bitch mode with everyone. She meets a guy called Smith & lies to him about her age & it's all ok for a while until everything just blows up in her face & she realises she has lost yet another person she loves. I got annoyed at Isabel countless times whilst reading this story but the last chapter is self explanitory as to why she has been like it. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes YA realistic fiction.
May 19, 2015
I simply love Sarra's writing. This book was everything I want a good book to be - funny, slightly ironic, romantic, but not in this cheesy way and emotional. And, oh, did I mention, it was sooo funny? :) Sarra is an excellent writer, and it was even more to see in this book, because of the quite simple plot. Only thing I don't quite understand - why the hell does this book have such a low ranking?
December 6, 2011
Let's Get Lost ticked so many boxes for me. The characters, especially Isabel, made me react emotionally. That being said, Isabel has her moments of selfishness and just plain bitchiness, but her backstory and the relationship with her father are rich enough and explored enough that it's explained. The story is engaging and mysterious and simply beautiful. Truly a masterpiece of young adult fiction, up there with the work of Sarah Dessen.
March 20, 2016
I have to admit that I flicked through this book quickly since I was feeling unwell and wanted to read something to help take my mind off things. This book wasn't bad at all but not one of my favourites, for me personally, I wouldn't read it again since some of the subject content at times was a little uncomfortable for me. I would recommend this book to others though who like reading Teen Fiction.
November 27, 2008
A lot of teen angst and bitchiness. I got rather hooked into the story though. I think it was the fact that the main character seemed so tragically screwed up beyond anything, I'm always attracted to characters like that.
February 27, 2009
British teen lit.... I really enjoyed this one... it shows you what goes on behind the facade of a girl who is mean to everyone..what has caused her to be that way and how hard she tries to hold it in... riveting ending!
February 23, 2012
I will tell that I love how Sarra Manning write!
Isabel made me laugh a lot with her personality.
The truth is that I really enjoyed this book if you want to read about a girl with a bipolar personality, kind of bully and inlove with a college guy, this is a good book :D
Isabel made me laugh a lot with her personality.
The truth is that I really enjoyed this book if you want to read about a girl with a bipolar personality, kind of bully and inlove with a college guy, this is a good book :D
June 27, 2019
No matter how old I am, how many times I re-read, I still utterly love this book.
September 5, 2025
I just had a flashback to this horror of a book, which was probably the most misogynistic of all the awful girl-hating YA books I read as a teenager.
It’s about a girl in secondary school who is ‘a total bitch’ who has just lost her mum who then gets involved with a man who’s an undergrad at a local university - afaik, she was 16 and he was in his ~early twenties. She doesn’t tell him about her mum or her age, and it all culminates in a huge fight where he tells her ‘I almost felt sorry for you when someone told me about your mum, but then I found out you’d been lying about your real age.’ This is framed as a huge deceit on the part of the girl, and the end of the novel signals that the girl and the man end up in a romantic quasi-friendship where she has to win him back after her huge betrayal of his trust. Yes, this was the actual plot of a book aimed at teenage girls.
(I also just remembered that the girl’s mum was originally her dad’s student at uni, like Bea’s mum in The Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants - and Bea also ends up being sleeping with an undergrad student when she’s only 16. Bea and her mum are both described as being too vivacious and attractive, as if they lured the men into grooming them. Why is this such a theme across YA novels???)
Basically ~Let’s Get Lost~ was all the nightmarishness of the mid-2000s distilled into one miserable YA novel. Maybe the author was trying to do the ‘mean girls have feelings too’ thing but hated other women too much to make it work. Or maybe she was just as much a product of that era as the rest of us. Anyway I hate to think what damage this book did to my developing brain and I wish I could give it negative stars. No cut for spoilers because I want people to know.
It’s about a girl in secondary school who is ‘a total bitch’ who has just lost her mum who then gets involved with a man who’s an undergrad at a local university - afaik, she was 16 and he was in his ~early twenties. She doesn’t tell him about her mum or her age, and it all culminates in a huge fight where he tells her ‘I almost felt sorry for you when someone told me about your mum, but then I found out you’d been lying about your real age.’ This is framed as a huge deceit on the part of the girl, and the end of the novel signals that the girl and the man end up in a romantic quasi-friendship where she has to win him back after her huge betrayal of his trust. Yes, this was the actual plot of a book aimed at teenage girls.
(I also just remembered that the girl’s mum was originally her dad’s student at uni, like Bea’s mum in The Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants - and Bea also ends up being sleeping with an undergrad student when she’s only 16. Bea and her mum are both described as being too vivacious and attractive, as if they lured the men into grooming them. Why is this such a theme across YA novels???)
Basically ~Let’s Get Lost~ was all the nightmarishness of the mid-2000s distilled into one miserable YA novel. Maybe the author was trying to do the ‘mean girls have feelings too’ thing but hated other women too much to make it work. Or maybe she was just as much a product of that era as the rest of us. Anyway I hate to think what damage this book did to my developing brain and I wish I could give it negative stars. No cut for spoilers because I want people to know.
August 16, 2011
Review from my book blog (wordpress / livejournal)
The Premise: Isabel is a troubled kid. She’s the Queen of the Mean Girls at her all-girl school, and there seems to be no particular reason for her reign of terror. No one can reach her, even after her mother’s recent death. Girls expecting a softer Isabel at school at the start of her last year are disappointed by an Isabel that is just as cold as ever. That is how it looks on the outside. Internally, Isabel feels stuck. She decided to be mean in high school because she was bullied and insignificant in middle school, but now she can’t afford to relax her facade. Her crew aren’t really her friends and are constantly waiting for a slip. That’s when a chance encounter with college-aged Smith comes in. He doesn’t have expectations of what Isabel is like, and when she’s with him, she can be herself. That is, except for the fact that Smith doesn’t know Isabel is still just 17 and still in high school.
My Thoughts: Of the three Manning books I’ve read so far (Unsticky, and You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me are the other two), Isabel is the most difficult character to like as a reader. The girl is no angel. We see Isabel at school, keeping her cohorts and other students in line with well placed verbal bombs, guaranteed to make the recipient squirm, and at home she bulldozes and back talks her frustrated father. Whenever she can, Isabel is out at clubs, stealing drinks off tables to get drunk, and pretends to be older than she actually is. Flanking her are three girls who she doesn’t like, who don’t like her, and who are just sticking around for the power and protection of their alpha girl group. I think that if you can’t forgive Isabel for her many mistakes and nastiness, this story will be a difficult one to enjoy, but with Isabel as the narrator, at least we get an explanation for her actions, and we know that she doesn’t particularly like herself or what she’s doing. For me, it was a case of understanding why she acted the way she did, but not condoning it.
Smith on the other hand, is a much more sociable character. An easy-going guy with lots of friends, he accepts people as they are, including Isabel. The pull of this story for me was seeing the effect that being with Smith had on Isabel. For Isabel, being with him is like being on vacation as a normal teenager, not a girl constantly on guard. That side of her made me hope that somehow she could find a way out of her rut as Let’s Get Lost progressed. It was clear that Smith was a catalyst on Isabel’s life, but I wasn’t sure if he’d be a source of strength, or a point of weakness. On one hand Smith is a relief from the constant scrutiny Isabel deals with from school and her dad, but on the other, I wondered at the consequences of her lies, both to Smith and to everyone else about Smith. I wanted Isabel escape the hole she’d dug for herself. Throughout her narrative, you can feel Isabel’s underlying sadness. It’s like she has a dreamworld where Smith belongs that she’d also like to be, but she doesn’t believe she can attain it.
“My whole life had split into two: Smith and not Smith. I liked the Smith parts of it so much better. Already I was calculating how much of the weekend we had left and greedily clutching every hour to me as if it was precious. Was this what it was meant to feel like when you were really into someone? Was this what it felt like if you were in love?
As soon as I thought it, I knew that it was true. I kinda loved him. Or, like, I was in love with him. Either state of being was just too freaky to contemplate. The dripping toothbrush stilled in midair as I tried to pull myself together. I was a heartless, ungrateful wench of a girl who promised everyone who came into contact with me a one-way ticket to pain and hurt. I didn’t know how to love and I didn’t deserve to be loved back.”
If you’re wondering where Isabel’s parents are in this picture, her mom died pretty recently, and her father, (coincidentally a professor at the university Smith attends), is still devastated by the loss. Unresolved issues about her mother’s death hang in the air between them, and Isabel’s father ping-pongs between not being quite there, and being positively draconian. I really liked the complexity and imperfections of their relationship, and I liked that they share a prickly outside and high intelligence, which only leads to their butting-heads even more. This was refreshingly true-to-life. Also refreshing: that this was a Young Adult story that deals with the consequences of someone’s actions in a realistic way. There is no convenient lack of parents or neat resolution that absolves the teenaged protagonist of their sins. Isabel has to bear the reactions of others for what she’s done. And her mother’s death is an event that has it’s own consequences which Isabel has to deal with too.
Overall: This was another good one but you have to work a little bit for it. The narrator does some unlikeable things, and that along with the high wall she’s built around herself makes her difficult to empathize with at the beginning, but as the book went on, it became easier to understand Isabel and what is beneath her mean girl veneer. It is well worth it to be patient and see where Isabel’s path leads, but if you can’t bring yourself to forgive her her misdeeds, this book will be more difficult to enjoy. I found an unhappy girl who wants a different life under there, and the story doesn’t let her off easy – her actions have consequences that she must face. If you want a great story that deals with redemption, loss, first love, and teenage rebellion, Let’s Get Lost has it all. After reading it I have this sense of having returned from being in someone else’s headspace with a little bit more insight than I had before.
The Premise: Isabel is a troubled kid. She’s the Queen of the Mean Girls at her all-girl school, and there seems to be no particular reason for her reign of terror. No one can reach her, even after her mother’s recent death. Girls expecting a softer Isabel at school at the start of her last year are disappointed by an Isabel that is just as cold as ever. That is how it looks on the outside. Internally, Isabel feels stuck. She decided to be mean in high school because she was bullied and insignificant in middle school, but now she can’t afford to relax her facade. Her crew aren’t really her friends and are constantly waiting for a slip. That’s when a chance encounter with college-aged Smith comes in. He doesn’t have expectations of what Isabel is like, and when she’s with him, she can be herself. That is, except for the fact that Smith doesn’t know Isabel is still just 17 and still in high school.
My Thoughts: Of the three Manning books I’ve read so far (Unsticky, and You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me are the other two), Isabel is the most difficult character to like as a reader. The girl is no angel. We see Isabel at school, keeping her cohorts and other students in line with well placed verbal bombs, guaranteed to make the recipient squirm, and at home she bulldozes and back talks her frustrated father. Whenever she can, Isabel is out at clubs, stealing drinks off tables to get drunk, and pretends to be older than she actually is. Flanking her are three girls who she doesn’t like, who don’t like her, and who are just sticking around for the power and protection of their alpha girl group. I think that if you can’t forgive Isabel for her many mistakes and nastiness, this story will be a difficult one to enjoy, but with Isabel as the narrator, at least we get an explanation for her actions, and we know that she doesn’t particularly like herself or what she’s doing. For me, it was a case of understanding why she acted the way she did, but not condoning it.
Smith on the other hand, is a much more sociable character. An easy-going guy with lots of friends, he accepts people as they are, including Isabel. The pull of this story for me was seeing the effect that being with Smith had on Isabel. For Isabel, being with him is like being on vacation as a normal teenager, not a girl constantly on guard. That side of her made me hope that somehow she could find a way out of her rut as Let’s Get Lost progressed. It was clear that Smith was a catalyst on Isabel’s life, but I wasn’t sure if he’d be a source of strength, or a point of weakness. On one hand Smith is a relief from the constant scrutiny Isabel deals with from school and her dad, but on the other, I wondered at the consequences of her lies, both to Smith and to everyone else about Smith. I wanted Isabel escape the hole she’d dug for herself. Throughout her narrative, you can feel Isabel’s underlying sadness. It’s like she has a dreamworld where Smith belongs that she’d also like to be, but she doesn’t believe she can attain it.
“My whole life had split into two: Smith and not Smith. I liked the Smith parts of it so much better. Already I was calculating how much of the weekend we had left and greedily clutching every hour to me as if it was precious. Was this what it was meant to feel like when you were really into someone? Was this what it felt like if you were in love?
As soon as I thought it, I knew that it was true. I kinda loved him. Or, like, I was in love with him. Either state of being was just too freaky to contemplate. The dripping toothbrush stilled in midair as I tried to pull myself together. I was a heartless, ungrateful wench of a girl who promised everyone who came into contact with me a one-way ticket to pain and hurt. I didn’t know how to love and I didn’t deserve to be loved back.”
If you’re wondering where Isabel’s parents are in this picture, her mom died pretty recently, and her father, (coincidentally a professor at the university Smith attends), is still devastated by the loss. Unresolved issues about her mother’s death hang in the air between them, and Isabel’s father ping-pongs between not being quite there, and being positively draconian. I really liked the complexity and imperfections of their relationship, and I liked that they share a prickly outside and high intelligence, which only leads to their butting-heads even more. This was refreshingly true-to-life. Also refreshing: that this was a Young Adult story that deals with the consequences of someone’s actions in a realistic way. There is no convenient lack of parents or neat resolution that absolves the teenaged protagonist of their sins. Isabel has to bear the reactions of others for what she’s done. And her mother’s death is an event that has it’s own consequences which Isabel has to deal with too.
Overall: This was another good one but you have to work a little bit for it. The narrator does some unlikeable things, and that along with the high wall she’s built around herself makes her difficult to empathize with at the beginning, but as the book went on, it became easier to understand Isabel and what is beneath her mean girl veneer. It is well worth it to be patient and see where Isabel’s path leads, but if you can’t bring yourself to forgive her her misdeeds, this book will be more difficult to enjoy. I found an unhappy girl who wants a different life under there, and the story doesn’t let her off easy – her actions have consequences that she must face. If you want a great story that deals with redemption, loss, first love, and teenage rebellion, Let’s Get Lost has it all. After reading it I have this sense of having returned from being in someone else’s headspace with a little bit more insight than I had before.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews