Review: The Lost and the Found

The Lost and the Found
Author: Cat Clarke
Publication Date: July 2nd 2015 by
Publisher: Quercus Childrens
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

LOST.
When six-year-old Laurel Logan was abducted, the only witness was her younger sister. Faith’s childhood was dominated by Laurel’s disappearance – from her parents’ broken marriage and the constant media attention to dealing with so-called friends who only ever wanted to talk about her sister.
FOUND.
Thirteen years later, a young woman is found in the garden of the Logans’ old house, disorientated and clutching the teddy bear Laurel was last seen with. Laurel is home at last, safe and sound. Faith always dreamed of getting her sister back, without ever truly believing it would happen. But a disturbing series of events leaves Faith increasingly isolated and paranoid, and before long she begins to wonder if everything that’s lost can be found again…

I've read a few of Cat Clarkes now, and know what I love about them? The way Cat Clarke takes touchy subjects and writes them honestly, realistically, and always has a voice that is easy to get into, and it's no different with The Lost and the Found.

The Lost and the Found tackles the tough subject of child abduction. If you watch the news or read newspapers or really anything, you should have heard of a few famous cases throughout the years, some that are still open and some that are, for all intents and purposes, Cold Cases. Or ones that didn't end well. On the outside, The Lost and the Found is a story that every family wants to hear, that their child has been found and safe. On the inside, The Lost and the Found is anything but.

 The emotions and reactions once Laurel comes home are realistic, although I found the mother way too overbearing, and honestly, I didn't like her that much, but that was also probably because we're reading it from Faith's perspective, it's like more like reading through rose tinted glasses. I loved Faith though, she's a me character, she's real. Once Laurels back in her life, again, the emotion and reaction and the way she feels, relieved, happy, left out, resentment, is honest. I mean, can you imagine not having a sister for thirteen years and all of a sudden she's back and all attentions on her, not that it ever felt like it wasn't while she was missing to begin with, you're going to feel all of that. It sounds awful and makes her sound like an awful character, but it's truthful. Even before suspicion starts clouding her judgement.

Is it bad I didn't really like the parents? I should, but as I said, I found the mother overbearing and the father not really involved, they're like on opposite sides of the scale and none meeting the in-between.

Here's the thing, I think people are going to have issues with certain things, which I can't say what things, because spoilers, but I think the ending answers a lot of those issues, and then of course, the ending brings up a whole lot of other issues, but The Lost and the Found portrays two different stories with two different messages, and it's portrayed well.

Overall, The Lost and the Found is honest, raw and realistic, and I know I keep saying that a lot, but it honestly is, and with such a tough subject to tackle, to portray all sides and effects of a child abduction, Cat Clarke nailed it. 

Rating: 4/5