Publishers Weekly
03/08/2021
In a spooky middle grade love letter to libraries and the mystery genre, West (Last Things) crafts a spellbinding exploration of sisterhood. Fiona Crane, 11, and her older sister, Arden, a figure-skating phenom, have just arrived in Lost Lake, Mass., where the white family has moved to facilitate Arden’s passion. Archaeology- and history-loving Fiona resents the change—and the attention the girls’ parents lavish on Arden. Despite her resentment, though, she finds the one place in town she feels comfortable: its luxurious library, located in a converted mansion that holds mysteries of its own. Fiona quickly stumbles upon an old book with a green cover and no library tag containing an unfinished story about two sisters of a bygone era. With the help of local boy Charlie, Fiona investigates similarities between the stories and local history, contending with a secretive librarian and the specter of Fiona’s tenuous relationship with Arden. Alternating a contemporary third-person narrative with the found book’s parallel telling, West draws readers into a supernaturally tinged dual story, simultaneously offering an authentic portrait of sibling angst. Ages 8–12. Agent: Danielle Chiotti, Upstart Crow Literary. (May)
From the Publisher
"A spine-tingling brew of ghosts and half-forgotten mysteries, but just as much, a warm and real story of sibling bonds and small-town adventures. This has all the makings of a classic, and readers will be clamoring for just one more chapter. Perfect to be read late into the night." — Stefan Bachmann, internationally bestselling author of The Peculiar
“Deep in the mystery room, Fiona finds a book on the shelf that does not appear to belong to the library. . . . This book is a captivating narrative that draws the reader into two stories of two sisters living over a century apart. The stories of Fiona and Arden, and of Hazel and Pearl, parallel each other as both sets of siblings drift apart. . . . A spooky sisterhood mystery that is sure to be a hit with readers.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“A mysterious book leads a girl into a century-old supernatural mystery. . . . Reading this book within a book, Fiona learns about characters Hazel and Pearl . . . Although the two sets of sisters have different relationships and dynamics, the complexity of sisterhood links both storylines, resulting in nuanced relationships. . . . Grab a flashlight and stay up late with this one.” — Kirkus Reviews
“In a spooky middle grade love letter to libraries and the mystery genre, West crafts a spellbinding exploration of sisterhood. . . . Alternating a contemporary third-person narrative with the found book’s parallel telling, West draws readers into a supernaturally tinged dual story, simultaneously offering an authentic portrait of sibling angst.” — Publishers Weekly
“A mysterious uncatalogued book at the local library proves a welcome distraction from new-town blues, and Fiona becomes absorbed in the book’s story of two sisters, Hazel and Pearl, only to find that the pages go blank after one of them disappears. . . . A series of increasingly eerie incidents occur as she investigates. . . . [Long Lost] will please mystery lovers, while chills and thrills satisfyingly intertwine with the focus on sisterly relationships.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Eleven-year-old Fiona blames her older sister Arden for their family’s move to the ‘quaint’ (fictional) Massachusetts town of Lost Lake. . . . Finding solace in the town’s library, Fiona discovers a mysterious book called The Lost One that tells the story of two sisters . . . one of whom disappeared a hundred years ago. . . . What starts as rather a cozy mystery—small town, quirky librarian, strange book—builds up to a spooky denouement . . . Readers will be eager to learn the fates of both pairs of sisters.” — Horn Book Magazine
“Fiona Crane isn’t at all pleased about having to move . . . When Fiona ventures to the library . . . and finds a curious leather-bound book in the mystery section . . . Fiona becomes obsessed with the book, which is swathed in secrets, including an inconvenient habit of disappearing and the unfortunate absence of an ending. As Fiona tries to piece together the story’s true ending, she dives into the town’s history and creepy lore and confronts her own needs and faults as a sister. A good choice for those who enjoy atmospheric mysteries.” — Booklist
Stefan Bachmann
"A spine-tingling brew of ghosts and half-forgotten mysteries, but just as much, a warm and real story of sibling bonds and small-town adventures. This has all the makings of a classic, and readers will be clamoring for just one more chapter. Perfect to be read late into the night."
Horn Book Magazine
Eleven-year-old Fiona blames her older sister Arden for their family’s move to the ‘quaint’ (fictional) Massachusetts town of Lost Lake. . . . Finding solace in the town’s library, Fiona discovers a mysterious book called The Lost One that tells the story of two sisters . . . one of whom disappeared a hundred years ago. . . . What starts as rather a cozy mystery—small town, quirky librarian, strange book—builds up to a spooky denouement . . . Readers will be eager to learn the fates of both pairs of sisters.
Booklist
Fiona Crane isn’t at all pleased about having to move . . . When Fiona ventures to the library . . . and finds a curious leather-bound book in the mystery section . . . Fiona becomes obsessed with the book, which is swathed in secrets, including an inconvenient habit of disappearing and the unfortunate absence of an ending. As Fiona tries to piece together the story’s true ending, she dives into the town’s history and creepy lore and confronts her own needs and faults as a sister. A good choice for those who enjoy atmospheric mysteries.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
A mysterious uncatalogued book at the local library proves a welcome distraction from new-town blues, and Fiona becomes absorbed in the book’s story of two sisters, Hazel and Pearl, only to find that the pages go blank after one of them disappears. . . . A series of increasingly eerie incidents occur as she investigates. . . . [Long Lost] will please mystery lovers, while chills and thrills satisfyingly intertwine with the focus on sisterly relationships.
Booklist
Fiona Crane isn’t at all pleased about having to move . . . When Fiona ventures to the library . . . and finds a curious leather-bound book in the mystery section . . . Fiona becomes obsessed with the book, which is swathed in secrets, including an inconvenient habit of disappearing and the unfortunate absence of an ending. As Fiona tries to piece together the story’s true ending, she dives into the town’s history and creepy lore and confronts her own needs and faults as a sister. A good choice for those who enjoy atmospheric mysteries.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
A mysterious uncatalogued book at the local library proves a welcome distraction from new-town blues, and Fiona becomes absorbed in the book’s story of two sisters, Hazel and Pearl, only to find that the pages go blank after one of them disappears. . . . A series of increasingly eerie incidents occur as she investigates. . . . [Long Lost] will please mystery lovers, while chills and thrills satisfyingly intertwine with the focus on sisterly relationships.
School Library Journal
★ 06/01/2021
Gr 4–9—Fiona's family has just picked up and moved across Massachusetts to the sleepy town of Lost Lake, all because of her sister Arden and her figure skating. Fiona cannot help feeling slighted at having to leave everything behind just so they can be closer to Arden's practice rink. When the opportunity arises, Fiona chooses to explore the town library rather than watching skating practice. Deep in the mystery room, Fiona finds a book on the shelf that does not appear to belong to the library. Intrigued, she begins reading and is drawn immediately into The Lost One: the story of Hazel and Pearl and the mystery of how one of them disappeared. This book is a captivating narrative that draws the reader into two stories of two sisters living over a century apart. The stories of Fiona and Arden, and of Hazel and Pearl, parallel each other as both sets of siblings drift apart. Ultimately, Hazel goes missing, and that is where the mystery begins: What happened all those years ago? Fiona is determined to find out. The story breaks frame when the worlds of Fiona and Arden and Hazel and Pearl collide in a supernatural twist that will test the bond of sisterhood. Fiona and Arden have dark hair and brown eyes, but there are no explicit references to their ethnicity or race beyond this detail. VERDICT A spooky sisterhood mystery that is sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy titles such as Katherine Arden's Small Spaces, Ellen Oh's Spirit Hunters, or Lindsay Currie's Scritch Scratch.—Jessica Caron, Bancroft Sch., MA
Kirkus Reviews
2021-03-13
A mysterious book leads a girl into a century-old supernatural mystery.
When Fiona’s family moves across Massachusetts to Lost Lake, a small town that’s far closer to her older sister Arden’s figure skating club, Fiona resents both being uprooted and the constant focus on her accomplished sibling. To avoid spending hours sitting at one of Arden’s practices, knowledge-loving Fiona opts for a morning at the library, where she discovers a book called The Lost One that begins, “Once there were two sisters who did everything together. But only one of them disappeared.” Reading this book within a book, Fiona learns about characters Hazel and Pearl—relating heavily to younger Pearl, especially when she starts getting left behind, and knowing their story won’t have a happy ending. Fiona better endures slights from her family because she has the book to look forward to, but when she finally gets a library card, the book’s gone and isn’t even in the system. In response to a heartbreaking moment of being her family’s lowest priority, Fiona doubles down on solving the book’s mysteries—having determined its setting is Lost Lake—and finds increasingly spooky pieces of the puzzle. Although the two sets of sisters have different relationships and dynamics, the complexity of sisterhood links both storylines, resulting in nuanced relationships. The gore-free supernatural elements are more haunting than terrifying, foregrounding the characters’ journeys. Main characters default to White.
Grab a flashlight and stay up late with this one. (Paranormal mystery. 8-12)
