Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Lovely and the Lost

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Genre: YA Mystery

Recommended Age: 15+ (missing children, being lost in the woods, language, slight gore)

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 328

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Kira Bennett’s earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady’s son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world’s most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home.

But when Cady’s estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child—one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months—the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected. As the search through 750,000 acres of unbridled wilderness intensifies, Kira becomes obsessed with finding the missing child. She knows all too well what it’s like to be lost in the wilderness, fighting for survival, alone.

But this case isn’t simple. There is more afoot than a single, missing girl, and Kira’s memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.

Review: Overall, I liked this story. The characters were compelling, the dogs were OMG SO CUTE, and the writing was well done. I felt like the book was evenly paced and the book had a great story. I’ve always been interested in children who get lost and are found years later (I’m a weirdo I know). I felt like the book hit all the high points for me.

However, I didn’t feel invested in any of the characters or the book at all. The book felt flat, even though everything was pretty good.

Verdict: It was good, but didn’t hit that special spot in my soul.