3.5 stars — This book had a lot of ups and downs, but it mostly pulled it in in the end.

I will admit that I was initially intrigued by the mystery…but then I started not really liking or connecting with Rachel and for a good chunk of the beginning-middle I kinda just wanted to skim ahead and find out all the answers to the mysteries. I suspected pretty much everyone of shenanigans at one point or another in this story. I mean, some characters really did not behave or react how they should have — especially her parents! I mean, she just got back from being kidnapped! I don’t know… And then there were her “friends” at school. It was just a big ball of conflicting emotions for me.

Luckily, it was a pretty quick read, so I just powered through. And somewhere along the way I found myself wanting the answers, despite still being kind of meh about Rachel. She did have some glimmers of better-ness though, so that helped.

And the big reveal?? Well, I can’t say I guessed it from the beginning — I was going down an entirely different path for awhile. But I did wonder about some parts. Then other parts I didn’t guess AT ALL. But I’m not a big mystery reader, so I honestly don’t know how it holds up in the genre.

I think part of my problem is that I just finished reading another young adult mystery, and I ADORED the heroine, and connected with her, and felt for her — even though she made bad choices as well. So it was a pretty stark contrast to Rachel’s basically mean girl thing, and aggression, and all that. I’m not sure I entirely get her whole transformation, but some of it did make sense and I felt a bit better about her by the end.

So yeah…how do people review mystery books? I mean, I don’t want to give away anything by saying which characters I liked and which I didn’t. I think I was only mostly sold on Molly and Kyle, though the others did have some redeeming qualities in the end.

It was strange. It was outside my wheelhouse. I’m glad I stuck it out for the ending, because it was different but interesting. But I might be more choosy in my mysteries in the future.

Started strong but went downhill. The major problem is that the book did a lot of telling rather than showing the happenings to the reader.

DNF

Alright, I am calling this one halfway through. The premise sounded cool but I'm this far into is and still have no feelings one way or another for our main character. Also, a jock/popular boyfriend who is secretly a poet that no one understands...ugh, lots of cliches here. I'm sure there was a big twist or reveal coming but I don't care enough to see what it is.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

Oh dear. This was a bit of a train wreck of a book for me. It started off quite good, fairly intriguing mystery. Can’t say I cared much about the characters really, but there was enough of a what the hell happened mentality to keep me interested in the plot. Rachel wakes up with no memory and finds out she had been kidnapped and managed to escape. She only remembers up to about a year before this happened. Only to find when she gets home with her family she’s ditched her best friend, and the ballet she loves, got a new boyfriend and become a really mean bitchy goth.

The novel centres around Rachel trying to figure out what happened to her. She has flashes of memory and learns she can fight like a pro but has no idea how she learned. She has a whole set of new friends including some of the most popular kids in her school. A hot boyfriend she doesn’t remember getting together with. And learns she’s been sneaking out fighting and getting high.

As Rachel gets used to going back to school and being at home, she finds secrets about herself in her room connected to a load of other missing girls. The mystery deepens. The problem I had with the characters was they were all kind of flat. I didn’t really care about any of them, it was only curiosity on the mystery aspect that kept me interested. But as the plot progressed and secrets were unravelled, the more ridiculous the plot became.

It was trying to be a dark gritty thriller and it did deal with some rather dark themes – dead girls, assault, underground fight clubs, drugs, criminal activity, all involving teens. At some point near the end there was a bizarre twist that could almost suggest human trafficking. The problem I had with it was the story line became so farfetched and ludicrous it was more eye rolling than shocking. It was certainly uncomfortable in parts. The writing was weird as well, it was trying to be deep and intense and at some points became almost waxing and poetic.

The main character was a ballerina and there was a lot of references to Swan Lake, which just got annoying.

At the start of the novel I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not, but by the end I definitely didn’t like it at all. Not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for approving my request to view the title.

What to say about this book? I spent a lot of time going back and forth being entertained and enjoying the action...and then rolling my eyes at the main character and her choices. I didn't understand a lot of them. I also wanted more parent involvement, her parents seemed like pesky little beings who are just there. On the other hand, the action was great and I wasn't expecting the main plot point to happen, so that was nice. Overall it was enjoyable, but definitely a few things I would have changed.

“Lost Girls” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Merrie Destefano (http://www.merriedestefano.com). Ms. Stefano has published seven novels.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the US. High School Junior Rachel wakes up in a ditch. She soon learns that she has been missing for two weeks. The worst part is that she can’t remember anything that has happened to her over the past year. The last thing she remembers is falling asleep in her room listening to music during her Sophomore year.

She discovers that over the past year, before the kidnapping, she had changed. She is astonished to find that she is romantically involved with a guy she would have been too timid to talk to before. She slowly investigates her own life, surprised at what she learns about herself. Slowly too, she begins to remember bits and pieces of the past year. She finds out that she is not the only lost girl, but she is the only one that has turned up alive.

The more she uncovers, she realizes that there has been a very dark side to her life over the past year. She also realizes that she has been involved with some very scary people. Will she remember how she was kidnapped and be able to save some of the other missing girls, or will her kidnappers find her again.

This was an interesting 6.5 hour read of a Young Adult Mystery. While there was romance, there was also a lot of dark, dangerous events in Rachel’s life. The plot certainly headed in unexpected directions as the story unfolds. The cover art is OK, but doesn’t really relate to the story being told. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

This is my first read by this author and I must say that description sucked me in! I didn't read any other reviews and just went in blind apart from that.

I kind of regret doing so, otherwise, I probably wouldn't have forced my way through it. The premise sounds great, a girl missing... comes back later completely different, dark different. Sounds interesting right? Wrong. This story is more along the lines of mean girls meets..... I don't even know Saw or Hostel?....Whatever... I rolled my eyes so much I just wanted to DNF this story.

The teen drama and YA was not for me. AT ALL.

My rating 2/5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book so much! It was a book about relationships, and yeah, it was also about fighting, and changing, and going down paths that can be called wrong. It was just so intriguing to read and I really enjoyed it!

The journey that Rachel goes on isn't easy. To lose a year of memories isn't great, but on top of that, but to realize that by running out of a forest, bruised and bloodied, yeah, not easy! And that who you were changed over that time, and figuring out what went on meant that I really enjoyed reading about her journey!

The whole idea of lost girls kinda sucks, in the way that it actually exists in the first place. Girls implies younger than 18, and for the sake of this book, older than 14. And girls that age shouldn't be lost. Escape a bad situation, yeah, but not lost!

Really enjoyed watching Rachel take down these bad guys! After all, their plan with the girls fighting, is part of the reason why she was able to take them down. So that was really fantastic! And the bonds that these girls formed, that was so meaningful!

Yeah, this was a pretty amazing book, and I loved reading it!

4.5 Stars

'Lost Girls' is an exciting young adult thriller that will leave the reader breathless. The author did a fantastic job creating mystery upon mystery that slowly unravel throughout the book. I really loved that the main character - Rachel - has amnesia, because it allows us the feeling of learning all of her secrets right alongside her. Rachel is a wonderful main character and I enjoyed getting to know her during the story. As I mentioned, she has amnesia after being kidnapped - so she doesn't remember the last year of her life. There are two sides of Rachel that battle for dominance throughout the book - the girl she was "before" and the girl she has become in the past year. She's constantly learning things about herself - both good and bad - during the story, which is as much of a mystery and a battle as figuring out who kidnapped her and what happened while she was gone. I liked the dual conflict the author put into the plot - it made the book really stand out for me, which doesn't happen very often any more.

Another big plus for me was the author's writing style. The book is done in the first person point of view - with Rachel as the narrator. I'm a huge advocate for this style of writing because I believe it allows a much deeper and more personal connection with the narrator than can be achieved with any other POV. The reader gets to feel what the character feels, hear every thought, know every emotion, hopes, fears, dreams, and so much more. I loved that the author went this route, because the majority of Rachel's issues are confronted and dissected inside her mind. Any other style of writing wouldn't have allowed such an intimate view inside her head, and I honestly believe this is a huge part of the novel and definitely shouldn't be missed. Everything about the book was very well done - rounded characters, fantastic plot and story line, lots of twists and turns that you don't see coming, and writing that shows the raw talent of the author. I definitely recommend this book to fans of the genre along with readers who enjoy thrillers, suspense, and contemporary fiction.

Get ready for an all-nighter! (4 stars)


I don't read a lot of YA thrillers but there was something really compelling about LOST GIRLS. While it wound up going in a different direction than I thought it would—which is why I couldn't rate it an "I loved it"—it was very much a can't-put-down book.

One of my biggest frustrations as a reader is that I very rarely get tricked or surprised by an author. Sure, I take a little pride in being great at figuring the twists out beforehand, but I really love it when an author can stump me. Destefano managed to do so so masterfully I had to put the book down and give an exasperated groan.

Without giving too much away, I feel like this book blended marvelous elements of Fight Club, Taken, Black Swan, and Pretty Little Liars into a cryptic and violent page turner. If you need an engrossing, mature YA read that will pull no punches and leave you thinking long after it's over I very much recommend LOST GIRLS.

Rachel wakes up in a ditch and she can't remember a whole year of her life. When she goes home she realizes she was missing for two weeks, but the strange thing is she can't remember a whole year. In her room everything is different, some how she turned goth. When she goes to school she finds out she is best friends with the head cheerleader and the captain of the football team. And her boyfriend is smoking hot!

Rachel tries to put the pieces together, finding out what happened to her. Why did she lose her memory and why was she kidnapped. She finds out some interesting things that she is involved in for the past year.

This book was really fun, I love a good mystery trying to figure out what happens. And this book leaves you guessing till the end. I really liked the pace of this book, the author did not give what happens to Rachel right away. I would have to say what Rachel is involved in, was definitely not what I expected, at all. Overall, I enjoyed this book! I recommend this book, if you are into mystery and twists in the plot.

I received a copy from Chapter by Chapter in exchange for an honest review.

I was sent this as an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is actually written in three different parts. The first chapter sucked me in and I actually almost cried. I love when a book can bring that much emotion right off the bat, as it really makes me want to continue on with it. The first part of part one was amazing. There were some really intense moments that left my heart racing. It was very suspenseful. I loved the flashbacks of the kidnapping and the fear that someone was watching Rachel. However; as the story moved on, it just seemed to fall apart for me.

I thought this book would maintain the twists and turns from a young girl being kidnapped and waking up on the side of a ditch. But, it just feel apart. We start seeing "mean girls" and "fight clubs" and the plot just started to lose my interest. It went away from the whole kidnapping story, and took away from the suspense.

I did not like the character change of Rachel. She was a totally different person in only a years time, and when she loses that years memory is back to the younger version of herself. It was almost too much of a dramatic change.

Overall, this book is just okay. I skipped threw almost the third part to just see what happened in the end. I wish it would have went a whole different path, as it had so much more potential.

Thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review!

Lost Girls was nothing like what I expected- and I really ended up loving it! I thought this would be about a girl who came back from being kidnapped and her memories would slowly return and then the kidnapper would come back to take her all over again, fade to black end of story. I'm so happy to say I was wrong and that there was so much more to this book than a girl who got kidnapped. It took so many twists and turns that I didn't expect and was much better than I imagined it would be.

The last thing Rachel remembers before waking up in a ditch in the middle of nowhere is going to sleep under her grandma's quilt listening to Taylor Swift. Now, she's covered in blood and bruises and can't remember an entire year of her life. Now she's popular, wears nothing but black, and can fight. When she realizes that she's not the only girl to go missing within the past year, Rachel wants to try and unravel the mystery behind what happened to her and where the other girls are. But the more she uncovers, the more her memories start to come back to her, and the more she realizes that her new life is one that scares her- one that could get her killed.

When I started this book, I didn't have incredibly high expectations for it. I thought it would just be a kidnapping mystery/thriller book, which interested me, but I wasn't looking for anything to really make me go, "WOAH WHAT?!" My reading experience was actually quite the opposite, actually. The further I got in this book, the more I found myself going, "Wait what?" in a very good way. There were several twists throughout that I wasn't expecting and the more I read, the more I enjoyed. There was so much more depth than I expected and it was such a deep, dark, and twisted read that I couldn't get enough of.

Rachel was such a kick-butt character and easily took the spot as my favorite, with Dylan being a close second. She was so strong, both mentally and physically. After coming home from being kidnapped and realizing that there were other girls missing, she wanted to do everything she could to help find them. Even when she couldn't remember what happened to her, she was so determined to help any of the other girls that were missing and tried to prevent others from going missing as well. I loved how protective she was over all of her friends and her family, and how she wasn't afraid to show that she could protect herself. I just really loved her and everything about her and how she handled herself through all of the ups and downs that happen throught this book. Also, I tend not to swoon over characters in books, but Dylan was definitely swoon-worthy! He was your typical bad boy character but he was just the best kind of bad boy you could ask for.

The writing of Lost Girls was a perfect mix of creepy and elegant. While reading, you really get an ominous feeling as Rachel tries to navigate her new life that she doesn't remember with the constant terror of the kidnapping looming over her. But you also get a beautifully descriptive story alongside the creepy feelings. You really get a feel for how Rachel now sees the world and how she feels about this life that's completely unknown to her, from the friends she doesn't know to the nights she spends in withdrawal from some drug that she can't remember taking and the crazy raves that her group attends that feel like so much more than just raves. I couldn't get enough of this book while reading, constantly craving the truth behind why Rachel was kidnapped and absolutely devouring each page filled with some twists that I never saw coming. You can easily get lost in the world of this book and, if you're anything like me, won't want to leave until the mystery is solved!

With the perfect combination of thrills, mystery, and beauty, Lost Girls is a book that shouldn't be missed. Not only does it have a fantastic story line, it also has a very important message. There are many ways to be lost, but please never forget that you're never alone. No matter what, you are loved and cared for, and there is always someone willing to lend a kind ear or helping hand. If you're looking for a roller coaster thriller with beautiful writing and unforgettable characters, then Lost Girls is just the book for you!

The concept behind Lost Girls is ambitious, I’ll give the author that. The writing is all right. But the whole plot just isn’t very believable. I’ve read fantasy novels that are more believable than this one.

Rachel used to be a normal girl. She went to sleep listening to Taylor Swift, worrying about geometry, and then she woke up in a ditch, bloodied, bruised and missing a year of her life. And in that year, she’s somehow managed to become popular, she wears nothing but black, and she turned into the female version of Chuck Norris.

On top of that, she’s not the only girl who went missing last year, she’s just the only girl who came back… Desperate to unravel what happened to her, she goes on a quest to find out who she truly is, and the more she discovers, the more her memories return and her old life calls back to her.

So there are several things wrong with this book. Rachel starts out like a normal girl, then gets attack in a bathroom at school and goes all Chuck Norris meets The Karate Kid. Add to that the fact that unlike The Karate Kid she doesn’t really train all day, she magically seems to transform into a fighting machine. There’s some drug involved too, but a lot of folks are taking that drug and Rachel is just the baddest of them all.

The Rachel we meet at the start was a believable character, a typical teen, and I might even have liked her. But then she completely transforms into the queen bee, going out to raves, doing drugs, fighting, and it’s just… it’s meh. She’s not likeable. She’s not even believable. She keeps up her good grades while going out to raves every night? Yeah, right. She’s so mean everyone likes her? Hmm.

The secondary characters aren’t much better. None of them rise above their stereotypes, the sidekick girls, the angsty love interest. They’re all not really realistic, not believable, not likeable either.

Also, Rachel somehow turns out to be better than an FBI agent and an ex-marine (her Dad). Hmmmm. Right.

My number one thought while reading was “really? you really want me to believe this?” And that’s not good.

So, all in all, the writing was okay, but the characters were neither likeable nor realistic, and the plot was completely unrealistic.

Rachel wakes up in a ditch with no idea how she got there but knows she needs to escape. After she is found, she learns that she has been missing for the last 2 weeks, but for her the last year of her life is missing. When the FBI are investigating her as well as other missing girls, Rachel tries to place what she knows. But really, she knows nothing, not even who she is anymore or who can be trusted.

I can honestly say that I had no idea what to expect from the book when I picked it up to read, just that it was an interesting sounding mystery, the cover was eye-catching and it had good reviews on Goodreads. Heck, even after starting the book, I had no idea what to expect. Finding the truth is the best part of the story so this review will be shorter than the norm and pretty vague since I don’t want to be spoilery. I can honestly say I did not see what was coming, and this topic was unlike anything I have encountered before making it a unique read.

I liked finding out the truth right along with Rachel, an entire year that she apparently turned into a different person. She was a pretty complex character, completely lost in who she became, and at times overwhelmed by her inner demons. I liked her resolve to get to the truth, even though she was pretty sure she would not like it.

The relationships dynamics Rachel and the side characters were my favorite part of the story. There were literally layers to each interaction be it her new best friend the popular girl she never would have previously spoken to, her old best friend she doesn’t know any more, her dad the war hero who silently knows everything, the strange strung out girl her inner demon screams is the enemy, or the cute poet she always crushed on who happens to now mean more to her. That was just to name a few, but there are so many detailed side characters in the book and how they fit with Rachel was just part of the puzzle. All the characters the author created were interesting and could stand on their own as a person.

The ending was perfect for the story and wrapped up most everything the book dealt with, and it was nice to have a standalone in a world of series. Overall this was a different kind of teen mystery and I think lots of people will enjoy this fast read. I really liked the story and I look forward from more by the author.

I received this title in return for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Initially, I was drawn to the cover of Lost Girls, and then I was drawn-in by the cover blurb and from there, on to the TBR pile the book was thrown. There was a big gap from the time I added it to the pile until I read the book, so I kind of went in blind to the story – and that was an excellent way to read Lost Girls. By not knowing anything beforehand, I was compelled to keep reading and felt like I was discovering main character Rachel’s past right along with her. (I read this story in one day, two sittings!)
But my dreams never fully matured, as if they couldn’t decide whether or not they should be nightmares.

Author Merrie Destefano uses descriptive language in a way that creates a foreboding atmosphere. Even better, readers feel the danger both in where Rachel is going and where she’s been. There is an undercurrent that runs through the whole story that keeps the reader on edge, desperate for answers yet dreading them, too. That’s what kept me turning the pages.
There is an interesting collection of characters in the story including family, friends, and even strangers, each adding an extra layer to Rachel’s life and story. Just as there is a fog over Rachel’s memories, Destefano keeps a thin veil over her characters so that they can’t be clearly read; who is a friend and who is a foe? Can Rachel’s instinct be trusted when her memory fails? Though there is a romance element, it was just right in not being the focus of the story -- any more would have been a real distraction.

Lost Girls does require a tremendous suspension of disbelief and acceptance of things at face value. There are many situations and behaviors that aren’t plausible, and readers are left wondering about the catalyst that made Rachel change over the year before her kidnapping. However, the writing was very good and the book very well-edited, which overrides any issues with the plot. Worth reading is the “Author's Note” at the end of the book where Destefano details her own experiences as a wild child and her revelations, and she provides several resources for readers who may need help. (Be aware, the book includes drug use, under age drinking, mild profanity, implied sexual situations, and references to sexual abuse – pretty much what any typical teen will encounter in life.)

This book was not what I expected. I thought it was a paranormal from the cover. I kept waiting for the paranormal to happen, and as out main character walked towards "the door" I was biting my nails waiting for "it".

Well, the "it" was a big disappointment paranormally, but by the time I realized it was a real-life contemporary, I was far too invested to put it down.

Despite the lack of paranormal elements, this is a really great book. This girl wakes up in a ditch with no memory of the past year of her life, but she's only been missing for two weeks. It's an awesome concept, and I enjoyed as the character had to re-learn who she was.

I ended up really liking this book a lot, and total kudos to the author for placing a public service message for troubled teens at the back of the book.

I must admit, I am a hard sell for contemporary, but this one won me over anyway.

This was my first book by Merrie Destefano, and it likely won't be my last. Lost Girls didn't mess around and drew the reader into the mystery surrounding Rachel's disappearance right away. I was immediately engaged, wondering what happened to Rachel and how she ended up where she did.

Destefano does a fantastic job of slowly revealing the mystery behind Rachel's disappearance. And admittedly, it took me a while to figure out. I liked that the storyline didn't follow a typical kidnapping or abduction story. This one definitely had some uniqueness to it which I greatly appreciated.

That said, at times this seemed a little over the top and dramatic - from the things Rachel got away with to the romance. The way Rachel acted and the fact that she was the only one that figured out what was going on felt just a bit unrealistic and hard to swallow. I also wasn't entirely feeling the romance. It seemed a little too cheesy and dramatic to me.

Overall, if you're looking for a different type of suspense novel, I'd suggest this one.

I’m not usually one for thrillers or mysteries but this story sounded really interesting. I mean, I couldn’t imagine waking up in a ditch, broken, bruised, and completely confused how you got there when you had just curled up in your bed to go to sleep. Then, to find out that not only do you not have your memory of being kidnapped but you also don’t remember an entire year of your life?! It blew my mind. Also, not only does she not remember the past year but all of a sudden she’s strong, has fast reflexes, is a wicked good fighter that can knock a grown man on his back, and has track marks on the inside of her arm. Oh yeah, and the sweet little ballet dancer is apparently now the Queen Bee of her mini group of girls who are all afraid of her and yet respect her. There was just so much going on in the book that I couldn’t stop reading. I read it within a day.

I don’t want to go into too much detail and give anything away because it all sort of comes in waves as she remembers bits and pieces of the last year of her life. Then there’s her friends, who she doesn’t remember, who also sloly introduce her to her old life over time. So, you get pieces as to who Rachel was before everything happened as well as clues leading up to how she was kidnapped. The whole thing had me on the edge of my seat.

Lost Girls was a doozy, that’s for sure. Between the fight scenes, the confusion of who Rachel really is, the underlying danger of what/who’s still out there possibly waiting for the perfect moment to snatch Rachel back, I could not put this book down. I had to know what happened next. I had to know if Rachel liked the person she’d become, if she’d continue down the path she was previously on or if she would revert back to the sweet innocent girl she was. This was a very entertaining read and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a gritty, suspenseful, YA that will have you wondering how everything will go down right up until the last page.