Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda
Release Date: November 14
Summary:
Jessa Whitworth’s ex-boyfriend, Caleb, is dead. Caleb’s car washed away during a flash flood and his body never found. Jessa has accepted that Caleb’s is gone but that doesn’t stop her from trying to piece together his life from the time of their breakup to his death. When Jessa is coerced into packing up his bedroom Jessa will uncover a mystery greater than she every imagined.

Review:
Miranda is a master of the slow reveal and that is evident in “Fragments of the Lost”. Caleb’s secrets slowly unfurl as Jessa peels back the mysteries he left behind and it is hypnotic. As the story progresses in it’s short fast paced characters the book becomes more and more impossible to put down. The reason for the story’s success is Miranda’s decision to tell the story through short vignettes into Jessa and Caleb’s past based around object left as remnants of Caleb’s life. This format allows us to witness their history while staying in the present and makes the story move along a fast clip while keeping the mystery at a constant simmer. The reader gets submerged in Jessa’s desperation to find out what happened to Caleb and we find ourselves joining her in the obsessive need to know what happened. We will follow Jessa other hunt because we also have to know what happened. Miranda’s ability to make this book entertaining while compelling is why it is a must read for teen mystery fans.

Bottomline: A classic mystery filled with slow reveals that leave fans of the genre satisfied.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

I'm afraid this one just gets an okay from me. The book is 384 pages long. It took 220 pages before I was interested in Caleb and the truth about what had happened.

I kind of liked Jessa, but I just never understood why she allowed herself to be forced into cleaning out Caleb's room. I never understood why her friends and family didn't object.

And as we learned Caleb's secrets, I never understood why she persisted.

The reality that Jessa discovers is shocking and unexpected. When I finally realized what *may* have been going on with Caleb, I was interested. And that last third of the book did go by like a flash.

I just wish the rest had been so compelling.

This is another example of a really great use of structure that I like seeing from Megan Miranda, and I think that she used it really well here. As Jessa finds a new thing in Caleb's room, she reminisces about how it worked into their relationship, and we find out about it in bits and pieces. I liked that we also got to see how Jessa reacted to these pieces, and how she sorted them out into the bigger mystery at hand regarding Caleb's death/disappearance. I liked Jessa as a character, she never felt like a melancholy or despondent girlfriend, and her conflicted emotions felt very realistic. She was clever and determined, and never got bogged down by broad strokes towards her characterization. I do think that the other characters, however, were pretty bland, and while I was invested in her relationships with those around her (especially her friend Max, who was Caleb's best friend), they all served very clear purposes and didn't really move beyond that. I also had a hard time with some bits of unrealistic circumstances to suit the plot. I won't harp on it too much, but they did take me out (I have a very hard time believing that a library computer wouldn't clear search histories on their public computers between each log in, as that's a privacy nightmare waiting to happen). And there was also a crazy about face at the end, in which we were told that only scenarios A or B could have happened.... and then in an epilogue it was actually C. It just felt unnecessary to me and a bit stilted.

But, all that said, I did enjoy FRAGMENTS OF THE LOST, and it makes me want to keep up with Miranda for sure now. It's a very well done YA thriller. Definitely give it a whirl when it comes out, especially if you're looking for some solid YA thrills and mystery

I instantly connected with Jessa, from the moment I started reading. I lost my sister to domestic violence 10 years ago, and Megan has captured so well the confusion, disbelief, and the particular grief that comes when you lose someone unexpectedly. When we meet Jessa, it’s been less than 2 months since Caleb’s accident, and Jessa is still experiencing all of that. It doesn’t matter that she and Caleb had technically broken up prior to his accident, for the grief is no less powerful.

Jessa feels like she is blamed by everyone at school and in town for Caleb’s loss, as he was leaving her track competition when his car went over the bridge. Not least of those who blame Jessa is Caleb’s mother, who has gone so far as to ask her to pack up Caleb’s room, saying she’s “everywhere” in the room and should be the one to handle it. From that moment I hated his mother and couldn’ believe how she was handling the situation. Yes, grief sometimes has us saying and doing things we may not otherwise, but Caleb’s mother is the adult and should not be punishing Jessa for her son’s accident. She is a real piece of work! Jessa, however, agrees to pack up Caleb’s room, and between going through his things and interacting with his little sister, Mia, his mom, and his best friend, Max, she begins to remember things… things that don’t add up. Things that are confusing, that looked at in a different light begin to make an impression on her that all is not as it seems.

I loved the way Megan told the story, in chapters that intersperse present day with these memories Jessa keeps having. The chapters are titled by a particular object she finds in Caleb’s room or a moment they shared together, which I also really liked. The chapters are also short, and you never feel bogged down in memories, but get just enough to have you wondering along with Jessa just what happened to Caleb. The format for telling the story is just perfect in my opinion. We are able to connect objects, moments, and memories with Jessa’s present day grief, as she struggles to work through the questions that continue to arise. The short chapters also keep you turning pages as fast as you can, saying “just one more…”! The level of suspense builds as the story progresses and we start to see the puzzle come together along with Jessa. I think the way Megan told the story is brilliant, basically. It’s also reminiscent of the format of All the Missing Girls, which was one of my favorite books of 2016.

Overall, I connected with Jessa and with her grief, and I think Megan’s portrayal of the shock of losing someone so unexpectedly was fantastic. (I admit there were times that I was brought right back to how I felt in the immediate aftermath of my sister’s death, which led to some crying jags – but that just shows you how accurately Megan captured Jessa’s grief.) The level of suspense gradually builds as we gain more pieces of the puzzle and Jessa tries to put them together into a complete picture. If you’re a Megan Miranda fan, it’s a no-brainer. If you enjoy YA contemporary and/or mystery/suspense, this one is a definite must-read. Basically, I can’t think of anyone I wouldn’t recommend it to, so I’ll just say: read this and you won’t be disappointed!

Rating: 4 stars!

Thanks so much to Rockstar Book Tours for letting me take part in this tour, and thanks to Crown BFYR and Megan Miranda for the early e-copy of the book, provided for purpose of the blog tour. This is my honest rating and review.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review

This book is so good, it’s my first experience with the author, but it sure will not be the last. I’ve had such a good time with this book, from the beginning you just want to keep reading, not only the story is very interesting but also really additive

4.5/5 Stars

Fragments of the Lost is focused on Jessa, her ex-boyfriend Caleb has just died in a car accident, and his mother asks Jessa if she would be able to order her son’s room and pack his things. Although she feels a bit out of place while being in Caleb’s room again, she still decides to do so because she feels that maybe it’s a good way to work through the guilt she feels for his accident. Being in this place Jessa will be surrounded by memories and pieces of their relationship and this will make her begin to wonder if she actually knew Caleb at all.

I decided to request this book because it’s described as ideal for We Were Liars fans, and since it’s one of my favorite books, then I decided that why not give it a chance, right?. Well I wasn’t wrong, this book is absolutely intriguing, has much suspense, mystery and is that kind of story that once you start it you can’t stop until you know the whole truth. I felt too hooked throughout the book and to be a book with so much mystery content is really easy and quick to read. I’m so happy to have chosen it, I really spent an excellent time reading it, trying to put all the pieces in place, was really fun

Jessa is a great main character, she only goes for what she wants and is very determined in her decisions, I really liked her and this has been very influential for me, since the whole book is told in first person by her, there were moments in which I felt so bad for her and for all the situation in which she was involved, but she was so strong and I really admire that , I would have started to cry like a little girl lol. I liked the secondary characters a lot, I also think that they all have very different personalities and this makes the plot more complete and entertaining.Max’s character is great, he is really such a good person, I love it (I don’t want to specify who he is, or why I liked him because I want everyone to find out and get to know him). I have several thoughts about Caleb too, not all of them are good so I don’t want to express them too much because SPOILERS.

The book is divided into three parts: Part 1 “The Fragments”, where we see Jessa trying to put together the puzzle to find out what was going on in Caleb’s life before his accident and thus try to reveal his secrets. This part is almost the majority of the book, I think it is 80% or even more. Part 2 “The Puzzle”, is where everything is revealed and the truth comes to light. This was my favorite part OMG, the revelations are so good and like everything is handled it was great and out of the ordinary. Part 3 “The Future”, which is the part where obviously we’ll see the future of the characters and how their lives continue after the past events

I really loved the book, but I’m not giving it a complete 5 stars because I was more interested in the present throughout the book and how it includes many jumps to the past this influenced, although it wasn’t boring at all, I needed to know a little more about the relationships of the characters in the present. Even so I think that the jumps to the past end up being key when it comes to knowing more about the Caleb and Jessa’s relationship and how it changes and leads to the situations that led to its separation and the accident itself

The writing style is beautiful, I love how deep and almost poetic it ends up being, the meaning of the plot is much more than discovering things about your ex lol, it’s about trust, it’s about family, secrets and also plays a lot with, how far you’re able to get to uncover the truth and how this changes you as a person. It presents situations where she feels that she gives too much when she wasn’t receiving anything in return. It’s really interesting and it has touched me more than I thought. The story of Caleb and Jessa is much more than a love story, it’s about another kind of love and it is also about getting to know yourself, that was really nice.

The ending was great, I liked that wasn’t the typical happy ending but it was a much more real and enjoy that fact

I would recommend this book a lot for all those who enjoy a good YA reading, of course you’ll find a mystery story, but even if this is not your cup of tea, it’s much more than that. This book is about self discovery and it’s about figuring out what you want to do with your life or what you’re willing to do for those you love and for yourself, so I’d say if you like the Contemporary YA in general, then you’ll enjoy this one!. It doesn’t have a heavy content in terms of romance either, so if you like the plot with little romance this would be a good option! I would totally read another book with the same characters, it was a great journey.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of Fragments of the Lost.

After her freshly made EX-boyfriend Caleb dies tragically, Jessa finds herself packing up his room at the request of his mother. Since Caleb's room is scattered with tokens and photos of Jessa, her mother finds it too painful to do it herself. Racked with guilt for his death, Jessa complies and through sifting through his things, several red flags begin popping up. Perhaps Caleb's death is not exactly what it seems.

I liked this okay. It moved a bit slow and sometimes the back and forth weren't clear enough for me, so I got a bit lost. However, overall it was an enjoyable read, and I liked the nuances of the different relationships in Jessa's life.

First Line: There’s no light in the narrow stairway to the third floor.

Summary: Jessa is a teenage girl whose boyfriend dies in a car accident. She is tasked by his mother to pack up his room. As she does this she relives many of the memories and the guilt of the past year.

Highlights: It’s Megan Miranda. I loved her 2 recent adult books. Fun and fast paced. I was stoked to read this. Love the cover. Plot sounds good.

Lowlights: SLOW. I did not finish this. I stopped at 47%. I never wanted to pick it up. I was easily pushing it aside for others.

FYI: Don’t judge the author on this book. Try All the Missing Girls. Much better!

Definitely, something I'd recommend to my students.

This was kinda a slow burn, but I enjoyed it. The way it's told was really interesting and I think that will decide whether it's the book for you or not - Jessa is cleaning out her ex boyfriend's room (he has recently died) and as she finds objects, she relives memories of their relationship. It's not a thriller so much as a mystery, trying to figure out what happened between Jessa and Caleb, how things fell apart, why Caleb was so secretive at times, etc. The first half especially is more like your kinda standard dealing-with-grief book and I liked it, but this is what makes the book a slow burn. It's almost like a genre switch somewhere around the middle and that's where things start to pick up. So if you like mysteries or if you like contemporaries that deal with serious issues, I would recommend checking this one out! I read it all in one sitting because I was so curious about what really happened, both between Caleb and Jessa and to Caleb.

All of the yes. This twisted tale keeps you guessing at every pace and I was enthralled.

It's only been a short amount of time since Jessa's ex-boyfriend passed away in a flash flood, and she is asked to clean out his room. As Jessa uncovers memories that the two of them had together, she also stumbles on questions: where was Caleb going when he was swept away in his car? Why are there still mysteries surrounding who he was?

This book was not what I expected-- in the best way possible. I didn't expect the mysterious twists and turns interspersed with wholesome memories. Jessa's character was relatable and thoughtful. I liked that Miranda didn't feel the need to put a lot about sex, drugs, and alcohol in here. She let the plot unfold, and Jessa's thoughts on their relationship filled up the spaces so well. The writing was fantastic; I cannot wait to read more of Miranda's work! I would recommend this to all high school readers.

Megan Miranda had me at the first page, I couldn't wait to find out what had happened to Caleb. The ending was not what I expected at all but am happy with how Jessa found out the truth. This book will appeal to adults as well as YA.

The story of a teen girl whose ex-boyfriend dies in an accident-- being made by his mother to pack up all of his belongings. I had a hard time buying into the premise of this book, and also found it overly dramatic and slow going.

I loved this book. I love how the first part of the book was quieter with lots of inner narration and flashbacks. It was heartbreaking as Jessa spun out the story. And then as we moved into the present the action and suspense picked up. This was a great YA novel and I look forward to checking out more books from this author.

The ending redeemed this book that started kind of slow. I figured out what was going on with Caleb as Jessa did, but I was still surprised by some of the revelations (which is what I look for in a suspense book :)

What appeared to be a story of a young girl processing grief and memories became a great suspenseful mystery! Great writing and storytelling with a satisfying ending.

Jessa is grieving the death of her ex-boyfriend Caleb when Caleb's mother asks her to pack up his room. Jessa agrees because she has so many questions about him and about the day he stopped at her cross country meet and then was swept away in a flash flood. She is looking for pieces of her life that she shared with him and hoping to learn more about the boy she lost.

Each new discovery raises more questions and she begins to wonder if she ever knew Caleb at all. She begins to believe that she only knew the barest traces of what made Caleb Caleb. Each picture she finds brings back memories of happier times and we see flashbacks of Caleb and Jessa's life together.

But things aren't adding up for Jessa and she begins to try to track down the places he took her to solve the mystery. She is beginning to wonder if Caleb really died in that flood. Caleb's best friend Max also has questions and flashbacks reveal that he and Jessa have some complications in their relationship too.

This was a story that started out as a girl grieving the loss of her boyfriend and turned into an intriguing mystery. I enjoyed the writing and the story. The emotions that Jessa felt - grief, guilt, confusion - were all clear. I recommend the book to mystery fans.

Told in sections marked in periods of time, the story follows Jessa as she is helping her ex boyfriends mother by cleaning up his room after he has died. As Jessa packs things away she has memories (fragments) of their time together and the development of their relationship. Jessa finds herself realizing that there are things that are off about his room and missing from the places they should be. She also finds something in his room that should have been with him when he died. Added by the help of Caleb's best friend Max, Jessa starts to look at the fragments of her life and Caleb's a little differently. The behavior of his mother, Eve, gets stranger and Jessa becomes more paranoid as the story continues. I loved the mystery and suspense of this novel. It moved at a perfect pace and the writing was just fantastic. I am thrilled the Miranda continues to create such creative and interesting stories and look forward to her next!