I liked this a lot! I found it to be very sweet and earnest, while also handling topics like teenage alcoholism and racism and atheism with deftness. The three main characters were great, although I had a hard time keeping track of some of the side characters. I thought I would have been able to predict the ending, but the conclusion surprised me in a pleasant way.
{3.5 stars, rounding up for the unique setting of the unclaimed baggage store}

Nell moves to a small town in Alabama with her family from the suburbs of Chicago. Can she make friends? Thankfully, she finds a job at a store that sells stuff from unclaimed baggage at airports, which is where the quirky, liberal-ish, non-racists are in this town. Specifically, Doris, who has been a bit on the outskirts for years. They become best friends. They also befriend Grant, the star football player, who has had some trouble and is working at the store too.

There are a number of perspectives in this book--namely the 3 main characters, plus a little from an unclaimed bag that eventually winds up at the store. There is very little overlap to descriptions of events in each of the three perspectives, which I appreciate. While it's nice seeing the story from everyone's eyes, it can get a little repetitive. All three characters grow throughout the book, as they see the positives and negatives of their own lifestyle and the baggage they have in this small town. Nell, being from afar, doesn't have much baggage.

The only thing it is truly missing is any real anger from the characters that gets between them as friends. Teens are fairly emotional due to their brain development, and these three are handling a lot, so it's a little surprising not to have any real nasty fights. On the flip side, who likes to read about those?

This is a quick absorbing read, with the added bonus of imagining where lost luggage winds up. Which is really in stores like the one in the book.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I am going to start by saying, that I love the concept behind this book. Three teens, who are trying to find how they fit in this world are brought together, and a wonderful and unlikely friendship forms. I was totally onboard with the underlying concept of this book.

I wanted to run for president of the Doris fan club from chapter 1. I loved her voice and her quest to be a connector. It was very beautiful and altruistic, and I thought it was wonderful, that she wouldn't let setbacks keep her from being true to herself and doing the right thing.

I was a fan of the friendship, which developed quickly between Nell and Doris. Being the lone liberal in a conservative town cannot be easy, and it was great that the universe brought a "yankee" into Doris' world.

Shortly thereafter, Grant joined the group. Doris had a past with Grant, and it was not a good one. However, because Doris' goal was to be a "connector", she showed him grace and welcomed Grant into her small circle. Thank goodness she did, because Grant's life was in turmoil. I really appreciated the way Doll handled Grant's addiction. We saw how it affected him and those around him, and I liked that she did not shy away from the ugliness of it.

Though Doris was struggling with past pain and losses, it was Grant's situation, which really broke my heart. His confusion, denial, and guilt made me want to give him a hug. I was so proud of any progress he made, and utterly downtrodden when he failed, but I never stopped rooting for him.

The store was such a source of fascination for me. I looked forward to getting in new shipments, and sorting through people's lost things. The process was fun, and there was even a little mystery suitcase. This suitcase had a few highlights, which I thought were fairly brilliant in the way they tied into our characters' struggles. But what really, really delighted me, was the backstory of the bag, and it's connection to Doris. I love when authors do that sort of thing.

Yes, I liked many, many things about this book, but I did feel like the author was a bit heavy handed at times. I understood that Doris was the lonely liberal, and I did appreciate that Doll tried to point out that not all southerns or christians are bad, but she turned what was initially a really light hearted and amusing story into something much more dramatic. There was also one liberal darling that seemed forced into the story, when it was initially introduced, whereas many of the others worked more organically with the story.

I will commend Doll on deftly combining the three POVs, and delivering an entertaining story, which had a lot of depth and was packed with some fantastic characters.

Interesting concept for a book. I bit didactic at times. Characters were a bit mature seeming for their actual ages but were well-crafted otherwise.

This took a very clever premise and created a thoroughly enjoyable story full of original and captivating characters. Set in Alabama, it follows the friendships and relationships of three teenagers who meet and work in a store called "Unclaimed Baggage" where quite literally unclaimed baggage is opened and sold or discarded. And what interesting items they discover! Doris, a liberal atheist in a conservative Christian town, loves her job and the people who work there which helps to make up for the ostracism in school and the rest of the community. Nell is an unhappily uprooted girl from Chicago in need of new friends and a new job while pining for her biracial boyfriend (yes, that becomes relevant). Grant is the hometown football hero with alcohol and relationship problems. Doris has a mixed history with Grant, so is less than happy when she is asked to hire him. Relationships ensue. Friendship, trust, families, honesty and other standard teen issues are examined from many angles, some unexpected. And some really weird stuff is found in those suitcases. Plenty of humor (especially from Doris; she is a wonderfully engaging character) lighten up the darker elements of the story. A very nicely balanced entertaining with substance YA novel. I highly recommend it.

Three teens become friends when they work at a store that sells unclaimed baggage. Doris doesn't fit in with her Alabama town's religious and conservative views and her best friend is at camp, Nell is new to town from Chicago and doesn't know anyone and Grant is the former popular football player who has been shunned after a drinking incident. My favorite parts were when they working unpacking luggage and the suprising finds inside. Even though it is a fun book to read, there are serious topics such as racism and alcoholism mentioned.

This one was hard to rate. I loved the characters, I loved how they named the different suitcases, they were true and delightful characters. The problem for me was when it became very issue driven and it took me out of the story because I was no longer with the characters, I was with the author. Really my rating is more accurately a 3.5.

My summary: Three teenagers, one a liberal, one a Chicago transplant, and one an alcoholic, spend their summer working at a small-town Alabama store that sells luggage never claimed from local airports.
My first reaction upon finishing: Huh...I like the way the author dealt with all of those teen problems. Also, I want to visit the real store in Alabama.
Five reasons I like this book:
1. There is a real store in Alabama that sells unclaimed luggage sent in from airports. I thought that was really cool. When I was reading Unclaimed Baggage, I Googled "unclaimed baggage store" and found out about the Alabama locale. I love it when books teach me things!
2. Grant, one of the main characters, is an alcoholic. Though this is a problem for many teenagers in the U.S., it is often overlooked. I appreciated the way the author handled this.
3. Doris had a tragic experience as a young girl that changed the entire trajectory of her life. At the time of the experience, some of the adults in her life were not supportive and accused her of lying. Unfortunately, this happens to many children in the real world.
4. The three protagonists, one a popular football player, one a new kid, and one an outcast, become friends despite their differences. I know this is a storyline dating back to The Breakfast Club (or further back), but am still happy to see it in books.
5. Every bag that is unpacked at Unclaimed Baggage has a story. There are funny stories and sad stories that the three teenagers discover just by unpacking the various suitcases. One suitcase in particular is a mystery that is solved at the end. I loved that.
Recommended Reader Age: 12 and up

3.5 an enjoyable young adult novel about finding your "people" with a healthy dose of real world problems such as alcoholism and racism. Quirky yet believable characters.

I loved Unclaimed Baggage! The story was told from multiple perspectives and I especially loved the setting of the novel. I will definitely purchase for my high school library.

One of the best things about this young adult title is its quirky setting: a store for items from unclaimed baggage. The setting plays an integral role in the plot and relationships of the teenagers who work there!

Unclaimed Baggage was a charming story. The first-person narration rotates among the three main characters: Doris, an oddball liberal in her small, conservative, Southern hometown; Nell, a newcomer recently transplanted because of her mother's job; and Grant, the local football hero with some serious substance abuse issues. All three of them wind up working summer jobs at Unclaimed Baggage and becoming friends despite their differences. The story and the characters are quirky and engaging without trying too hard, and there's real emotional heft to their situations. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This was a fun, quick read that was completely unexpected. I thought this book was about something totally different and was pleasantly surprised. I loved the sweet story and the way friendships developed.

I loved the characters in this book. They had depth, were realistic and were complicated enough to be engaging. I loved that the author switched between multiple first person narrations. Teens and fans of YA books will not be sorry they took a chance in this wonderful book!

Writing: 3 Characters: 4 Plot; 3

An enjoyable, though somewhat over simplified, story of three teens who become friends one hot summer in Alabama amidst the chaos of the “Unclaimed Baggage” store -- a place that trades in goods reclaimed from unclaimed airline baggage sold after the legal waiting period.

Doris is the “#1 weirdo liberal agnostic” in the small Alabama town. Nell is a Chicago transplant whose sudden move away from friends was precipitated by her mother’s dream job offer at Marshall Space Flight Center. Grant was the local football star until he took a wrong turn and suddenly found himself a hidden alcoholic. Together these three have adventures, find romance, and bring liberal values to a decidedly conservative state. The store itself and the kind of things found and sold there was the real star for me.

I really did enjoy reading this book but I had trouble with the over the top political correctness suffusing every page. I feel like the book perpetuated several negative Southern stereotypes, even while our three heroes continue to lecture each other on the fact that everyone just needed to be educated. The PC agenda kind of overwhelmed the sweet and funny story that simmered beneath. So — good story, lovable characters, but it would have been nice if they simply modeled good behavior rather than hitting us all over the head with it. A little dumbed down and I don’t believe our YA audience needs that.

I loved Unclaimed Baggage! The characters are well defined and spot on perfect. The issues faced by Doris, Nell, and Grant are all very current and very relatable. The plot brings up so many hard topics, yet it is extremely funny. I laughed out loud several times as I read. Unclaimed Baggage should be popular with students in middle school and up. I can see it used as a literature group selection or even a class read aloud. It should spark great classroom discussions.

I loved this book not because it was mind-blowing, but because it didn't try to be. It reminded me of the books that made me fall in love with Y.A. as a teen: simple, real, and not over-the-top dramatic like so many modern Y.A. books try to be. It's fun, you care about the characters, and there's no crazy, dystopian world backstory to keep up with.

Unclaimed Baggage by Jen Doll is an engaging YA. Three teens come together as they work in an “unclaimed baggage” resale store in a rural setting – a simple search will reveal that a store like this actually does exist and is quite a popular destination! The events in the story capture some young adult themes of growing up, letting go of the past, coming to terms with past events/memories, and creating new relationships. Living in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business adds to the realness of the story and the characters in this book. The three teens are likable and real. You will be routing for each one of them as they come to grips with the each facing them individually and as a group of friends. The ending leaves room for more details as the stories of these three teens continues…perhaps a sequel?? It would be great to see what the future holds for Doris, Nell and Grant! I definitely recommend adding this title to your shelf!

Unclaimed baggage, could be about people you know. Doris, Nell and Grant are all a little lost and all trying to figure out where they belong. Just like the lost luggage they sort through at the Unclaimed Baggage store where they work they are hidden treasures waiting to be discovered and appreciated. Great characters, charming, thoughtful and well written. This will be an easy hand sell! Thank you!

This is such a good book for anyone who is into young adult realistic fiction.

At first glance, the three protagonists, Doris, Nell, and Grant don't seem to have much in common. But one summer working together at a store that sells the items in unclaimed baggage changes things between them. Each character is going through something fairly serious and/or big, and when Doris, Nell, and Grant get to know each other they finally have people who understand.

The writing was fantastic, and the ending left me wanting more. I want to know what happens AFTER the book ends.

I definitely recommend this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this lovely read!