Thanks Net Galley for the preview!

Although I could not relate to these characters I felt like they were well developed and unique. I appreciated the time specific references and the clothing descriptions were vivid. However, I didn't find myself hooked into the story until more than half way through and felt like the emotional weight of the book was heavier toward the end. I would have loved to see less paranoia and more about the characters educating themselves. I was not a fan of Gabriel returning at the end and felt that Michael should have been more cautious and or asked questions before walking off happily into the sunset.

This book took place at 80s where the issue of AIDS affects so many lives at this time. People are really scared to open up who they really are and it’s really scary way back 80s. I… I really don’t know what to say completely to this book, it’s okay for me. It’s not bad nor good, but I can see the author’s view of point for the characters and to the point where the author is I think knowledgeable to this kind of matter. LGBTQ in 80s are having a really hard time especially to their families and these characters are scared how they’ll open it up to family and friends. Michael, James and Betty – I love this trio, ugh! Super love them. I like how they blend in together as bestfriends. They’ve been really supportive to each other and they always understands each other in every different way. They’re perfectly written.

There’s just a downfall while reading this book: one issue is there is no quotation marks. This is my first time to read a book without quotation marks and it’s harder for me to read. I really don’t know whose talking and which is dialog is that. It’s really confusing and I felt that I’m lacking of emotions while reading this book.

Overall, it’s okay for me. The ending I think satisfied me and I’m so happy that the author wrote in a very detailed matter where the young readers will understand more about LGBTQ community.

We Are Lost and Found has been presented as a sort of 1980s set, LGBT version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The latter book was a favorite of mine, as it was for many others, when I was in high school. It was relatable to me, as someone misfit and sad, to follow a character who seemed to get what it was like to be lonely, to have anxiety, but to be surrounded by amazing people.

WALAF didn’t really achieve that for me. In fact, it read more like a fantasy than it did a realistic portrayal of youth. It wasn’t my or my friends’ experience dealing with our own families, sexualities, or friendships. It was kind of the story I would write after I was home alone and imagining what someone else, someone aspirational, might be doing. The characters’ thoughts, feelings, and choice didn’t ever feel realistic.

I also kept grappling with how twee everything felt. Aside from the cutesy group of misfit friends, I was reminded a little of Ready Player One with the bombardment of '80s pop culture references seemingly put in for their own sake and not for the story’s. For these reasons, I was never really able to connect with the book.

3 stars⭐


This book is about:

A sixteen-year old boy named Michael who is trying to deal with the fact that his older brother was kicked out of their house for coming out as he himself is also gay.

To pass the time, Michael hangs out at The Echo where he can forget about his problems and where he meets Gabriel who he can't seem to get off his mind.

Then, Michael is forced to decide what he's willing to risk to be himself.


Trigger warnings: queerphobia, talk of AIDS, mention of death of a loved one, being kicked out of one's home.


Pros:

This novel touches on an important, but not often spoken about topic: AIDS and it realistically portrays what it was like leaving with the fear of it in the 1980s in NY as well as the struggles of living with a homophobic parent.

I liked the friendship between Michael, James and Becky, particularly how much they supported and cared for each other.

I also appreciate how kind Michael's brother is to him when he needs a place to stay.


Cons:

I didn't like how it was written: there are no quotation marks and the story jumps from scene to scene without any notice (without a chapter change, for instance).

For that reason, I couldn't connect to the characters like I wanted to.


Final thoughts:

All in all, "We Are Lost and Found" was an enjoyable and very fast read for me. I can definitely see why it is compared to "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" as it also follows a trio of teens/young adults trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives.

Although I didn't love it, I can see why a lot of people would and I would recommend it if the synopsis sounds appealing to you.

I loved this book. It claustrophobic, heady and intoxicating in all the best ways. The characters and their dilemmas were impressively constructed.

This was a DNF.
I just could not get into the book and the writing just didn't work with me either.

ARC provided by Netgalley for early, unbiased review.

I dreaded picking up this book when reading before bed. I was anxious most of the time reading it. But, BUT I think this is the exact feeling the author is going for, and which is why I give it such a high rating despite seemingly harsh words. Let me explain. This book follows a sixteen year old gay boy in 1983 when the AIDs crisis is thoroughly underway but the cause and cure are both still unknown. We follow Michael through a couple months of his life and his relationships with his friends, family and potential love interests. These all seem pretty common factors of a YA novel, except there is a looming, lingering, mysterious threat of the AIDs epidemic always hovering in the background.

As someone who only has limited knowledge of the AIDs crisis, this book was really informative (and horrifying). The sense of dread I felt while reading was only a fraction of the dread the characters, and real people living at this time would have felt. And while I found I didn't feel this book was five stars just because I personally found this feeling distracted from allowing myself to emotionally connect with the characters, I think it is still really well done and worth reading. Particularly if you like YA that deals with heavy topics. One thing I particularly liked is the writing style. It is written without quotation marks, and to me it just added to the feeling of being in Michael's head. The writing was at times beautifully poetic too, which fit for Michael as a musician so didn't come off as pretentious.

I will end with one last comment that I think will be a deciding factor for people on the fence of reading this book which enraptures such a horrific time in human (and particularly LGBT+) history: this book isn't tragic. There are tragic events that happen, but the overall ending of the book is not a depressing wave of tragedy.


Content warnings: off-page death; homophobia; parental homophobia; off-page violence; discussions of unsafe sex.

*4.5 stars* - I enjoyed this coming of age set in 1983 when the AIDs epidemic had the gay community scare of the unknown. We follow Michael with his two friends, James and Becky, who are truly there for each other when either needs advice. The author does a great job with the research that she truly did before attempting to recount the story of many of the people with whom she spoke with on this topic. In addition, she handled the politics surrounding this situation in 1983 very craftily.

DNF @ 47%

I put this book down a month ago and don't feel the urge to pick it up.

I'm not overly fond of the flowery stream of consciousness style of writing. It often forced me to reread passages to understand what was happening and I dont think I ever gained an attachment to the characters.

I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. It took me a long time to get through the first half because I didn't like the lack of quotations and the sudden, random scene jumping. The second half of the book is really when things started grabbing my interest and when I started to really feel some connection with the story and characters.

There are lots of important themes and topics covered in this book. I realize the importance of these and think it's wonderful they are being explored in this way, but I personally couldn't relate to any of them. This made me feel less of a connection with the book which is one of the reasons I didn't give it a higher rating. That being said, I do understand that these need to be talked about and there are others who can relate to them, just not me personally.

All things considered, I think this is a good book. It's informative, entertaining, and illuminating. Though I didn't feel very connected to the characters or story for most of the book, I think others might and would enjoy it more than I did.

4.5 - This book was so heartbreaking, beautiful and important. Taking place in 1985, this novel focuses heavily on the AIDs crisis and while I cannot speak for the representation itself, Dunbar included afterwards from three activists who have worked for/protested for AIDs research groups. I thought the way she tackled the fear these young LGBT teens were experiencing was done extremely well. Additionally, I think the homelife described for Michael was very real amongst many LGBT youth (as a small side note: Michael comes from an immigrant Italian family, which I heavily related to and understood). I've seen many reviews where people complained about the lack of quotation marks but I actually quite enjoyed that. This choice of writing style made me feel as though I was Michael, or at least in his head the entirety of the novel. The prose in this novel was stunning and I was highlighting every damn thing. Most of Michael's thoughts and sayings spoke so true to many people and I was so moved. My one complaint for the novel was it's ending. I think the novel could have done without what happened and rather focused more Michael's overall journey into adulthood and moving forward, but instead ending kindly of cheaply that disappointed me overall. But maybe other readers will enjoy that type of ending, because besides that this novel was so close to being a 5 star read.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

December 1982. Michael gathers with his friends James and Becky to welcome in 1983. James tells Michael that he just knows this is going to be Michael’s year. Michael, however, is doubtful.

His older brother Connor was kicked out of the house for being gay, and Michael knows that he too is gay. But being sixteen years old and at his parents’ mercy, he keeps that part hidden from them while his brother and his friends know. And every Friday night when he can manage it, he goes to the Echo where he feels the most alive. It’s there that he meets Gabriel and for the first time, he’s interested in pursuing a crush.

But it’s 1983 and the AIDS crisis is just beginning. No one quite knows what’s happening other than gay men are disproportionately affected by this disease and the government is ignoring all of the deaths.

We Are Lost and Found is heavily well-researched, and Helen Dunbar had access to a former member of ACT UP for extensive personal stories from that time period. The author also at one point at the AIDS Activity Office. I say this primarily because there was a backlash over the announcement of this book last year which I didn’t realize until after I started reading it. While I will not comment further on that, I just wanted to make it clear that while not #ownvoices, this is extensively researched.

The narrative style of this also is a bit jarring. It’s told through short vignettes (but no chapters between vignettes), and there are no quotation marks. It took quite some time to get used to this style. Additionally, because of the narrative style, you don’t truly get immersed into the story.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

We Are Lost and Found follows the story of gay teen Michael and his friends coming to age in New York in the 80s during the AIDS crisis.

This is a poignant book with moments of fun and joy as well as harrowing moments which portray the reality of what it was like for gay people during this time when they were living in constant fear.

The one, very tiny problem I had with the book is the lack of speech marks and how it jumps around which made it a little hard to follow, however this only happened a few times and the further into the book I got the easier it became.

I loved this book it made me laugh and it made me want to cry it is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished and I implore you to read it when it comes out in early Septmber.

For fans of the 80s and young adult, this is right up your alley! As a huge fan of both, this one sucked me right in and the writing pulled me into the story like no other. Definitely a captivating read!

Silence is not the answer.

My heart is still breaking a little bit just thinking of this story.

The novel follows young Michael, a “lost” boy in 1983’s New York City who is happy to let his eccentric best friend James take center stage in life, dance away his troubles at his favourite club The Echo, and above all, scared to come out to his parents after they kicked out his older brother Connor for doing so a while back. Together with his best friends James and Becky, Michael wades his way through life, just waiting to find himself and be able to be that self out loud – without consequences.

The backdrop to this magical story is a city caught up in the beginning stages of the looming threat that AIDS is spreading – fast. Caught up in his own funk over his sexuality, Michael becomes ever more worried – how big of a threat is AIDS, really? Should he be scared? Should this fear detain him from falling in love? And how is he ever supposed to allow himself to fall in love if that love might end up killing him?

Helene Dunbar manages to create a raw, tense atmosphere that mirrors the era of her novel perfectly. Throughout the story, you feel the longing, the agony, the fear that LGBTQ+ people had to (and still) live with. Random gay bashings, the slurred homophobic comment, the quick glance you throw over your shoulder before holding your lover’s hand in public – all this paired with the constant fear of contracting something that might leave you abandoned by all your peers and family in fear of catching an illness no one really knows how to treat or vanquish entirely.

I confess, this book isn’t an easy one to read. For one, the story takes a while to gain momentum and when it does, it still is hard to stay engaged, though I credit that more to the tough issue than the writing. It’s difficult to keep on hoping that Michael will get everything that he wants when you want to also throttle his homophobic father and passive mother, his friend who won’t tell him the truth about the sudden disappearance of an old roommate, or Michael’s brother who’s just living life from one guy to another, not caring about the possibility of getting…

And there it is.

The moment of enlightenment.

It’s a certain type of magic that Helene Dunbar managed with this story because it draws the reader in and then makes them question all their prior knowledge about sexuality, family values, responsibility and history. Because as I read, I understood that this was – this is the reality for so many LGBTQ+ people. We are in the closet and we are scared to come out – not because we don’t want to be ourselves but because we are held back by fathers who might throw us out of the only homes we’ve ever known, mothers who are too scared to defend their children against their husbands they’ve come to love before we were even born, by people who might judge us for being sexually active or wanting to explore what it means to love and be loved, to dress the way we want to, to take part in theatrical plays debating the silence that is at once oppressive and yet still a safety blanket. Because coming out is about so much more than just uttering one sentence.

As we follow Michael falling in love and questioning what it means to be himself, what it means to live his truth and what he is willing to sacrifice for it, we learn that everyone has their own journey, their own obstacles to face in the fight for love.

We Are Lost and Found serves as a reminder that living a lie only to please other people was and is still a thing that’s happening when it really shouldn’t be. It’s a reminder that even though we have come a long way from the 80s, even though we are just entering an era in which the LGBTQ+ community can be who they are more openly, that we should not forget our roots, should not forget that this has been a long time coming, and that we have yet so much more to go until we are “found”. A hauntingly beautiful, yet scarring story that captures the struggles of figuring out who you are while facing the uncertainties of the world, a story that should be mandatory reading for all.

DNF.

I had a hard time getting hooked into the book because the plot was practically nonexistent. The characters weren't as well developed as I had hoped they'd be. Lackluster.

I love Helene Dunbar. These Gentle Wounds ranks among my all-time favorite YA, and I recommend it to nearly every student looking for good realistic fiction. I enjoyed What Remains and have Boomerang on my TBR pile, so I was super exited to get a DRC of this one.

This was NOT what I was expecting. It feels almost...experimental? It's disjointed and ethereal, skipping from scene-to-scene with this strange, hazy feeling where sometimes we're getting in-your-face narration and sometimes we're getting existential pondering. And sometimes it's cool--but sometimes I just wanted to straight-up engage in Michael's story. The lack of punctuation (there are no quotation marks or italics to indicate dialogue) is also distracting, and will make this a hard-sell for struggling or reluctant readers. It's definitely too mature and deep for my middle school students, and most of the pop culture references will be completely lost on young readers.

That being said, the setting of the book is super cool--you can almost FEEL the 1980's NYC vibe oozing out of the pages. Watching Michael struggle with wanting to live an authentic life and dealing with unknown terrors of the newly-identified AIDS virus is an emotional roller coaster. His friend James is quirky and interesting, though I wish his friend Becky had been a little more developed.

An interesting LGBTQ historical tale and a fabulous setting...but the rest was just a little all over the place.

Thanks Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced readers copy of We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar.

Michael is attempting to navigate his way through life as a closeted gay teenager during the start of the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s. His brother Conner has already been kicked out of their family home for coming out, so Michael leans on his close friends James and Becky, who carry their own personal struggles.

While I admire the attempt to bring light to the history of AIDS, especially for YA readers, it just didn’t feel well-executed. Michael’s struggle with identity felt like the overall theme and I was left searching for a plot that didn’t exist. I wanted to feel more invested in each of the characters and their struggles and I think teens would too.

Soooo, while this was an interesting idea for a story, as well as a great journey to discovering one's sexuality and coming out, it was a little...hodgepodge. Everything felt like a series of events just being listed out without any real depth to any of the characters or development of relationships. Plus the lack of quotations (was this a quirk of the ARC or a style device?) made it a little difficult to follow half the time. I wanted to like this story more than I did because it was an interesting time in the AIDS epidemic to look at a young man's POV at, but it just didn't really follow through as I would have liked.

This is a beautifully written exploration of three friends. The writing was lyrical, the characters were fully developed, and the setting (New York in the 80s) so pitch-perfect. A gorgeous novel.