This book started in a way that led me to believe I knew what kind of story I was about to read and then turned 180º degrees and left me looking around myself looking for clues. It's the cover's fault. I could not resist it.
If you want a bad summary about this book here it is: a bunch of superheroes kids except they aren't superheroes because all their powers either suck or are totally useless
I didn't care much for the story after realizing that it wasn't going to end the way I expected it too but I loved the characters all the way, mainly the interactions between them that were filled with humor, snarkiness, and irony.
This is not exactly a single story but a space in time in Ezekiel's life where a lot happens and he just has to go with it.
Throughout all of that, we get to read a lot about friendship and see how much Beth (who is freaking amazing) changes his life for the better. This book could have gone with so many different directions without changing a single thing about its characters, that's how real they are.
Also, I really loved that there were characters in here that were on the autism spectrum and how the author treated them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone for this ARC.

*I received a free, digital ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I have honestly never read any of Orson Scott Card’s works (under this name or any of his five million pseudonyms) which might surprise some of you considering I love science fiction and fantasy. I know a lot of people gush over Ender’s Game and I wonder how it compares to Lost and Found. I wasn’t super impressed, but I also wasn’t let down. This book is listed as a “young adult” novel but it reads very “middle grade”, which isn’t an issue but definitely worth noting for future readers.
Lost and Found follows Ezekiel Blast as he learns to develop his “micropower” - the ability to find lost objects and return them to the owner. Up to this point he’s always hidden it because friends, neighbors, and the local police have always assumed he stole the items first. That is, until an undercover police officer tries to enlist Ezekiel’s help to find a kidnapped child. Ezekiel has never used his ability this way but, with the help of his best friend Beth, they push his limits to see what his micropower can really achieve.
Lost and Found is a science fiction (one might argue it’s magical realism) book without being too sciency; I definitely liked this because it opened the narrative for Ezekiel to explore his abilities in a scientific way without the weight of the background knowledge sometimes needed for science fiction. It was enjoyable to see his character growth through this lense as his past wasn’t particularly positive in terms of his micropower - this growth was a major pro for this book.
Another facet that Card was great at utilizing was humor and character relations. All of his characters have this wit and intelligence about them that make reading their dialogue enjoyable. They bantered, they cajoled, but they were also developing positive relationships and learning how to trust each other throughout the whole book. A downside of this, though, is that I felt a lot of the characters were incredibly similar in the ways they talked and interacted with one another. I don’t think I’ve ever met so many sarcastically intelligent people than this book contained. They were fun to read at least.
My biggest downfall is the pacing of the plot. I felt like it dragged an awful lot, especially toward the beginning. Ezekiel is pushing his powers but it’s very slow and there is a LOT of talking about his powers. So much so that it became a bit repetitive for me, rehashing and restating conversations with different people throughout the whole book. This was a bit tiresome over time. This is going to sound strange since I just stated the plot dragged, but I also felt there were parts where the action happened too fast as well. Transitions between scenes were odd and felt erratic to me, where I felt they could have been more flushed out to show more development in narrative or world building.
Overall, I’m giving Lost and Found 3 out of 5 Awesome Austin Points. It wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read but it was enjoyable with likeable characters and great humor. The use of “micropowers” was a fun concept and I’d love to see that explored more, but this was just a small taste.

I will be posting my review on my blog on September 8, 2019.

This review is based on an ARC of Lost and Found which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Blackstone Publishing).


If you gave me this novel to read without the byline I’d assume it was by someone I’ve never read before. If you then told me that it was by a certain beloved sci-fi author who goes by three names, I’d assume either 1), you are a liar or 2), Orson Scott Card has a ghostwriter. I’m torn between thinking that Card is a phenomenal author for his ability to morph his writing capabilities into something entirely new and separate from the Enderverse and thinking that he lacks his own voice since I had no idea—except maybe through the power of suggestion—that this was an Orson Scott Card novel.

Lost and Found is described as a Sci-Fi YA novel but I’d be more inclined to label it Magical Realism. (There’s a very fine dividing line there, but still.) In a word Lost and Found is unputdownable. From the very start, I was intrigued and the curiosity never faded out. Up until the last page, I was wondering what would happen next, and next, and next. This novel put me in a “just one more chapter” mood. It revamped my love of reading and took me out of the slump I’d been suffering!

The humor of this novel is what was really endearing to me. This novel reads so much as if it comes from the head of an adolescent boy it’s almost scary. I really, really felt like Ezekiel and Beth were real people come to life, and sometimes I’d realize that they’re fictional and get a little sad. I love their platonic (possibly someday more) friendship and the dynamics of their relationship together. I loved Beth’s unique character and the notion of micropowers.

Basically, this book is an awesome addition to the Magical Realism and YA genres both, by an incredible author whom I didn’t expect a story like this to come from. I hope Lost and Found does well because I can see this being a well-loved book.

"Everything fades and goes away. But while you have it, be glad of it.”

So I'm about 1/3 of the way through this and it is... not good. I say this as someone very fond of Card's stand-alone work - Enchantment and Pastwatch are books I loved when I first read that I still deeply connect with. But this is not working so far. Like many of Card's other books, this is about a smart teenager, but Ezekiel's intelligence isn't coming across to me. I understand intellectually why he's bitter and makes fun of everyone, but I wouldn't hang out with someone as mean as him either. His dialogue doesn't read as intelligently as Card seems to think it does - Ezekiel comes across more as obnoxious than child genius.

whatever, maybe it'll get better?

UPDATE: it did not get better. The dialogue continued to think it was clever while not being so. It sort of reminded me in a weird way of why I stopped reading Terry Goodkind, which was that it felt like he was using his books as an excuse to spout his philosophy instead of creating character and plot. I respect that Card has a strong religious center and it's great to want your books to reflect/instantiate that, but you need to show not tell your ethics in order to make effective story and I felt battered over the head with them instead of inspired.

I didn't find Beth interesting as a character and the whole kidnapping plot resolved oddly. The idea of micropowers was interesting and I'm not someone who needs an explanation for speculative fiction, but if you're going to try to explain the fantastic elements, you should actually do so. I don't know why powers enhance each other and most of the subplots about other people's powers and the group didn't compel me as a reader.

Lost and Found was about one of the best books that I have read in a long time dealing with differences. Some of the most notable “differences” were a father raising his son, a teenager dealing with ostracism from his peers, and a young girl dealing with life as a “proportionate little person”. I would definitely recommend this book to my students because it would be a great way to give perspectives on real-life situations.

What a great book! I read it in one sitting. A boy who finds lost things and attempts to reunite the lost thing with its owner...except he has been accused of stealing the item in the first place too many times. The characters are great. You will laugh at some of Ezekiel's (NEVER Zeke!) thoughts and think, "Yeah, I remember thinking the same thing." Ezekiel can only locate the owner of a lost item. That's his 'micropower'. It only works on things....or does it?
Orson Scott Card never disappoints!

Title: Lost and Found
Author: Orson Scott Card
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Sci-Fi
Rating: 4 Stars

Ezekiel Blast has a talent for finding things, this ability has led people to believe he's a thief. But he isn't. He has a power, a Micro-power, opposite of superpower because what good is it finding scrunchies or toys no one remembers. Or if they do, well the accuse you of stealing it in the first place. If only he could use it to the benefit of the greater good. Beth, a girl he befriends when he thought he needed no friends, seems to think he can use it for better. After the disappearance of a little girl, is brought to his attention for help, it's up to him to find is his talent can be a super-power.

This story was great. Orson Scott Card knows how to write a good Sci-Fi, that keeps you at the edge of your seat. Ezekiel and Beth have such a sweet relationship even though they haven't known each other long. They start a friendship which seems at first only starts for mutual protection. As the story unfolds they become closer and tell each other about their pasts. Well mostly, Beth is very secretive. Beth is smart and funny, small for her age, and calls Ezekiel out when he needs it. Ezekiel is smart, cocky, has a micro-power and sometimes an ass. They help each other and realize they need each other very much. This was no Ender's Game. It proves that the Science Fiction genre has many faces, it doesn't have to be grand battles or space. Just a boy with power, he discovers, and a friend to help make sense of the world when you need it most.

Disclaimer: I received this copy from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review

Despite the slow beginning, Lost and Found quickly picks up the pace and proves itself to be a thrilling sci-fi novel. The idea of micropowers- powers not quite as useful as your average superpower- is a phenomenal concept and ties in nicely to the coming-of-age subplot. The mystery aspects of the novel were a surprising addition and made the otherwise lacking storyline excel. Unfortunately, the weak and hastily written ending lowered the rating.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! I was drawn to this title because of the author and the description. The book has an interesting concept: a boy who can find/sense the owners of lost things. Obviously that makes him seem a bit shady, and he has the kind of personality where he has trouble making friends anyways.
I loved the characters in this book. The protagonist and his dad have a great relationship, and Ezekial has witty banter with many characters, including his new best friend Beth, the guidance counselor at school, and other authority figures he comes in contact with. I enjoyed that part of the novel for the most part, but at the same time, some of the conversations needed cut a little shorter as I found myself losing interest and having trouble seeing them discussions as believable (he just met that counselor-would it really be a conversation like that one?). The way Ezekial uses that "power:of his and how he changes the way he uses it was neat but also a little hard to grasp as realistic at times. The unraveling of the story and how the characters get where they are-again, interesting but hard to grasp and keep feeling like I could completely get into the story. The group he ends up hanging out with is such a stretch, especially when they are involved in police work (would they really all be allowed to be involved? doubt it).
Overall, interesting concept, characters, and dialogue. Negatives were how unrealistic events and situations and some conversations were.

ARC Copy...although I found the narrative to be dragging in certain spots I did it interesting how Ezekiel's powers is both a blessing and a curse for him. One hand who can find maybe a missing girl and objects but...he might be accused of stealing due to being near said objects.

I love Orson Scott Card. This man could write a phone book and make it interesting.
Lost and Found tells the story of Ezekiel (do NOT call him Zeke) and his pain-in-the-neck, never-let-him-alone, annoyingly persistent schoolmate. Or friend. Or, well,... let's not get awkward.
Ezekiel finds things. Big things, small things: toys, strange shoes, a bicycle once. And dozens upon dozens of lost hair scrunchies. He has determined not to turn them into the Lost and Found, or-God Forbid-return them to their owners as this has caused most of the problems in his young life.
This was a pre-release galley proof, so there are one or two hiccups that passed through how many proof-readers? For instance, one conversation where a response was attributed to the wrong character. A couple of interactions seem out of sequence. Also, there appears to be some confusion about local, county, and state police forces and how they interact with the FBI. These errors dont really detract from the storytelling, I'm just a little OCD about the details.
Card does a great job of fleshing out even minor characters and I found myself rooting for some of the most unlikely. School guidance counselor, anybody?
He also addresses; fatherhood, God, grief and loss, and some truly odd and amazing talents. Speaking of talent, this author proves it takes one to shine the light on other's.

Book Review
Lost and Found
Orson Scott Card

I wish this was the novel I had hoped it would be when I first read the description. I was intrigued. I have enjoyed Orson Scott Card's work in the past. This one, not so much. I read the book courtesy of Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an objective review.

The premise of the book is really straightforward and fun. Ezekiel Blast, a 14 year old boy, can find and return lost objects to their owners – toys, socks and shoes, hair scrunches, lost coins, bicycles and lots more. Should be a great power, yes? No! It is one thing to find objects but its another to return them to their owners. They ask questions that have no believable answer, “ How do you have this? Where did you get it?” He is an outcast and a suspected thief. He has no friends until a young neighbor befriends him, despite his attempts to discourage her from doing so. When police contact him hoping he can assist in their hunt for a missing child he is reluctant to help but agrees and is successful. Then his new friend disappears, and so does my hopes for the novel. It is no longer about a boy with a special power, it now becomes a hunt for a pedophile.

Card unsuccessfully tries to appeal to a multiple of audiences. It's like changing horses midstream. Just who is his audience? Compounding the problem, the novel seems to be written in one voice (I am sure I am not saying this correctly). While the adult dialogue is believable, the kids just sound too mature to be convincing. Card has written some terrific books, so its understandable that one or two might miss the high standards he has set for himself.

Although with flaws (such as predictability and too-easy problem resolutions) the plot is solid overall. Card has obvious talent and it saves the book at times. I"m a bit old for this book, but it still has broad appeal. Recommended.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

Orson Scott Card shares with us the story of Ezekiel 'Blast' (Bliss). A talented boy, he is ostracized from his peers and has faced persecution from the police in the past because of his unique gift. During Grade 9, his life begins to change as he makes a friend and is approached by a detective desperately seeking a missing child. But Ezekiel doesn't find missing people - he recognizes missing things and knows who and where their owner is. Ezekiel's hunt to find his calling and the true extent of his 'micropower' is an enjoyable and identifiable journey for all middle school/upper high school students. Despite the extent to which his involvement would be allowed in 'the real world' being incredibly unrealistic, for everyone, Ezekiel is an entertaining - if somewhat snarky - young man and the relationship between him and his father is delightful. Ezekiel truly comes of age as he finds out what is important to him and where his talents lie.

A fun adventure with a highly entertaining protagonist.

What if you had a super-ability that seemed completely useless? What if that ability got you in trouble with the law because of your honesty? What if your super-power isn’t super so much as… annoying? Welcome to the life of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel is a finder of lost things. The things he finds have to be inanimate objects so he spends a part of his youth collecting hair scrunchies, pencils, backpacks, buttons and an inordinate amount of everyday items. of course, returning those items to the people who have lost them means that he finds himself in trouble constantly. How is it that he finds so many lost things? Unfortunately for Ezekiel, he ends up living the isolated life of a teenager who is thought of as a thief. The world has it wrong, but that doesn’t help Ezekiel.

When Ezekiel was young, he was doted upon by his mother. Sadly, she was hit by a car and killed when he was four years old. Of course, that changed Ezekiel’s life. But, more importantly, it was the beginning of his realization that people aren’t lost. According to Ezekiel people aren’t lost because they either know where they are, or they’re dead.

This snarky, intelligent teenager is living a very lonely life until he meets short-middle-school girl Beth and then a police officer who actually believes him. What if Ezekiel can actually find lost people?

Like all of Card’s writing, this book is peppered with marvelously sharp dialogue. The snark can get a bit over-the-top at times, but it’s fun. There’s also signature darkness that is often reflected in the younger characters in Card’s writing.

Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card, 288 pages.
Blackstone Publishing, 2019. $18.99
Language: R (55 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Ezekiel hasn’t had a friend since he was six because of his criminal background, but then a pesky girl starts joining him on the walk to school. This girl, Beth, won’t leave Ezekiel alone, and she won’t stop talking. But maybe this pesky girl is the catalyst for change—change for Ezekiel and their community, whether they want it or not.
Card is a wonderful author, and I was pleasantly surprised that I became as engrossed with this story as I have with his other ones (because this one seemed closer to home). The idea of “micropowers” elicited a lot of personal thought as I read, I loved that the mysteries solved were possible for me to solve alongside Ezekiel, and my favorite aspect is Ezekiel’s constant, clever quips. From the engaging first page to the resolutions of the last page, I couldn’t resist the desire to read just one more chapter. The mature content rating is for sexual jokes and mentions of child pornography; the violence rating is for death gore and mentions of rape.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

High school freshman Ezekial Blast — pariah, outcast, weirdo. Until one day a “short” girl who looks seven but is in fact fourteen — asks if she can join him in his “shunning bubble” as protection on her way to school. Ignoring his reluctance and his loud and repeated requests for silence, she rapidly becomes the best (and in truth only) friend he has ever had.

Ezekial has a “micropower” — he sees “lost” things everywhere and feels a compulsion to return them to their owners whose location he always “knows.” In the past, this “talent” has earned him nothing but accusations and interrogations — how could he have these things and know to whom they belonged to unless he stole them himself — but now a relatively reasonable police man is asking for his help in locating a missing girl…

Ezekial is the epitome of Card’s signature snarky and ultra-intelligent teenager. Creative, full of self exploration and realization, this will appeal to misunderstood teens everywhere.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was incredibly sharp, the dialogue entertaining, and the characters likable. I particularly liked that Ezekiel’s father completely supported him in spite of (and potentially because of) his intelligence and bluntness. So often I read about characters that are young and genius who are paired with parents that completely dismiss and belittle them. That wasn’t the case here and it made the story so much more interesting. I also thought it was a compelling and unique tale of police work, if slightly unrealistic - but this is science fiction! All in all, I really recommend this book. Ezekiel and Beth are wonderful characters and I found myself laughing multiple times throughout this book.

Instead of superheroes, this book has "micro" heroes. Because no one can fly or use any of the awesome powers comic heroes normally have, but some rare individuals have a small unusual talent that's more comical than practical. Until a situation arises where Ezekiel's ability can save the day. This story wasn't just about using powers. It was also just as much about friendship and family.

The characters are precocious teens, like Card's Ender's Game. So they're constantly using high vocabulary terms and over philosophizing every idea. I liked Ezekiel's father's profession. It's pretty rare to see in a book, though it's common enough in real life. But it added a very interesting dimension, and he's an amazing father. The idea of micro powers had me wondering about them in real life too.

Some of the ideas and topics brought up in this book deserve a PG13 rating. I definitely don't think younger kids should be reading this.

Aside from that, the characters, plot, and emotional impact were terrific. There's great banter here (a bit too much at times, but that's what skimming is for). I really enjoyed the characters' relationships and interactions, and I liked the micro power abilities. I'd take a useless ability any day over having zero ability. It was a great book, and I definitely recommend it.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Since Ezekiel can remember, he's had this unique trait that allows him to find the owner of lost things. Because this has led him to be questioned by police and counselors, he's avoided returning lost items for years. But when a police officer asks him to help find a lost girl, Ezekiel decides to test his micropower.

This book is definitely worth a read. Such an original idea with a beautiful story of finding friendship in unlikely places. The characters are funny and original, and although it is science fiction,it feels realistic. Highly engaging young adult read.