There is a great deal to unpack in this debut novel! It is well written, much more than dementia, family relationships, and self-worth. Heartwarming and engaging, I couldn't wait to see how it ended and was not disappointed. Great debut and I look forward to more. So happy it is available in audio and I will be picking up a print copy too.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing a copy of the audiobook.

Very interesting and inventive premise, but I felt like the story was all over the place. I would have like to seen more insight into the experience of dementia, rather than just sporadically forgetting words or who people are. I did enjoy reading from and author’s perspective and how the fantasy worlds and plots were created. 3.5 rating

Oh Libby was just darling!!! I fell in absolute love with her! Stephanie Booth you created such a beautiful book. This was wonderful.

Libby Lost and Found was quirky, enlightening, heartwarming, and at times, sad. A unique concept, the novel follows Libby, author of a very successful book series, The Falling Children, as she is attempting to complete the final novel in the series. Yet she just can’t seem to make any progress due to early onset dementia. She has the idea to use a child super fan to help her finish the book, yet she tries to do it without divulging her true identity and that she is having major memory lapses.

I loved the concept of this novel. The relationship between Libby, Peanut, and Peanut’s family is really great. I thought the peek into the mind of someone with early onset dementia was incredibly interesting and eye-opening. I also appreciated the ending. On the downside, the dialogue and descriptions often went so deep into the fictional world of The Falling Children that I became lost or bored. I could have done with less Falling Children and more of Libby, Peanut, and family.

I listened to the audiobook, which was done very well. Mia Barron narrates and did a fantastic job.

Special thanks to RBmedia for the audio ARC via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book.
Libby is the secret writer of The Falling Children series. With the hype and of Harry Potter and the fan base of basically all humans young and old her books are beloved by all. Everyone is waiting for the 6th and final book in the series. And Libby would love to give it to them, except she was just diagnosed with early dementia and is quickly forgetting what is supposed to happen to the falling children,and more importantly, how to save them.
This book will make you laugh. It will make you cry.
You will be as lost as Libby at times, and then at others totally found. Loved it. Such a different concept. I could see any book lover adoring this one.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC

This was such a wonderful book! It was a difficult read, as losing one's memory and mental faculties is a lifelong fear of mine. But Booth handled it with delicacy and humor in equal measure, which allowed me to not only listen but to really feel the narrative. The characters were wonderful and endearing. The storyline was enjoyable and heartwarming. The narrator did an extraordinary job capturing the pathos of the characters and the story. I will definitely be looking for more from Stephanie Booth!

never have i read anything like this and it was odd but adorable

was i confused and concerned the whole time i read this, yes. but i don't really care. the whole premise of this book was so unique and it did deliver on the quirkiness. i just think that this would work better for someone who is more used to this type of story. the book element of this story was cute but having the fictional characters be so present in the story kinda confused me. i listened to the audiobook and that really helped me, if i'd read it physically i probably wouldn't have finished it. this is not a bad book its just different and that may work really well for some.

the characters are defiantly very interesting and sweet and likable which make the book better. i did enjoy this and will be looking for other stories like this even if this wasn't 100% for me.

if you're looking for a quick and quirky book with a unique storyline and a fun fictional world and simplifications of heavy topics, look no further because its here.

When Libby gets a diagnosis of early onset dimentia, she realizes that the writer's block she's been struggling with isn't going away. She is desperate to finish her children's book series, The Falling Children. This book series is what leads her to meet 11 year-old Peanut Bixton, who is undoubtedly the biggest Falling Children fan there is. Peanut is also desperate for her favorite book series to get the ending it deserves, and feels a deep personal connection to the Falling Children.

I would say this book had a similar vibe to Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine. There is a deep penetrating sadness to Libby's plight, but the narrative is filled with antics and zany characters, and enough general chaos to keep you chuckling to yourself.

At times, while listening, I felt that things were almost too chaotic that I found it confusing. The falling children characters kept chiming in, so the lines between reality and fantasy were blurred. I flipped through the print book after finishing and I think I would have probably chosen that format for myself if I had a do-over.

Also, there was one slimy character that I'm still mad at, and I wish there was some kind of come-uppance for him.

Overall, I enjoyed it and I'll be sure to pick up and future books by this author in print!

Thanks to netgalley for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley
#LibbyLostandFound

I adored this book! Libby is an author struggling to finish her last book in a series about the Lost Children while also struggling with dementia. Some of this book made me sad however it was such a magical book with twists and turns and I didnt want it to end. I loved the ending! The narrator did a great job!

5 Stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Publish date: 10/15/2024

So, I'm on the shelf about this one.
On the one hand, the premise drew me in and held me there.
On the other hand, the way it played out was iffy...and sometimes, hard to believe, when I even had a grasp on what was actually going on. (As opposed to what was just in the main characters heads...)

That being said, I loved Peanut.
She is a young girl (11 yr old) who has had a mostly difficult life, and there's really no hope at the time we meet her of anything changing in the near future. BUT, she loves to read! And she IMMERSES herself in the stories...which is strange... (Because it actually feels like the stories are HER life story!)
She has a pretty messed up family, but that's pretty common... She has one good friend, but that's a bit iffy too... But she lives for her books about the Falling Children!

Then we have Libby. She's an author who comes to find that she is now the proud owner of a very debilitating disease. One that may change the ENTIRE trajectory of her life...in ways that she's never even considered. As she's trying to come to grips with this diagnosis, the deadlines for her books are coming (and somewhat overdue already...) And so, she decides to seek help in finishing the series.

And that's where I will leave off... as that's where the heart (and meat) of the book really begins, and ends! The journey is NOT at all what I expected, hard to believe at times, and downright all out crazy at other times!
But, IS THIS THE TRUE MAGIC of the story?? Maybe...

3-3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 for me...it definitely held my attention, I just had a hard time deciphering reality from daydreams, old stories, the past...and so much more..

That being said, this is a debut novel for this author, and I look forward to seeing what she will do

⭐️ Family, friends, small town…messed up and all.
⭐️ The dog!🐶
⭐️ A book about a book!
💫 Crazy stuff that seems to have no meaning throughout, but then suddenly comes together to ‘tie up’ loose ends…in the end…. ANTE UP! 😮🤯🙏🏼

#LibbyLostAndFound by #StephanieBooth and narrated nicely by #MiaBarron.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #RBMedia and #RecordedBooks for an ARC of the audiobook which was released yesterday, 10/15/24, so look for it on shelves now!

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I’m amazed that this is a debut novel! It is an imaginative, intelligent, and emotional story within a story—a true book lover's delight.

Libby Weeks is the author of the ultra-famous fantasy series The Falling Children. However, she hides behind the pen name F.T. Goldhero for her privacy. Libby lives a very lonely life, save for her dog.

The publisher and fans worldwide await the series's final installment; the children need saving. But Libby has just received a devastating diagnosis: early-onset dementia. Who will save the children now?

Enter Peanut Bixton, an eleven-year-old superfan of The Falling Children series. She has probably emailed F.T. Goldhero a million times about saving the children. But when Libby sends the wrong email to Peanut, their paths collide, and the results are nothing less than magical.

We talk about hugging books, and this one deserves it. Not only is the story of The Falling Children beautifully woven throughout, but Libby and Peanut’s unlikely friendship and unique connection is incredibly heartwarming. Both have hardship and heartache, yet they find solace in books and stories. I felt a gamut of emotions while reading this, but my heart was full when I closed the book.

𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐿𝑖𝑏𝑏𝑦 𝐿𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑!


Thank you @bookmarked and @stephanieboothwrites for this gifted book.

Thank you, #RBmedia, for the gifted audiobook. It was fantastic, and I highly recommend it to audiobook lovers.

I loved this sweet, funny, and poignant novel that imagines the life of a reclusive bestselling children’s book series author (a la JK Rowling and the Harry Potter series). Libby (aka FT Goldhero) is 5 published books into her 6-book series when she has trouble remembering how to finish the last book. Trouble remembering a lot of things, as she has just been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Her readers young and old are clamoring for the final book…or her head (it’s social media at its finest). Penelope “Peanut” Brixton, 11, one of the series’ many loyal fans, offers to help FT finish the long-overdue book. The book speeds on from there with all the angst and snarkiness you’d expect from classrooms of pre-teens and from grownups behaving badly. Libby’s decline is handled with a deft balance of sensitivity and humor, especially when we are inside Libby’s head. It’s a fun story that’s also about social anxiety, keeping secrets, forgiveness, family, and letting go.
It’s not for young children, due to discussions of suicide, dementia, and teen pregnancy. Instead, it’s for all of the now-adults ever touched by the Harry Potter series. So Much Fun!
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the excellently narrated audiobook for review purposes. And happy publication day today, Oct 15, 2024.

I loved this so much. It was really satisfying to see it all come together. It was heart wrenching and warming. A really good debut

This book was very different than what I expected. I expected a sad but uplifting story about an author with dementia teaming up with an unlikely co-writer. It was more complex and had almost some fantastical elements sprinkled throughout. It had its sad moment but lots of humor and surprisingly romance. I enjoyed all the characters, except of course the “villains” in the story. I did get a bit confused at some parts and was hoping for a different ending but it was not a bad ending at all. Overall very fun read and I very much enjoyed the book-within-a-book aspect. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Libby is the author of a globally beloved children’s book series. But not only not only has she been experiencing writer’s block while writing, she has also been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Plus, she writes under a pseudonym and there’s a bounty to find out her true identity.
The other main character is Peanut, a young girl who is obsessed with the book series and finds parallels between her and one of the characters.
Overall it was a heartwarming story that balanced humor and serious themes. I would have preferred the mood to lean more one way than the other, but I can see how other people would like it the way that it is. I also found Libby to be annoying at times. It felt like she had no personality outside of her dementia diagnosis. There were a handful of side characters who sometimes felt unattached from the story, I would have liked for them to have stronger connections with the main characters.

Libby Lost and Found is a unique, retro book about books with a hint of psychological thrill.
The main character, Libby, is writing the final installment of her fantasy series, “The Falling Children”, which she has been writing under the pen name F.T. Goldhero. While struggling to complete the series, she is diagnosed with dementia. Her symptoms worsen rapidly, and she decides to enlist a superfan for help.
I went into Libby Lost and Found expecting a lighthearted story, but I was quickly surprised by the inclusion of child abuse, medical trauma, family dysfunction, and mental illness. The themes were presented in a raw manner that left a freightening psychological impact on the story.
“Is the medicine protecting the still heathy parts of her brain? Does it matter if she’s otherwise incapacitated?”
The story consistently felt unrealistic or “far-fetched” for modern times. Libby, who is 40 years old, recruits a 11-year-old fan to help her complete a fantasy series that she has written under a pen name for her own safety. The relationship was difficult to believe but I enjoyed the character arc of the super fan, Peanut. The way her and her family helped Libby find an end to the story and navigate her health condition was chaotic but sweet.
“Maybe Libby does want the [Falling] Children to suffer the way she is.”
The line between reality and fantasy blurs as Libby’s dementia worsens and the lives in the Falling Children parallel the real lives of Libby and Peanut. I became lost through the transitions between the stories and POVs and before I knew it, the young child was attempting to take her life like Libby did with the fictional children.
“There’s reality and there’s imagination. Do you even know the difference?”
I found the style of writing and the inclusion of child suicide and the casual treatment of the psychological impact of medicine in “Libby Lost and Found” to be difficult to read. However, I can see how this book might appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and contemporary fiction. I admire Stephanie Booth’s ability to write a story that evokes such strong emotions, and I would recommend this book to anyone who isn’t disturbed by the raw themes mentioned.
Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks and RB Media for the ARC of Libby Lost and Found.

Libby Lost and Found
By Stephanie Booth

Quirky...odd...I loved it!

Thank you for the audio ARC, Netgalley and rbmedia!

Libby, our main character, is a young fantasy series author writing for young children and about young children called the Falling Children. A diagnosis threatens to leave the series unfinished until she meets Peanut, an 11 year old who eats, sleeps, and breathes The Falling Children.

For both Libby and Peanut books (specifically the Falling Children series) filled voids in their lives.

The parts that I struggled with were that Libby wasn't getting the support she needed for her diagnosis. I was terrified for her being all alone navigating this new space both mentally and physically.

If you love stories about how books help a person find their way through life, cheer for the likeable odd characters, and stories of found family, you will enjoy this one.

Libby is literally losing her mind. Her doctor has diagnosed her with early onset-Alzheimer’s, but one of her biggest fans believes that she could be just suffering from writer’s block.

This story is super clever, and I loved all the misadventures of Libby with her lists and post-it notes to remind her of the things she is trying not to forget. She is the anonymous author of a series of fantasy children’s books that have a loyal cult following. I was not an avid reader of the Harry Potter book series, but I imagine it is at the same level.

Through online message boards, social media frenzy and traditional fan mail her devoted readers seek Libby out to plead with her to “Save the Children.” The children are the three characters in her beloved books. One young fan convinces her that she can help Libby finish the final novel in the series, so Libby gets in touch with her as a last hope.

I really liked that this book featured young people that are passionate about reading. And the underlying theme that we sometimes need fictional stories to believe in when our real life is too hard to bear.

This book is fantastical fun from start to finish and it was a refreshing change from all the serious drama and suspense I’ve been reading lately.

Libby Lost and Found by Stephanie Booth is amazing. I was blind-sided by how much I enjoyed this book. It mixed the devastation of dementia with small-town hero and family drama - wrapped it up with love and tied with hope. The storytelling and characters were interesting and well thought out. Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the early release of the audiobook. The narrator, Mia Barron, did an excellent job. Would recommend to anyone who needs a pallet cleanser after a long string of intense thrillers.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Recorded Books Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the debut book by Stephanie Booth, beautifully narrated by Mia Barron. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4.5 stars rounded up!

Libby Weeks is the reclusive author of the best-felling fantasy series, The Falling Children, written under the pseudonym of F.T. Goldhero. Her last manuscript is months overdue and fans around the world have grown impatient. Already suffering from severe anxiety, Libby is newly diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. She knows she needs help to finish her last book. She turns to 11-year-old superfan, Peanut Bixton, who knows the books better than Libby, but has her own issues.

What a wonderful book and the audio narration made it even better! It’s somewhat like a book in a book tale, as we learn just what some books mean to readers. Think of the Harry Potter craze and it relates perfectly to how much The Falling Children series means to its readers. The struggles of both Libby and Peanut are heartbreaking but they are both so open and charming, that it’s not depressing or sad. Instead, it’s hopeful and magical and shows the power of books. Wonderful!