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!

An incredibly moving debut about an anonymous popular children's author with early onset dementia who is struggling to finish the last book in the series. Faced with a harrowing diagnosis and a spiraling ability to remember ordinary day to day things, Libby gets the idea to pair up with one of her young super fans, travelling to her small town with her loyal canine companion. What follows is a family drama, a heartwarming friendship and a beautiful story of forgiveness and redemption. Perfect for fans of books like The brilliant life of Eudora Honeysett. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: suicide attempt, parental abandonment, depression

I fell in love with this heartwarming & quirky novel by Stephanie Booth. I enjoyed break from reality and adventure this book took me on.

The characters are relatable to anyone who at some point felt like they didn’t fit in. It was sad to read about Libby dealing with dementia but Booth was compassionate regarding this reality many will face in their life.

I loved the narration of this audio book by Mia Barron.

Thank you to NetGalley & RBmedia for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book description attracted me to the book, but both of the main characters are all over the map and hard to understand and relate to. The famous writer with dementia (Libby) was sad. She was an odd person before and just got worse adding dementia on top of her already strange personality. So her part of the story was disjointed and hard to understand. . I assumed from the premise of the book that the child that helped her was a sane, well adjusted 11 year old. That is not the case - When the child is telling her part of the story I could not tell what was real and what she was imagining. Her story is sad as well. The narration of the story switches between these two main characters, so for me the book was hard to listen to..

Then on top of all of this - Peanut is looking for her biological parents. I was adopted and found Peanut and her attitude to be disturbing. My relationship with my adopted parent was amazing and I never felt a need to look for my "real parent". I feel like Peanut needed to go to counseling for many reasons.

This story was more about the series of books that Libby had already written than I expected. Most of the characters referred to what happened in the books about "The Falling Children" all of the time. So much that it made the book hard to follow and confusing, it felt like these children from the books were main characters in this story as well. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if there has been a lot less of the Falling Children. This book was just not for me.

Libby Lost and Found is a heartwarming and quirky novel that follows Libby, a reclusive author of an immensely popular children’s fantasy series, grappling with debilitating anxiety and the onset of early dementia. Writing under a pen name, Libby’s true identity is unknown to the world, and the pressure from her devoted fandom and demanding publishers mounts as she struggles to complete the series’ final book—only she’s slowly losing the ability to remember the story. Libby reluctantly teams up with an unlikely companion, an 11-year-old superfan named Peanut, whose heritage and backstory are as mysterious as Libby’s books.

Booth’s writing brings these characters to life with vivid charm. However, there were moments when the story felt a bit far-fetched, particularly with the parallels between Libby’s fantasy series and Peanut’s small town. At times, it was challenging to distinguish between what was real and what was occurring in Libby’s deteriorating mind, which made some parts feel confusing. While these elements added layers to the narrative, they also disrupted my enjoyment at points—especially towards the end, where the resolution surprised me but left me slightly underwhelmed.

I appreciated the creative formatting throughout, including news articles and search results, which gave the book a unique texture. However, the “world within a world” aspect—Libby’s fictional universe of the Falling Children—presented a barrier to entry that I found a bit too high. I think a slightly less complicated set up would have had better payoff for the reader this one demanded a lot of effort to get up to speed on.

Despite these minor frustrations, Libby Lost and Found is a beautifully written and worthwhile read. It’s a poignant story about memory, identity, and the weight of expectations, balanced with moments of humor and heart. If you enjoy stories with a blend of fantasy, real-world struggles, and book-within-a-book elements, this one might just be for you.

The audiobook narration was excellent, enhancing the immersive nature of the story, and it’s one that will stay with me long after finishing.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was like nothing I’ve ever read before! This book navigates through the world of a beloved worldwide phenomenon children’s fantasy book needing an ending and the authors steep descent into dementia. Thank you netgalley for the preview!

3.75 of 5 stars.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. And the first 2/3 of it! But something - can’t put my finger on what - fell flat in the final 1/3 for me.

Plot: Libby is the author of a successful and lucrative best selling book series but can’t figure out how to end the series after her diagnosis of early onset dementia. She finds 11 year old super fan Peanut to help her end the story.

Characters: This is a dual POV between Libby and Peanut and both voices are written very well. I thought Libby especially was written very well given the circumstances of writing a character with dementia.

Themes: Found family, health condition

Writing: although this deals with some sad issues it is full of humor. The writer brings some light to Libby’s mental state - Libbys point of view is funny at times but there is an undercurrent of the very real perspective and issues and loss that people who suffer dementia/Alzheimer’s may experience. I was a little confused by the ending and how/if Libby and Peanuts lives have ever intersected based on some comments Libby makes about the familiarity.

I thought the premise for the book was very interesting, and at parts, I really liked the book. I've never read a book like this. The characters were very interesting too, but the story seems a bit far-fetched. Overall, I felt there was something lacking- somehow I couldn't really get into it, and when I put it down, I didn't really want to pick it up.

I couldn’t put this book down! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc audio copy.

Having loved the world of Harry Potter growing up I loved the world of the Falling Children books. The story of the author dealing with her memories and the help she finds along the way was perfectly intwined.