|
| Lost It | 
 enlarge | Author: Kristen Tracy
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $4.29
You Save: $3.70 (46%)
New (35) Used (13) from $3.18
Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 6885
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 5 x 0.9
ISBN: 1416934758
EAN: 9781416934752
ASIN: 1416934758
Publication Date: January 23, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Over 600,000 Feedbacks Posted!!! BRAND-NEW IN-HOUSE READY TO SHIP!!! NOT A REMAINDER!!! WE ARE A FIVE-STAR SELLER
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
What would you do......if your best friend were plotting the annihilation of a small, furry neighborhood poodle? Or if your parents up and moved to an Outward Bound-type survival camp in the middle of the desert? How about if your grandmother bought you new bras and underwear -- and you actually thought they were a teensy bit, umm, sexy? Most people would not react well. Tess Whistle's junior year of high school is off to a fairly bizarre start. One might even say her life is spiraling out of control. But with her sense of humor firmly intact and her first real boyfriend on her arm, Tess is dealing with the ridiculous twists quite well, thankyouverymuch. Just wait until her shoes explode.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Courtesy of Teens Read Too March 2, 2007
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
The title of Kristen Tracy's LOST IT sums up the heart of the novel in two simple words, but like the novel itself, its simplicity is deceiving. "Lost it" could refer to many facets of the book. The narrator, Tess, starts things off by telling readers how she lost her virginity, and how she subsequently seems to have lost the guy she gave it to. At the same time, her rock-solid best friend is losing her grip after a parental divorce, Tess's parents are running off to recover the sense of self they think they've lost, and Tess, in the middle of everything, feels lost in the world as she tries to pull her life together without them. LOST IT is one of those rare books that gives you a light, fun read yet packs an emotional wallop you won't soon forget.
Like the novel, Tess is a rarity. Readers will relate to her insecurities and her struggles to understand the people in her life, but her constant fear of attacks by wild animals and her naivety due to her born-again parents's restriction of TV viewing give her voice an oddball, comic touch. Tess's voice is a far cry from the polished, hyper-mature tones of the Gossip and It Girls in teen fiction. She's not quite like any character I've ever read about, and that difference makes this book stand out.
Much of the story focuses on Tess's developing relationship with a new guy at school. Tess deals with many of the same questions teens face when they start dating: how serious to get, how far to go, how to make sure he'll stay. But, gradually, readers realize that despite its somewhat juicy opening, what's important isn't whether Tess should have slept with her boyfriend, or whether she's lost him for good. LOST IT proves that there are bigger issues than dating and sex. At the heart of the story is Tess lost in a sea of strong personalities and vague fears. She won't win by keeping the guy, but by keeping her head above water and accepting the uncertainties of life which threaten to overwhelm her.
LOST IT should appeal to a wide range of teen readers, but especially to those who value honesty and awkwardness over posh worldliness. While the novel contains some sexual subject matter, it's hardly glorified or graphic. And its themes of learning to cope with and even enjoy change and unpredictability may be just want teens want to hear. I suspect this is a book that will affect readers of all ages, and stick with them after they finish reading.
Reviewed by: Lynn Crow
 Disappointed November 12, 2007
11 out of 31 found this review helpful
I am very disappointed that this book contained such mature themes. Yes, we know that many teens are out there having sex, but why reinforce this lifestyle by making it so acceptable in books written for teens?
I'm glad I thumbed through this book before my daughter and I left the library. It so happens that one of the pages I read through was a scene of the two teens just finishing a sexual encounter. And in the same scene, she contemplates how many partners "he" had already had. ????? What?!?
I just wish that authors who wrote for teens would think about how much influence they have on these young readers. Promiscious lifestyles only hurt teenagers - physically, emotionally and spiritually. Can they not write for teens without making the characters participate in such adult behaviors?
Worth Finding May 20, 2007
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Lost It has a perfect title. Yes, the book IS what you think it's about, but it's not ONLY about that. It's about losing your keys. It's about losing your focus. It's about losing your fears. It's about losing your heart.
Kristen Tracy populates her debut novel with memorable, unconventional characters, from the impulsive mother to the somewhat saucy grandmother, from the unpredictable and seemingly sinister best friend to the leading character herself, the unassuming Tess, who has exploding shoes and a tremendous fear of the outdoors.
The most stable character is Ben, the boy who comes into Tess' life during her junior year of high school. He is the catalyst for many of her changes, but in fact, these changes come about due to her own choices and actions. It is she who lets down her guard. It is she who fibs, just a little bit, then trips and falls on the snowball eventually created by that lie.
Lost It will make readers laugh out loud from the very first page. The word 'pageturner' is typically reserved for mysteries and thrillers, but it applies in this case as well. The narration zips along at the speed of thought, and as Tess hints at past and future events, readers will be anxious to find out what happens.
Utterly quirky, totally fun, and surprisingly engrossing, Lost It is a book you should find and keep.
Recommended for older teens and adults.
My husband even liked it! February 10, 2007
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Tracy's own wit and fun loving style are written into each page. Looking forward to her next novel!
And Found It September 9, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
LOST IT is the perfect title for this book about losing your virginity, your sanity, your fears, your heart, and your grip on reality. This book is nothing if not memorable, strange, and unpredictable. LOST IT tells the story of Tess Whistle's junior year of high school and how she falls in love, lies about having a serious illness, overcomes her wildlife phobia, loses her virginity under a canoe, and tries to prevent her best friend from blowing up a poodle with a bomb she's built. The fact that all this can come across as feasible and real is a pretty impressive feat. The characters are all colorful and unconventional, and I can say with certainty that I've never read another narrator quite like Tess. She's got her share of flaws, and I didn't really love her all the time, but it was somewhat satisfying to watch her make her share of mistakes and have to deal with the consequences of her screw-ups not always working out the way she expects, just like a real person. Zena, the poodle-and-bomb-obsessed best friend, and Tess's sassy grandmother are gems of characterization. The only characters who fell a little flat to me are Tess's parents, who are born again conservative Christians (after a kitchen grease fire) and disappear to Utah for most of the book to follow the philosophy of some guy who seems as though he might be a cult leader. It could be because they get so little screentime in the book, but I never really wrapped my mind around who either of them were.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
