Jessica (HDB)

Ah, Sarah Addison Allen. She was my first glimpse into the world of magical realism and, so far, the best I've read in the genre. Her ability to seamlessly weave real life situations with magical undertones is something beautiful! I've yet to find a book of hers that I didn't love at least a little bit. True to form, Lost Lake was perfectly gorgeous.

Allen transports the reader to a hidden gem. A place set apart from the busy day to day workings in the city. A place untouched by time and technology. Lost Lake was a haven that I was more than happy to get lost in. I loved that it was a place for misfits. I'll get to the characters themselves in a minute, but I'll assure you that this setting couldn't have been more for fitting for them. What better place for magic to happen than a place that already feels magical on its own? I adored Lost Lake. I actually found myself wishing it were a real place.

On to the characters, in all their misfit glory. The underlying theme here is one of loss and moving on. Eby, Kate, Devin, Wes, and all the rest of these wonderful characters, were each a puzzle piece in the overall theme. I was impressed at how well they all came to life, despite the fact that there were so many. I found myself quickly caught up in the mini background stories of each character, secretly hoping that things would work out for them. It's hard work enough to write one character who the reader can connect with. To write a large cast, and write them well enough that I loved each one of them in turn? Well, you have this reader's heart.

I can't say too much more, because then I'd be treading into spoiler territory, but trust me when I say that there's a lot to love between these pages. We chose this for our first book club pick of the year, and I'm thrilled that we did. Each chapter is a treasure trove of discussion points, and the story is brilliant. To previous fans of SAA, I think this is something you'll enjoy! To new readers, don't be afraid to start here. Lost Lake is well worth your time.