Review: The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes

 

Release Date: February 17, 2015

Publisher:  Harper Teen
Pages: 304
Source: Purchased

ISBN-10:    0062317261

Rating: 3.5 Hearts

Book Description

"Ever since the night of the incident with Luke Willis, the preacher’s son, sophomore Hallelujah Calhoun has been silent. When the rumors swirled around school, she was silent. When her parents grounded her, she was silent. When her friends abandoned her … silent.

Now, six months later, on a youth group retreat in the Smoky Mountains, Hallie still can’t find a voice to answer the taunting. Shame and embarrassment haunt her, while Luke keeps coming up with new ways to humiliate her. Not even meeting Rachel, an outgoing newcomer who isn’t aware of her past, can pull Hallie out of her shell. Being on the defensive for so long has left her raw, and she doesn’t know who to trust.

On a group hike, the incessant bullying pushes Hallie to her limit. When Hallie, Rachel, and Hallie’s former friend Jonah get separated from the rest of the group, the situation quickly turns dire. Stranded in the wilderness, the three have no choice but to band together.

With past betrayals and harrowing obstacles in their way, Hallie fears they’ll never reach safety. Could speaking up about the night that changed everything close the distance between being lost and found? Or has she traveled too far to come back?"

Review

Short and Sweet:

I wasn't in love with this book, but I really enjoyed the story and Hallie's journey in finding her voice.   

To Elaborate... 

Hallie used to love going on church trips, singing, and having fun. Everything changed after the Luke incident. Now, Hallie tries to stay as invisible as possible to avoid to constant teasing and bullying. While she is on a youth trip in the mountains, she gets separated from the group with Jonah, her ex-friend, and Rachel, the new girl who doesn't know what happened with Hallie yet. As they try to survive in the woods, they will have to depend on each other if they want to find a safe place again.

I was fortunate enough to get to attend an author signing for this book, and I'm so glad I did. I love books that are set near the area I'm from/finding authors who grew up here. This book captures one perspective of teen Appalachian culture perfectly, and I found so much of it relatable. Hallie starts off as a character who is so hurt, but also who has so much potential to be strong and brave. I loved how real her journey felt from trying to tell someone the truth to finding the strength to stand up for herself. 

 

The religious component to this story is handled brilliantly. I absolutely love finding books that include characters who have some kind of religious component to their lifestyle, but that isn't the main part of the story in any way. It isn't preachy; it isn't exclusive. Hallie is on a church trip, but she, and her companions, all find themselves questioning and exploring what their beliefs even are (whether or not they have religious beliefs to begin with). They are teenagers who have been raised a certain way, and, like most teens, they aren't quite certain what they themselves believe, or they have recently found their own growing philosophy that may or may not be entirely different from what their parents taught them. Once again, the story feels so real and honest.
I did struggle with the pacing of the story at times. I generally like a little quicker pacing, and I felt like some areas of the story drag a bit. This is a personal thing, but I also typically like it when I can tell what kind of role a character will play in the story (friend, love interest, villain, etc), and I had a hard time figuring out where Jonah and Rachel were supposed to fall in the first half. I wasn't sure if it was going to fall into some kind of love triangle (it didn't!) or what. I can definitely see others not being bothered by this though.

Overall, I really liked this one, even though there were some flaws for me. I thought the ending wrapped everything up wonderfully and truthfully. I can't wait to see more from this author.     

3.5 Hearts!