The Book of Lost Things
Posted by teenlibrarylit on February 29, 2008
I’m worried that while a teen interested in Fantasy/Suspense would definitely enjoy this book, they would have some difficulty finding it. When I went to the bookstore to purchase my copy for class I went to the Teen Section of the store and couldn’t find anything at all by Connolly. I remembered then that it was a book for adults that teens would like so I went to the adult fiction section and still struck out. I found one book by John Connolly but it seemed nothing like the book I was looking for. The description online made it seem like it was a Fantasy novel, so I traveled into that section of the store and still could not find it. I finally had to go to the help desk and ask them if they even carried the book. They did and I was whisked over to the Mystery section of the store where I found the book right away because it stood out from all the rest (except for Nocturnes which had a similar jacket design). Overall, had I not been in a situation where I needed to get the book for class, I may have given up.
Once I did have the book in my hands, I really enjoyed it. I love this type of book; the type that melds together the land of the fantastic and fairy tale with real life and real issues. This is my genre. As a teen and an adult, I found myself drawn to books like this like, Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire, and Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley. I found it a little slow to start, but then suddenly I was immersed and looking for clues left by John Connolly about what Fairy Tale he was referencing and twisting to fit his own story. I found myself getting a little creeped out at points in the novel from the beginning when David begins to hear the books talking to him (though the description of the voices of his therapist’s books is hysterical). Even though I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I am hesitant to say that I would recommend it to teens. I think that if a teen that had my similar reading preferences then I would, but it would be a book that I would recommend after a thorough reader’s advisory interview or a long-standing relationship had been built.
Normally, I don’t check the reviews on Amazon.com. I did this time only because I had such difficulty finding this book. One review read as follows: “I hated this book: This book is horrible. It started out okay, then kept getting worse and worse and worse, and then I kept reading to see if it would get better, and it didn’t. Worst book I’ve ever read. An employee at Border’s recommended it to me because I liked The Thirteenth Tale. I still can’t look at that man the same when I go in Border’s. What was he thinking?” This review speaks to all my fears of recommending a book I loved to the wrong reader. I have to say that after reading this, it changed my mind on whether or not I would recommend this book to any teen.
teenbooksaregreat said
I would not hesitate to recommend this book to a teen, except for the depth of the writing. The teen would have to be committed to working through some dense writing to enjoy the story. This book seems like a great opportunity to let readers put a book down without finishing it – with an out, I think a teen would push through any difficulties. I, too, liked that the books really spoke to David.
Linda said
I had forgotten that I had the exact same experience when I went to get this book at my nearby B&N. First to the fiction, then to the fantasy, then to the help desk where they said, “Oh it’s in mystery.” Huh, in mystery?
This actually makes me think of how important it is to think about where we put materials in library collections. Should there be a copy of this in both teen and adult? And, where would it go? In fiction, in fantasy, in mystery? One in each place? Where would teens interested in this kind of book go hunting?
On the topic of recommending, I think what the Amazon review shows is how important it is to get a sense of a teen’s reading interests before taking the leap. Not just did you like The Thirteenth Tale but what did you like about it? Not just one book but a few with the caveat that tastes differ and while one title might not work another could. BTW, this is something that sets us in the library apart from someone working in a bookstore. We can pile on a few books as possibilities without worrying about the cost to the teen.
Also, that Amazon quote is a great example of the role that librarians can and do play in teen lives. We don’t want to have a teen never want to look at us again so we have to honestly get to know the teen in order to make a good connection. Great example of that.