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The Lost Conspiracy

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 809 ratings · 214 reviews

On an island of sandy beaches, dense jungles, and slumbering volcanoes, colonists seek to apply archaic laws to a new land, bounty hunters stalk the living for the ashes of their funerary pyres, and a smiling tribe is despised by all as traitorous murderers. It is here, in the midst of ancient tensions and new calamity, that two sisters are caught in a deadly web of deceit...more

Hardcover, 576 pages

Published September 1st 2009 by HarperCollins (first published January 2nd 2009)

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Printz 2010

35th out of 84 books — 256 voters

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Recommendations for Megan Whalen Turner Fans

25th out of 78 books — 64 voters

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Apr 20, 2011 Catie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, ya, fantasy

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like The Lost Conspiracy. Maybe that’s why this book isn’t very well known: it’s hard to describe, let alone label, package, and sell. This book is just amazing though; it’s like a triple whammy of great writing, fully realized and complex characters, and an amazing story. So seriously, just stop reading this review right now and go get it.

Still here? Okay, okay, keep going. But just know that I will be harping on about this book in various and annoyin...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Craig rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, youngadult

Re-read 2/13. Original rating confirmed. This is such a *full* book - an amazingly complex world filled with characters and a plot to match.

(9/09) I found it somewhat difficult to rate this book, despite the fact that I ended up giving it 5 stars. I almost gave up on it several times - early on - but by the end, I was a bit in awe. The author has created an incredibly strange, complex, very odd world, and has used wonderfully poetic language to do so. Yet, like one of the Lost whose senses roam...more

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May 18, 2013 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kick-ass-heroines

It's difficult for me to imagine reading a Frances Hardinge novel as a young child. Although her books are marketed as being Middle Grade, I fervently wish I could travel to every library and bookstore and rip off that constricting label. If there is any author whose writing transcends all ages and successfully manages to write complex stories that are never dumbed down for a younger audience, it is Frances Hardinge. Although The Lost Conspiracy is not my favorite Hardinge novel - A Face Like Gl...more It's difficult for me to imagine reading a Frances Hardinge novel as a young child. Although her books are marketed as being Middle Grade, I fervently wish I could travel to every library and bookstore and rip off that constricting label. If there is any author whose writing transcends all ages and successfully manages to write complex stories that are never dumbed down for a younger audience, it is Frances Hardinge. Although The Lost Conspiracy is not my favorite Hardinge novel - A Face Like Glass still has my heart (and the Kleptomancer refuses to give it back) - this fantasy adventure is just as heartfelt, moving, unique, compelling, and utterly original.

The Lost Conspiracy takes place on Gullstruck Island, colonized by outsiders years ago but still thriving with a village of original islanders known as the Lace. The Lace, however, are foreign and inspire fear in the hearts of the islanders and all those who don't understand their peaceful ways. Into this tribe is born Arilou, the only Lost to ever be born into a Lace tribe. The Lost are a rare group who can control their five senses, sending them away from their bodies to explore the island. Hathin, the type of girl who is easily overlooked, has been assigned with the task of caring for Arilou - a purpose she has devoted her entire life to. When a mysterious tragedy is blamed upon the Lace, it is up to Hathin to take Arilou to safety and maybe, just maybe, find it within herself to emerge from the shadows she has lived in and find her true destiny.

Frankly speaking, I struggled quite a bit with The Lost Conspiracy. It's first few chapters sucked me in, but its pace drastically slowed afterwards and I don't think it was until the last third of the novel that I truly became fully invested in this tale. Nevertheless, despite that minor qualm, The Lost Conspiracy is a masterpiece of literature. Although it doesn't contain nearly as many light bulb moments as A Face Like Glass did, it still keeps you turning the pages frantically. Hathin is such an endearing protagonist, at once distraught over her situation and still filled with hope. While she remains to be rather naive, her cunning and skills come to light as the novel progresses and she truly comes into her own without others to define her or her status. It is this journey of self-growth that makes The Lost Conspiracy so fantastic. Granted, its mystery, conspiracy, and idea are all masterfully rendered in and of themselves, but Hathin steals the show in every way. Although there is much darkness in this tale - what seems like too much, almost, for middle grade readers to understand and fully comprehend the magnitude of - The Lost Conspiracy remains a novel of immense hope. Underneath all its complexity, it stands as a one of the best coming-of-age novels ever written and leaves your heart nearly bursting with joy at the very end.

You can read this review" and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Heidi by: Amy

Shelves: 2012-favorites

Frances Hardinge’s Twitter profile describes her “Writer of downright odd children’s books. Hobbies include travelling, dressing in period costume and scuba diving. Addicted to volcanoes and trying new things.” And from reading The Lost Conspiracy, I have to surmise that all of this is true. The Lost Conspiracy certainly is downright odd, but it is also downright original, downright adventurous, and downright wonderful. Not to mention it is full of volcanoes and trying new things for both those...more Frances Hardinge’s Twitter profile describes her “Writer of downright odd children’s books. Hobbies include travelling, dressing in period costume and scuba diving. Addicted to volcanoes and trying new things.” And from reading The Lost Conspiracy, I have to surmise that all of this is true. The Lost Conspiracy certainly is downright odd, but it is also downright original, downright adventurous, and downright wonderful. Not to mention it is full of volcanoes and trying new things for both those characters involved and those who read it.

Because The Lost Conspiracy is so completely unique, I almost don’t know where to start in talking about it. I want all of you to almost pick it up blind, knowing nothing but that you will (probably) love it, and please if you have the wherewithal to do so, go ahead and leave to pick it up now. For those of you who like to see me blather on and drool a bit on my shoes when it comes to book evangelizing, read on!

The Lost Conspiracy in its most primal form tells the story of two sisters, one who was born among the chosen few, and one who was born to be invisible and serve. Both were born Lace. The Lace are the native peoples of Gullstruck Island who have resided there since time immemorial, long before others came to the island. When those others came, seeking to turn the island into a home for their dead, the Lace were pushed to the coasts, treated like an infestation and forever regarded with prejudice and fear. The Lace are a people unlike any other. They smile all of the time, and do not quite understand the expressions of others. Their names are created to imitate the sounds of nature, so as not to draw attention from the volcanoes they live near–surely they will not look upon you if they hear only bird calls or water songs. The Lace burn their dead, and scatter their ashes to the wind, forgetting the names of those gone before them and never ever writing them down.

Of course, their culture is in stark contrast to the rest of the island, those who remember their dead and honor them before the living. These people carve out the best lands for their dead, so that they may have comfort in the afterlife, and towns slowly die from the inside out as the plots of the dead grow and the homes of the living must uproot. Neither culture can understand the other, and it is true that we always fear what we cannot understand.

The Lost are a people unto themselves, rarely born, they are the messaging system of Gullstruck Island. The Lost can unhinge their senses from their body and set them afloat, informing on coming storms, lost goats, and passing messages from one coast to the other. Arilou was born Lost, or at least, the Hollow Beasts tribe would like to think as much as the notoriety and respect granted from having a Lost in their midst is too precious to overlook. The reality, however, is no one is quite sure if Arilou is really Lost, or merely wander-witted. Hathin was born solely for the purpose of acting as Arilou’s interpreter. It is her responsibility to make sure that no one ever doubts Arilou’s abilities–but how can she fool the island when she is unsure herself?

The Lost Conspiracy isn’t the story of a chosen one. If anything, it’s the story of a girl who was chosen for nothing, believed to be nothing, and treated like nothing until she became everything and these weaknesses bore her strength. Hathin has made her way into the ranks of my favorite female leads by being completely blind to her own strengths, but unyielding to what anyone else would deem her fate. Hathin is four feet of courage, she is part pirate, she has a frighteningly audacious spirit who will take her over, and yet she is completely forgettable to everyone. Anyone in The Lost Conspiracy save Frances Hardinge would have you believe this is Arilou’s tale, and perhaps that really is the conspiracy.

Each and every character in The Lost Conspiracy is so strong, even those we hardly know we get to feel so completely. We know what certain characters have been through in the way that Hathin relates to them, we see those who could be more, and those who are looking for a challenge. I also kid you not when I state that one of the villains was the most infuriatingly evil antagonist I have encountered since Dolores Umbridge. Frances Hardinge allows us to see into the minds of the villains, but the fact that the depth of The Lost Conspiracy remains a complete mystery is a testament to the adept hand with which this story is created. I could happily expound upon my favorite characters, but I feel even revealing their names in tandem with my final thoughts could potentially spoil the journey, and so I will leave it here.

The Lost Conspiracy isn’t just a darn good story, it’s a story that can open your mind and change the way you approach life. It will ask you to question the meaning of stories, acknowledge the importance of understanding one another, understanding yourself, and knowing what you need from life. It is a story of stories in which we get to wonder how much of what is made up just might be true, and how much is really just conspiracy. The Lost Conspiracy exists so that when you pass the point where the stories end, you will know you can go on.

Review originally posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.(less)

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Jun 23, 2010 Lana Krumwiede added it

Shelves: mg-fantasy

Think about a teacher from your past who was really hard on you but also forced you to learn important things. That's how I feel about this book. It expected a lot from me. I had to really pay attention to keep up. But the reward was an incredible story.

The language was amazing. The rhythm, the imagery, the ebb and flow were all masterful. The words were at times soothing and forceful and playful.

The setting was pure genius. Not only was it one of the most vivid settings I've ever read, but I...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Ed added it

Hardinge, Frances. (2009). The Lost Conspiracy. New York: HarperCollins/Harper. 568 pp. ISBN 978-0-06-088041-5 (Hardcover); $16.99.

While this book is not eligible for the Newbery medal because the author is not a U.S. citizen or resident, it should be eligible! Originally published by Macmillan Children’s Books in England (as Gullstruck Island) in 2009, it comes to us in the United States in the same year, which indicates to me that Harper believes this book is too good for Americans to wait for...more Hardinge, Frances. (2009). The Lost Conspiracy. New York: HarperCollins/Harper. 568 pp. ISBN 978-0-06-088041-5 (Hardcover); $16.99.

While this book is not eligible for the Newbery medal because the author is not a U.S. citizen or resident, it should be eligible! Originally published by Macmillan Children’s Books in England (as Gullstruck Island) in 2009, it comes to us in the United States in the same year, which indicates to me that Harper believes this book is too good for Americans to wait for the typical year or more for U.S. editions to be published. They are correct and it is too bad that the Newbery requirements cannot find a way to include books like this one. While this book is not eligible to win the Newbery, it is eligible for the Printz award. While accessible to younger readers, The Lost Conspiracy is equally for older readers and will certainly be in that core group of books from which the Printz committee selects its winners. When Arilou is to be tested to determine whether or not she is one of the Lost, Hathin must discover a way to protect their island’s secret, lest they all be destroyed. The Lost are a select group of people who have the ability to travel outside of their bodies, which they do to discover information vital to the security of the community. Gullstruck Island, on which these two sisters live, is home to the Lace, a people characterized by their sharp teeth and perpetual smiles. The inspector who will test Arilou to see whether she is able to travel outside her body is murdered, along with all of the other Lost except Arilou, who becomes the chief suspect. She also becomes a target for those who would abuse her skills for their own selfish purposes. The sisters are on a mission to protect their secret: Arilou does not seem to have the traditional skills of the Lost. Gullstruck Island is both protected by Arilou’s “Lost” status and a target for possibly possessing those very same skills. This novel is filled with layer upon layer of well-written fantasy. It has direct applications to historical and current social/political issues, including an excellent examination of colonialism that asks questions that would be equally appropriate to ask of our own government as we seek to find solutions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The story, however, remains supreme and readers simply looking for adventure will turn page after burning page.
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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, favorites

Hathin lives in a village on Gullstruck, a primitive island. Her people, the Lace, smile all the time no matter what they are feeling, and decorate their teeth with jewels. They also worship the volcanoes on the island. The Lace are not trusted or liked by the other island villages.

Most of the people on the island are regular people, but a select few are known as “Lost.” The Lost can do something really incredible. They can send their senses away from their bodies. Meet one, named Raglan Skein:

I...more Hathin lives in a village on Gullstruck, a primitive island. Her people, the Lace, smile all the time no matter what they are feeling, and decorate their teeth with jewels. They also worship the volcanoes on the island. The Lace are not trusted or liked by the other island villages.

Most of the people on the island are regular people, but a select few are known as “Lost.” The Lost can do something really incredible. They can send their senses away from their bodies. Meet one, named Raglan Skein:

It was a burnished, cloudless day with a tug-of-war wind, a fine day for flying. And so Raglan Skein left his body neatly laid out on his bed, its breath as slow as sea swell, and took to the sky.

He took only his sight and hearing with him….Like all Lost, he had been born with his senses loosely tethered to his body, like a hook on a fishing line. He could let them out, then reel them in and remember all the places his mind had visited meanwhile.

Hathin’s siter, Arilou, might be a Lost. Might. Arilou doesn’t speak anything other people can understand. She mumbles gibberish and Hathin translates. The trouble is, Hathin has been making stuff up - she doesn’t now what Arilou is saying either, if anything. Hathin has been pretending because having a Lost in their village is good for the Lace, it makes the other people on the island like them more. Things get tense when an inspector comes to verify Arilou’s talents. Just how is Hathin going to pass these tests?

Hathin is saved from even having to try when a mysterious illness strikes every single Lost, an illness that makes them instantly drop dead. All of them, at the exact same moment, wherever they are on the island. All of them, that is, except Arilou. So, does that make her a fake, or really, really special? Nobody has time to figure that out because the Lace village is blamed for the plague that hit the Lost and is burned to the ground. Hathin and Arilou flee for their lives and this is when the action and the mystery gets really, really interesting.

Why did all of the Lost die at the same time? If Arilou really IS a Lost, why did she survive? Who would benefit from having the Lost gone? Who would want to get rid of the entire Lace village and why? As the girls flee through the jungle they meet up with some surprising allies who each have stories to tell about the evil that is infecting the island. Evil that feeds on prejudice, intolerance and hate. Evil that will resort to anything, even murder, to set a plan in motion. The problem is, no one can put a face or a name to the evil. It’s like a master puppeteer is orchestrating the show but isn’t seen on stage…who is it? As Hathin and her allies work through theories and follow leads this invisibile evil becomes all the more terrifying. One of my favorite books of the year. Author: Francis Hardinge

For more: http://www.imcpl.org/kids/blog/?p=5568 (less)

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Nov 16, 2010 BookKids rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-catalog-pick, fantasy, midgrade, mystery

The Lost Conspiracy is a complex fantasy written about two sisters, Arilou and Haithin. Arilou is a Lost — a person gifted with the ability to leave her physical body behind and allow her five senses to travel nearly anywhere. Haithin is her younger, nearly invisible, sister who cares for Arilou and her body when her senses are wandering away. Both girls are members of the Lace tribe, an indigenous people distrusted by all the other people of the island of Gullstruck — both other indigenous peop...more

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Aug 12, 2010 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, children, fantasy

I'm still trying to decide how I felt about this book, which I picked up because it got so many wonderful reviews. It does have a lot of unusual elements, like the tropical-volcanic setting, the culture of the Lace tribe (which has nothing to do with making lace), the disconnected senses of the Lost, and a character who may (or may not) be profoundly autistic. It also weaves in a number of ancient beliefs--sentient landforms, ancestor worship, sympathetic magic--to create a world in which the re...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

A dark fantasy aimed at teens, but the great writing, original plot, and serious themes should bring this novel a wider audience. The story takes place on a large island that many years ago had been colonized by invaders who sailed to its shores and conquered the different tribes of people already there. The story centers around two sisters who belong to the outcast seacoast dwelling tribe-the Lace. Haithin is quiet but strong, all her life she has been watching over her beautiful and strange ol...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Becky added it

Shelves: attempts, age-middle-school

I tried, I really did. The glowing reviews, great cover, and wonderful writing in this hefty fantasy should have had me gripped, but somehow didn't. I've been mired at p. 159 for too long now. Will come back to this.

Favorite quotes:

"Young Lost were notorious for becoming entranced with distant places and forgetting their own discarded bodies, or even failing to notice that their bodies existed. As a consequence, nobody ever lamented when a child seemed slow to learn or unaware of its surroundin...more

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Dec 02, 2009 Eva Mitnick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, children

Readers will note many parallels to the colonization of native people in Africa and South America, to the Holocaust, and to any situation in which cultures clash. The tribes of Gullstruck have elements of Aztec and Mayan cultures, of certain Asian cultures, and so on - but they are very much original creations and absolutely unique. The Lace, for example, all have semi-precious stones and coral and shells embedded in their teeth, and they all smile all the time, whether they are happy or not. In...more

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Oct 28, 2009 Lesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, juvenile

This is one of those books that people will either love with a passion or--not hate--but simply not read because it's very long and very wrong for them. The language is amazing--it's hard to find the language to describe it. But if you can't throw yourself into the foaming stream of metaphors and let it sweep you along, you might end up getting stuck in an eddy of words (see? I tried!). The world that's created with these words is just as complex and densely packed and you'd better keep up becau...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Jacki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fiction, fantasy

While the plot is incredibly slow and the book could have been better had it been at least 100 pages shorter, the writing here is beautiful and the world-building is flawless. The civilizations and their customs ring true, and are more reminiscent of ancient South American cultures than the standard pre-industrial European-type villages so popular in fantasy works. I will say that all the talk of installing gems in teeth made me wince, though! The heroine showed plenty of grit in her actions, bu...more

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Aug 17, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: charming-mg, best-of-2012, favorites, hidden-gems, mg, notable-reads-of-2012, totally-awesome-book, frances-hardinge-rules

Ana’s Take:

This probably sounds extremely clichéd, but reading a Frances Hardinge book is like entering a whole new world. Take Gullstruck Island for example: where consuming a certain type of fish allows one a glimpse of the future; where a beetle song is deadly; and where different peoples fight for survival, as the places for the honoured dead expand at the expense of the places for the living. On one small corner of the island, the Lace – who smile all the time with their adorned teeth and w...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-12

There is simply no one who tells a story like Frances Hardinge. Her worlds are rich and politically complex. Her plots are convoluted and never predictable. Her characters are sympathetic for their wonderful eccentricities, but unlike most other heroines of YA Fantasy, they're neither overly sentimental nor straightforward in their ideas of good and evil.

Hathin is a compelling heroine; brave, resourceful, and devoted to her helpless sister Arilou. When calamity strikes, Hathin must step out fro...more

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May 22, 2010 Marybeth Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Wow, all i can say is wow. Francis Hardinge spins an incredibly complex and mesmerizing tale that leaves you torn between yearning for a sequel yet not wanting to ruin the brillaince of this epic legend. Set on a mysterious, dangerous island filled with strange creatures, exotic tribes, and volcanoes that seem to have minds of their own,this book follows a young, over-looked girl named Hathin, who has always simply lived in the background of her older sisters beauty and power. But when when cala...more

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Apr 14, 2010 Destinee Sutton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, teen, tween, adventure

First of all, let me say upon finishing this book: Wow. Now let me start from the beginning: This is a big, thick doorstop of a book. I almost decided it wasn't worth the commitment, but then I re-read the glowing reviews and resigned myself to lugging it around for a week. When I was halfway through, I realized that this book is enormous for a good reason. The epic story that takes place in this book could have easily been spread into a trilogy (or more) but the author bit the bullet and told t...more First of all, let me say upon finishing this book: Wow. Now let me start from the beginning: This is a big, thick doorstop of a book. I almost decided it wasn't worth the commitment, but then I re-read the glowing reviews and resigned myself to lugging it around for a week. When I was halfway through, I realized that this book is enormous for a good reason. The epic story that takes place in this book could have easily been spread into a trilogy (or more) but the author bit the bullet and told the whole darn thing in one go. I really, really admire that, especially in light of my experience with year-long waits between finding out, say, whether Snape was evil or not, or what the prophecy about Percy Jackson said, or whether there really is a District 13. So there is a great reason to forgive it its length: no cliffhanger ending to put you on edge while the author spends the next year working out what happens next.

Now for the story. The Lost Conspiracy was originally titled Gullstruck Island in the UK, which is name of the setting, an island whose native populations live alongside their imperial conquerors. At the center of the story is a native tribe called the Lace. Our two main characters are Lace and they're sisters. They younger is Hathin whose sole purpose in life is to watch over her older sister Arilou. Arilou is a not a normal human being, but a member of a small race known as the Lost. The Lost can send their senses out of their bodies to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch anything anywhere on Gullstruck Island or beyond. So obviously, they're revered and considered very powerful. The thing is, Hathin isn't 100% sure her sister is really Lost, but her whole village is counting on her to "translate" Airlou's slurred speech and prove to government inspectors that she really is one of the Lost.

And that's just the first few pages. What follows is no less than the entire history of the struggle between the Lace and the Cavalcaste nation. I told you this was epic, right? It has shades of many powerful stories: The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Schindler's List, Robin Hood. It also feels anthropological. Like Hardinge studied and then blended together hundreds of details about ancient civilizations, religions, folklore, and the history of colonial conflict. Overall, it's a pretty amazing accomplishment. And did I mention the writing? Beautiful writing. Highly recommended for all fantasy buffs.(less)

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Jan 10, 2010 Annie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I started this 2009, so technically I only read half of it in 2010. And for the last quarter, I did a lot of skimming.

I picked it up because it was on a "best" list in some newspaper, and I can see why it made it. "The Lost Colony" is a fully realized epic, pulling from a lot of different island cultures and volcano lore, but making a world that feels complete, and colorful and intriguing.

I liked the main character, too, a little girl whom no one values, but everyone relies on. She makes her way...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jessica by: Claire Scott

Shelves: young-adult

What a wonderful book! I have to admit that the cover art and the opening scenes had me thinking that this was a book for a relatively young audience, but the story is actually much darker and more complex than it initially appears.

The title of this book doesn't refer to a conspiracy that's gone missing - rather, it's about a group of people called the Lost who are able to disconnect their senses from their bodies to see, hear, touch, etc., things from far away. Only a very small percentage of...more

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Nov 18, 2010 Janeen-san rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Nick

The Lost Conspiracy is a very thick and really complex story. It takes place on an island called Gullstruck Island, where many volcanoes pepper the landscape. Throughout the story, the reader gets to know the volcanoes, each with a different story to tell. With these stories within a story, you get to learn more about the island's history.

The Lost Conspiracy is about a young girl and her sister, one of the legendary Lost. The Lost are people born with the powers to, shall we say, unhook their s...more The Lost Conspiracy is a very thick and really complex story. It takes place on an island called Gullstruck Island, where many volcanoes pepper the landscape. Throughout the story, the reader gets to know the volcanoes, each with a different story to tell. With these stories within a story, you get to learn more about the island's history.

The Lost Conspiracy is about a young girl and her sister, one of the legendary Lost. The Lost are people born with the powers to, shall we say, unhook their senses from their body, leaving it behind, an empty shell, while you can hear the waves, taste a peach, feel tree bark and see the sky--and when you return back to your body, you remember all these things.
The Lost are very important to the island. Without them, messages would take longer to deliver and storms and volcanic eruptions wouldn't be known until it was too late.
What would Gullstruck Island do without them?
Well, the entire island and everyone on it is about to be put to the test, when all the Lost but one is mysteriously killed!

Hathin lives quietly in the village of the Hollow Beasts. She is a Lace, and her entire race is mistrusted because of something her Lace ancestors did in the past. Hathin's job is to take care of her sister, a Lost named Arilou. (All the Lace's names are supposed to sound like natural sounds so the spirits of the volcanoes don't get upset.) The two sisters lives are changed forever, however, when the all the other Lost drop dead, and only Arilou is left. The last Lost--Though no one in her town knows it at first, because everyone thought they knew Arilou was dumb but they pretended to know she was a Lost for all the visitors.
But they have no time to discuss the matter of all the dead Lost, though, because after that, a lie is discovered and Hathin and Arilou are driven from the village, only to watch in horror as it is destroyed! The rest of this immensely thick book focuses on the two sisters traveling across Gullstruck Island so they can prove their innocence--almost the entire island thinks the two girls are responsible for the murder of all the other Lost. The sisters journey across the island in an attempt to prove their innocence as well as uncover the truth--who really murdered their village, and rest of the Lost, and how and why.
It's a quite interesting and deep story, the author is a genius with descriptions, though sometimes it can get confusing. But that's why I was so glad I got it in book form so I could flip back and double check stuff. I love all the descriptions of people and places in the book...although the fact that all the Lace embedded jewels in their teeth, and the fact that they smiled all the time, was more than a bit strange. They smiled even if they were mad or sad and it was weird to picture one of the most intense battle scenes with people smiling the entire time. Also, the plot moved along a bit slowly, but what can I say about a book that's +500 pages long? Everything came together nicely in the end and the author was really good at tying up loose ends no matter how small.
I don't know who my favorite character is, but all I can say about this book without giving the end away is this: Frances Hardinge has created a new and original world full of fantastic descriptions and unusual characters, characters of background and depth. Something new and strange was introduced on every page. I'm glad I read this book, because it was defiantly one-of-a-kind, and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. (less)

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Aug 23, 2010 Jean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult-fiction

I enjoyed this story quite a lot and highly recommend it, despite a few minor after-thoughts. But I'm not going to address those (surely someone else on Goodreads will) or discuss the story's highlights, as there is something else I feel compelled to discuss!
The edition I read, published in the U.S.A. in 2009, disappoints in its design. The cover art is woefully misleading: the perspective and costume choice make the girl look like a tiny fairy creature in story for much younger children. This h...more

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Jan 09, 2010 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 07, 2009 Patrick Burgess rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Earthlings... and junior Earthlings

Shelves: reviewed

Engaging But Not My Favorite Hardinge

I really wish I had liked this book more, only because I absolutely adore Frances Hardinge (and that because she has such a way with words, using delightful phrases, metaphors and descriptions that are like little precious gems hidden amongst the rustling fields of her stories).

The Lost Conspiracy is no exception to that, filled with tons of Hardinge wordy goodness, but what I didn't really get into as much was the story. It's really just me, I like my fanta...more

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May 22, 2010 Gatorgal21 rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Mar 28, 2010 Courtney Johnston rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-about-books, fiction, borrowed

When Neil Gaiman spoke at Wellington Town Hall a few weeks ago, the thing I was most struck by were his comments on CS Lewis.

Like me (and many, many fortunate people) Gaiman didn't get the Christian references in the Narnia series until quite late in the series (me, I had to wait til my born-again uncle told me). He observed, sweetly, that as a Christian allegory, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was obviously a bit of a failure. He felt instead that Lewis crammed into TLTW&TW all the th...more

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Jan 11, 2010 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, teen, children, bricks

On a volcanic island far, far away a struggle plays out between invading and native cultures. Hathin and her revered sister Arilou are members of the Lace, a secretive people who the other residents of Gullstruck Island fear and despise for reasons that aren't clear. Arilou is also one of the Lost, people who have the natural ability to send their five senses out from their physical bodies and who are tasked with exploring and reporting back on doings around the island. Someone wants the Lost to...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Lightreads rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult

Straight up, I'm not going to do this justice. It's so good in ways I'm still trying to fully articulate a week later.

It's young adult fantasy about post-colonialism. Also sisters, and secrets, and revenge, and people who can fling their senses hundreds of miles away, and ashes, and volcanic love triangles (Me: It has volcanic love triangles! My girlfriend: . . . Their love is so hot? Me: No, I mean there's three volcanoes. In a love triangle.)

It's a book that spends hundreds of pages teetering,...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-books, action-adventure, fantasy

I loved this book! The writing is very well-crafted, with unique and memorable descriptions and an almost poetic style. I also really liked how the magical elements are downplayed as the author focuses more on the cultural history and beliefs of the different races involved. It made it fun to try to decide whether what the characters believed was actually magic or just a superstition passed down through their culture. The main character, Hathim, has a strong, very believable character arc, and I...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Haithin is an incredible character and I really enjoyed watching her develop as the story moved along. At some points the plot moved a little slowly, but I think it actually worked with the characters in the story. Everything wrapped up extremely neatly...I would have liked to have seen a little less closure, to tell the truth. However, it was excellent to have a well written book for kids that didn't have kissy romance in it at all and focuses on human interactions.

My only objection is actually...more

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About Frances Hardinge

Frances Hardinge spent her childhood in a huge, isolated old house in a small, strange village, and the two things inspired her to write strange, magical stories from an early age. She studied English at Oxford University and now lives in Oxford, England.

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Books by Frances Hardinge

The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007: Twentieth Annual Collection

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Quotes from The Lost Conspiracy

“I am anything I wish to be. The world cannot choose for me. No, it is for me to choose what the world shall be.” — 15 people liked it

“All these years I've been...I'm...' He still seemed to be choking. 'I'm...an orphan. I'm...I'm alone. I'm...I'm...I'm...free.' He pushed himself up on one elbow, staring at his hands as if for the first time they had become his own. 'I can...I can do anything. I can leave Jealousy! I can break my spectacles and run off barefoot to become a...a...cobbler! I can...I can marry my housekeeper! Do I have a housekeeper? I never had time to notice! But now I can get a housekeeper! And marry her!” — 3 people liked it

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