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Once Was Lost

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 2,860 ratings · 573 reviews

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in he...more

Hardcover, 217 pages

Published October 1st 2009 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, 2012, contemporary

The more I read by Sara Zarr, the more I think I understand her and the more I begin to appreciate what it is she does. She doesn't take sides, she isn't emotionally manipulative, she releases a whole bunch of complex characters that aren't typically likeable and allows the reader to receive them however they choose. I think this is why I failed to appreciate Story of a Girl, because the issues targeted in it are very important to me and I wanted the author to fight for Deanna, to stand up for...more

30 likes · like · see review

Nov 13, 2009 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

"I want to believe the stories, that there really is someone who would search the whole mountainside just to find that one thing that he loves, and bring it home."

I am at a total loss as what to rate this book. But one thing I can say for sure is that it gave me a lot to mull over and analyze, that I even thought about how I felt at the age of 15 again.

At Samara's age I can remember being very contemplative like she was in the story. She feels the urge to mature and to fully grasp the understan...more "I want to believe the stories, that there really is someone who would search the whole mountainside just to find that one thing that he loves, and bring it home."

I am at a total loss as what to rate this book. But one thing I can say for sure is that it gave me a lot to mull over and analyze, that I even thought about how I felt at the age of 15 again.

At Samara's age I can remember being very contemplative like she was in the story. She feels the urge to mature and to fully grasp the understanding of the things she always relied on, but is struggling so much because of what is happening around her. Her father is the pastor of a local church in Pineview, and her mother is in rehab. There is the whole thing about being the pastor's kid, and how she is treated differently because of it. Things are going on as "normally" possible, but something happens that shakes the whole town. Jody, a local girl from the chruch, is kidnapped.

This book tackles the sensitive issue of religion, and Zarr did this with ease. When talking about religion in books it can come off preachy, and you can just imagine eyes rolling. You see actual substance, and you never feel this is an anti-religion book though some people may see it that way because of the doubt that Sam harbors.

It touches a lot of subjects without being heavy handed. The feelings that Sam has really come through to you, and though I was close to being annoyed at her she would do something redeeming. Sam is fairly mature and I appreciated that she could see why her father, mother or anybody for that matter would do certain things, but she never excused them for it. With Jody being taken away you see how the paranoia can get to people. The whole town sees everybody in a different light, and I had to keep guessing who did it, though this isn't necessarily the book's focus. It's real focus is how this event affects everyone in the town and specifically Sam. What can be admired about the author is how she can write scenes that hold lots of hidden meaning without much being actually said. Sometimes what is not said speaks louder than what is.

After reading the review I obviously had only positive things to say and it is one of those books that make the gears in your head turn. Delivered the message with much heart that even though you feel lost you can find your way.(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who ponder

Shelves: amazing-reading-experience, dark, delicious-writing, five-stars, little-romance, love-the-protag, morals-themes-and-lessons, one-lone-tear, religious, romance-i-really-invested-in, want

I am in love with this book.

Dear Sara Zarr,

The only other book I have read by your magical self is Sweethearts. Maybe I need to read it again, because I don't remember liking it that well and we are clearly MEANT TO BE.

Love, Erin

Yep, didn't feel like writing the whole review in letter form cause who does that? (I say that with love toward all of you fine reviewers who do just that.) ;)

But, unfortunately, I can't put my feelings about this book into words very well right now. Maybe ever. I'll try...more

8 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2011 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Tatiana by: Tommy Tomato

Shelves: ala-ya-2010, 2011

Once Was Lost is a book about faith. About losing it and finding it.

Yes, I know how it sounds. Nothing can stop me from reading a book quicker than knowledge that I am about to delve into some "Christian fiction." I am not a religious person and dislike being preached at.

But in this novel Samara's waning faith in God is similar to a non-religious person's belief in the good in the world. Sam feels hopeless. Everything seems to fall apart - her house, her family (Sam's pastor father is distant an...more

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Dec 01, 2009 Valerie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Valerie by: Cara

Shelves: realistic-fiction

This isn't one of those books that just slaps you in the face with happy feelings at the end and I usually go for those types of books. So I wasn't sure I'd like this book because I usually don't like depressing books. Don't judge me, okay! It wasn't depressing but I wouldn't say happy. However, I was surprised to find that I liked this book and even more that I in a way appreciated it. I'll admit that I was on the fence of give this book 4 stars but I decided not to for these reasons:

Sam has h...more This isn't one of those books that just slaps you in the face with happy feelings at the end and I usually go for those types of books. So I wasn't sure I'd like this book because I usually don't like depressing books. Don't judge me, okay! It wasn't depressing but I wouldn't say happy. However, I was surprised to find that I liked this book and even more that I in a way appreciated it. I'll admit that I was on the fence of give this book 4 stars but I decided not to for these reasons:

Sam has her world just breaking all around her and she has just shut down from everyone and everything. She doubts things that she had always believed and questions go whirling around when a girl disappears from her church. I know that maybe some people might not like her expressing her doubts but it really didn't bother me all that much. Sam conveys that her life is bad without sounding whiny, a definite plus. And even though she is down for much of the book I never felt hopeless, just more somber.

What made me want to give it 4 stars was the father. I HATE him. Even after a week since reading the book I still resent him. He's a horrible father and a selfish son-of-a...dog. Sam was mature enough to accept him for being human and making mistakes even though she doesn't excuse him for not being there when she needed it. And she also does the same for her mother. I doubt I'd be so mature. But that is what I really liked about the book. I could really see everyone as a real person and I therefore could feel the unfairness of everything and really feel angry; with the blood rushing, my hands clinched, and the desire the throw the book across the room because I needed to hit something in my frustration. And I could feel very sad too.

Another reason I could appreciate the book so much was I could really get the symbolism of things that I could usually only get if I had a teacher explained them to me. I could see the symbolism in the weather, the broken stuff in the house, the yard and so many other things. I liked it that I could recognize them without having to read into every little thing. There is so much truth in Zarr's story, almost every character says some true at one point of another.

The ending was good. I still hate the father but maybe I could learn to accept it -this is a big MAYBE.
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Jan 12, 2013 Brie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: impacted-my-life

Sarah Zarr's writing is something I admire. She manged to make religion a big theme in the book without ever pushing it on the reader. In fact Sam herself is beginning to realize, that her "belief" may not really be her's but her Preacher Father's.

The book never felt pushy. I look back on it and realize the ending did show a happy ending, things did change and (view spoiler). That was something I really liked in this book, I was never forced to think anythi...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Sesana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, mystery, contemporary, romance

Sorry to say, but this was a bit disappointing. I love Sara Zarr, she's very talented, and she was writing well in this book, too. There's just way, way too much going on in a short (210 pages) book. Samara's mother has been bundled off to rehab, her father isn't dealing with it, she's having a crisis of faith, she suspects her father's having an affair, a girl she knows has been kidnapped, and she's developing a romance with the kidnapped girl's brother, who has a girlfriend. That's a lot for a...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Lawral marked it as read-but-unowned · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Poor Sam. She needed a hug throughout almost this entire book, and not the one-armed youth leader kind. She sufferes from knowing a lot of people but being close to very few. She's also dealing with the absence of her mother, and her mother's long-time alcohol abuse, all alone. Her dad doesn't want to talk about the situation, or at least he doesn't want to talk about it with Sam, and Sam can't talk to anyone else about it either, not even her best friend Vanessa, without hurting her father's re...more Poor Sam. She needed a hug throughout almost this entire book, and not the one-armed youth leader kind. She sufferes from knowing a lot of people but being close to very few. She's also dealing with the absence of her mother, and her mother's long-time alcohol abuse, all alone. Her dad doesn't want to talk about the situation, or at least he doesn't want to talk about it with Sam, and Sam can't talk to anyone else about it either, not even her best friend Vanessa, without hurting her father's reputation. They just keep telling people her mom is "sick" and not letting anyone in the house. Luckily for Pastor Charlie's image, no one wants to come over anyway since it's August and their air conditioner is broken. When Jody is kidnapped, Sam is clearly upset (she's mad at life, not heartless), but it does give her something besides her mother and crumbling family to focus all of her energy/super-power-strength-worrying-skills on.

It's when the youth group is all gathered praying for Jody's safe return that Sam realizes that she doesn't know anymore if anyone's listening. How could a just and loving God let Jody be kidnapped? How could He let Sam flounder through her life feeling so abandoned and alone? Sam struggles through this by herself as well. A daughter who may have lost her faith could be more damaging to Pastor Charlie's reputation than a wife in rehab. But Sam's doubt isn't a rejection of God. She desperately wants to feel the closeness and comfort that her youth group friends feel, especially when she has such a lack of both in her day-to-day life. She just can't muster it, and so she feels isolated and wrong. Though Sam's situation would undoubtably be helped by talking to her church friends or youth leader, the fact that she doesn't feel she can go to them is ultimately realistic. Even if she had sought guidance, this is something so personal that she has to deal with it alone.

And she does, with the search for Jody, a budding relationship with Nick, fights with Vanessa, and unreturned voicemails left for her mother all buzzing in the background.

Though it is a heavy read, I highly recommend Once Was Lost, especially for regular youth group attendees.

Book source: Philly Free Library (less)

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May 24, 2013 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction

This book surprised me in how much I enjoyed it. I couldn't exactly put a finger on it. However, the point is that this was one of those books where you try to read slowly so as to be able to read it for as long as possible. I also really loved the relationships in the book; Sam and Nick, Erin and Pastor Charlie, Sam and Vanessa, Sam and Pastor Charlie, Jody and Nick, Sam and her mother, Pastor Charlie and his wife. The list goes on and on, and I think that each of the character relationships we...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Valeria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Once Was Lost is a book for anyone who has doubts about their own faith in God.
I was not a pastor's kid, but I did have a fanatic priest/director at my school, in which I was for twelve years. When you're told every single day that God loves you, that He's always looking out for you, that what happens is always for the best... in moments of struggle, or of solitude, you tend to ask yourself: "Where is God now?".

I understand now that it is normal to ask yourself questions, to doubt what you beli...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, teen

The problem with this book is that there is just too much going on to have it all resolved in about 200 pages. It's not the kidnapping that is the problem, it is everything else. (view spoiler) I was totally absorbed by this book, couldn't put it down. But to have it end with no confrontation about anything, everything just neatly g...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Mrs. S rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sara Zarr is my hero. Like, she takes on these big, serious, scary things--usually things involving families that are somehow broken--and she makes them feel so true, and not at all sensationalistic, because her protagonists are these very very alive, real girls.

Once Was Lost is no exception. Sam--short for Samara--is struggling with a lot. She's a pastor's daughter, but she's been doubting her faith. Her mother is in rehab for alcoholism. Her father is more concerned with church business than...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Suad Shamma rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, 2011

"Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things."

That's what it said on the cover of the book.

What they failed to mention however, was that Samara Taylor will spend the entire book whining about every aspect of her miserable existence.

My God, I could not wait to finish this book. Sara Zarr is the most boring author (aside from Mary Balogh) I've ever read for. She is just boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Her writing skill is mediocre at best, her characters dull...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review was first published on Clear Eyes Full Shelves
http://cleareyesfullshelves.com/blog/...

A perfect flower graces the cover of Sara Zarr’s Once Was Lost. Its soft pink petals top a long, graceful stem. One perfect petal drifts from an otherwise unmarred blossom like a tear falling to the ground.

Blemished perfection symbolized as a lone teardrop perfectly represents Sam’s life. Samara, Sam to her family and friends, lives in a cushioned and beautiful world of her family’s creation. Her fa...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Amanda Childs rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: engl-420-fall-2012

PRESENTATION AUTHOR CATEGORY

Samara is the Pastor's kid. Her mom is the Pastor's wife. That's how everybody in their small Northern california town see them. But now Samara's mom is in rehab for alcoholism, following a DUI, and Samara wonders when her mom will ever come home, and if her dad even wants his wife back, especially with their church's youth leader spending so much time with him. Samara's never really been close to her dad anyway, and when a girl from their congregation is abducted and...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-2009s, ya-baby-ya, real-teen-problems, heroine-is-pretty-decent

Short but not-so-sweet , Once Was Lost is narrated by a small-town pastor's daughter, Samara Taylor, who is in desperate need of a miracle. Her mother, recently arrested for DWI, is in an alcoholics' rehab center. Her father spends so much time at the church, he's never there for the family - and he might be cheating on Samara's mom with the freckled, twenty-six-year-old Youth Leader. Her friends exclude her and hide things from her because they can't get over the fact that she's The Pastor's Da...more Short but not-so-sweet , Once Was Lost is narrated by a small-town pastor's daughter, Samara Taylor, who is in desperate need of a miracle. Her mother, recently arrested for DWI, is in an alcoholics' rehab center. Her father spends so much time at the church, he's never there for the family - and he might be cheating on Samara's mom with the freckled, twenty-six-year-old Youth Leader. Her friends exclude her and hide things from her because they can't get over the fact that she's The Pastor's Daughter. Oh, and everyone in town is gossiping about her, and her family.

Just when life seems like it can't suck enough, one of the girls from town, a thirteen-year-old named Jody goes missing. Days go by, then a week, and there is no trace of her to be found. Suspicion runs rampant, and Sam's father uses the excuse to schmooze around with The Other Woman, and promote his church on the news. The prime suspect is Jody's older brother, a boy named Nick, who seems to have an understanding - if not exactly a thing - with Sam. Sam's anger at her parents, and frustration with her own religious beliefs, make her reckless, and vindictive, and just rebellious enough to take risks that might endanger herself . . . and others.

Zarr really captures the dual-edge of religion. I'm not religious, personally, but I've seen people struggle with the idea that "if there really is a God, why do bad things happen to good people?" I know, I know. I've heard the answer. To test faith. The Book of Job illustrates that well enough (and boy, is that a downer. If you haven't read it/heard of it, it's basically about this man who had a perfect life, was kind to his neighbors and family, and loved by pretty much everyone. He was super grateful and thanked God generously for his bounty. Satan, being the evil S.O.B. that he is, whose sole goal in life is to stir up shit, then tells God that Job only has faith because his life is happy. So God kills Job's wives and children, sends bandits to kill his animals and raze his crops, and inflicts a horrible pox upon Job. And Job continues to have faith in God, and begs him for mercy, and God basically tells Satan "See?" And that's the end. No redemption. No apologies. Horrible, horrible story. Actually, I feel like it's a highly relevant part of the bible in relation to this book. Sometimes horrible things happen without good cause - and it sucks, and it makes us miserable, and all we can do is hope it will pass. But sometimes it doesn't) But that doesn't make it suck any less, or any less unfair. Religion can give comfort and solace, but it can also be the source of conflict - both external and internal.

I also liked how Zarr handled the characterization of Sam and her family. Sam's father is hypocritical, forbidding Sam from seeing Nick while sneaking around himself (and lying to his daughter). It raises an intriguing point - that relaying the voice of God does not necessarily constitute a perfect vessel. In Mr. Taylor's case, far from it!

It's hard to take a cast of flawed and imperfect characters and make them likable. But Zarr is excellent at doing this. Her characters are so real and vivid. It's like listening to someone from your town gossiping about people that you know.

Also - despite the grave topic, this book isn't too morbid or depressing. I'll admit, I was frightened that this book was going to take a sinister and tear-jerking turn . . . but it didn't, thank God (or, rather, thank Sarah Zarr. She wrote it, after all). People looking for sophisticated and thoughtful young adult books with controversial and relevant moral and religious lessons will enjoy reading Once Was Lost.(less)

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Mar 29, 2012 Diana Welsch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Sara Zarr is religious and her books usually have religious themes and undertones. I'm short on faith myself, but I really enjoy reading these, because Zarr writes to tell a story, not deliver a moral. Her characters are fully rendered and real, her plots are well-paced, and she avoids cliches.

Of all her books I've read, Once Was Lost was the most grounded in religion. The entire story takes place within a religious community: 15-year old Sam, the pastor's daughter, and her youth group and churc...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Jenni French rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-contemporary-fiction, age-5-grades-9-12, topic-religious-fiction

Sam is a pastor's daughter. She has always been left out of close circles of friends or activities because people are afraid of what her father will think of them. Now her mother is in rehab after a DUI conviction, and Sam is frustrated that no one mentions her mother or what is really going on. It's as if her mother simply doesn't exist for now. And Sam's father has thrown himself even deeper into serving the community, often leaving Sam in the dust.

Then one of Sam's classmates disappears and t...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Sara Zarr has written an honest and authentic story in Once was Lost, about a young girl named Sam who is forced into adulthood earlier than most other teens. Her lovely mother has finally hit rock bottom, her Father (the local pastor) is strong and supportive to everyone except his own family, and a young girl in the church goes missing- sending the whole town into a scared suspicious frenzy. This story is written in a way that puts other teen angst novels to shame. There aren't any easy answer...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Carolyn Teschler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, I have one word for this book- depressing! I am a real fan of Sara Zarr (loved Story of a Girl and liked Sweethearts), so this one was a downer. The storyline follows Sam (short for Samara) who is a preacher's kid. Her father, although he is a preacher and popular among his flock, cannot communicate effectively with his own daughter and avoids meaningful conversation. Her mother is in rehab for alcoholism. Then, the younger sister of a close friend from the youth group she attends is abducte...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At first, I didn't think I was going to like this book much. I knew it was written from the perspective of a pastor's daughter, and I knew it dealt with themes of faith and spirituality. Because of that, I had some preconceptions that tainted my view of the book before I started reading. I was sure that the book was going to be pushing a religious agenda on readers. However, after I started reading, my preconceptions melted away as I discovered that the book was nothing like I had originally ant...more At first, I didn't think I was going to like this book much. I knew it was written from the perspective of a pastor's daughter, and I knew it dealt with themes of faith and spirituality. Because of that, I had some preconceptions that tainted my view of the book before I started reading. I was sure that the book was going to be pushing a religious agenda on readers. However, after I started reading, my preconceptions melted away as I discovered that the book was nothing like I had originally anticipated. In fact, it was a surprisingly wonderful read.

What I loved most about "Once Was Lost" were the dynamic characters. Not a single character in the book was entirely good or entirely bad. We see elements of both in each character. For so much of the book, I wanted to dislike the dad because he was not being a very good parent to Sam. However, throughout the book, we see how he is a great pastor for his church, and he is very human, too, and faces real world temptations. I also like how Sam's mom did not fit the stereotype of the traditional "pastor's wife." She has a drinking problem and severe insecurities and needs to deal with her issues so she can be a more effective mother and wife. Even Sam is not the traditional pastor's kid. She didn't even go on the mission trip with her youth group, and she doesn't participate in the Sunday School discussions or share her heart with her peers. I loved all this because it painted the family in a very real, human light. So many times, it seems that pastors and their families are idealized as perfect models, yet they are humans, too. I like how this book portrayed that.

I also liked the book because there was a plot and a mystery underneath all of it. This book isn't just a character sketch, it has a story, too. A young girl is kidnapped, and the whole town is devastated by her loss. It made me want to continue reading because I wanted to know if Jody was ever going to be found and, if not, how that would affect everyone.

I would not hestitate to recommend this book at all. I think middle school and high school aged readers would gain the most from the book. There is nothing inappropriate in the story that would caution me from recommending it to certain age groups. Since it is told from the point of view of a girl, females may be more interested in reading the book than males.(less)

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Mar 25, 2011 Siobhan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

This is a story about a teenage girl struggling with doubts about her faith and her family. Samara loves her parents and has always believed in every aspect of her church. With her father as the town’s most beloved pastor, everyone expects her to have zero doubts about religion. But, when her mother’s alcohol addiction causes her to leave home for rehab and then a local girl goes missing, Sam feels hopeless, sad and confused. All of these negative emotions are made worse by the fact that her dad...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Emily C. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Checked out this book from the library in hopes of finding the perfect YA novel to give to my mom for Christmas. Yes, Mom, I'm doing my homework for you. ;) While this is an excellent candidate and something I'll definitely reccommend, I don't think it's what Mom will necessarily want to own, mostly because there is a "child in danger" subplot that is a little disturbing.

What I love about Zarr's writing for young adults is the humanity of her characters. The bad guys are never completely and to...more

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Aug 30, 2010 Elle Strauss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I started reading Once Was Lost, I was a little nervous because the story’s protagonist, Samara Taylor, is a pastor’s kid, who is struggling with her personal faith. The story is also about how the Christian Community deals with the disappearance of one of their teens. Personally, I am tired of books that rant against Christians and portray them with heavy handed stereo-types. Sara Zarr, thankfully, didn’t do that. Instead she told a really moving story about normal people who want to belie...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Bee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-reads, ya

Sam has the summer never to forget. Her father, a pastor of an unlabeled evangelical Christian church, is losing his way at home, but forging ahead in his ministry. Her mother isn't even at home - she's in rehab after succumbing to alcoholism, a condition brought about by her needing the stuff to cope with being the perfect pastor's wife. And Sam is not the perfect pastor's child. Her faith is tested sorely as she watches her father disappear into the work to heal a family, reeling from the abdu...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Maggie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't really connect with this book. At first it was interesting with Sam, the MC, questioning her faith, which I think a lot of people can relate to. But then the plot took an unexpected turn and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I guess it was kind of like a parable because the event is something that certainly tests people's limits.

Sam was a frustrating character. She was too angry/sad in a way that I don't think really corresponded with her personal issues. Not that she didn't have stres...more

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Jul 04, 2010 Library Lady rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, my-50-in-2010

Book+ ****
Audiobook=***

I've heard it said by many that authors shouldn't narrate their own work. I mostly believe this to be true. Sometimes it works-- as in the case of "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman-- but with this book, it doesn't. Zarr may understand the emotional intensity of her work, but she doesn't know how to convey that vocally.

However, her only so-so reading didn't detract from enjoyment of the story at all. I've gone to church my whole life-- quite literally-- and I was extremel...more Book+ ****
Audiobook=***

I've heard it said by many that authors shouldn't narrate their own work. I mostly believe this to be true. Sometimes it works-- as in the case of "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman-- but with this book, it doesn't. Zarr may understand the emotional intensity of her work, but she doesn't know how to convey that vocally.

However, her only so-so reading didn't detract from enjoyment of the story at all. I've gone to church my whole life-- quite literally-- and I was extremely active in my youth group in jr.. high and high school. Many of scenes and moments at the church that Zarr describes rang very true to me. Sam's personal crisis of faith and struggle also rang true for me. I personally believe that every child who is raised in the church will go through a crisis of faith at some point. Some will be huge and horrible, and some will only be small and relatively painless. But I do believe that this crisis of faith is necessary for true faith to take root. By the end of the book I won't say that Sam has come to full belief, but I do think she's maybe a little more open than she may have been at the beginning. And that is one of the many things I think Zarr did well with this book-- faith is a journey, not a destination and we've gotten to see Sam at one stop along her journey. This was very realistic and well-done to me and I was really glad for it.

I felt many of the characters and relationships were also very believable and believably done. This is a great book for those who've grown up in the church or just for those who are curious about faith. There are no easy answers, and Zarr doesn't attempt to give us any. I also liked how Sam's relationship with her father was portrayed. I did wish that she would have been more vocal about her feelings and maybe confronted him about his relationship with the youth pastor, since it did affect her and was her business to some respect. But I also understand that that was not Sam's personality.

By the end of the book, Sam is at a better place. Maybe not fully healed, but definitely better. Her life will never be the same, but hopefully she's come through to the other side with open eyes and an open heart and a willingness to keep trying and questioning and discovering her faith.
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Apr 18, 2010 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: 2010, young-adult

This author has been nominated for lots of awards (maybe not for this book, but at least for her previous ones), but at the end of this book, all I could think was, What's the point? The plot moved slow, nothing seemed to happen, and I couldn't see a reason that this story needed to be told at all. The only reason I even finished it is because the book was pretty short.

The plot: Sam is 15 years old; her dad's a pastor in her small town and her mom's recently been sent to rehab, so she's got some...more

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Mar 30, 2010 bjneary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, psla-2010, realistic-fiction, ya

Samara Taylor is the fifteen year old daughter of a pastor workaholic and a mother who has been drinking so much, that she has landed herself into New Beginnings Recovery Center; her father wants to “officially tell” the congregation when he feels it is right, which is never. Sam is at a point in her life that she is questioning everything; the air conditioning is broken in their house, her ceiling fan is not working, it is the middle of a heat wave, the outside of the house looks like a disaste...more

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Feb 20, 2010 Walt rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys great writing & stories.

Recommended to Walt by: Matt Kirby

Shelves: young-adult

All I could think about every time I considered Sara Zarr's Once Was Lost was the completion of the line with 'but now am found.' That title set up an expectation that her book never quite fulfilled but hinted at. Maybe there will be a sequel with that title. Nonetheless, the book didn't leave me at all dissatisfied for not having fulfilled the "being found" part, because the book left me with the distinct impression that Sam could find her her way, whatever it might be, wherever it might take h...more

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Young Adult

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Realistic Fiction

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Contemporary

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Religion

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About Sara Zarr

Sara Zarr is the acclaimed author of four novels for young adults: Story of a Girl (National Book Award Finalist), Sweethearts (Cybil Award Finalist), Once Was Lost (a Kirkus Best Book of 2009) and How to Save a Life. Her short fiction and essays have also appeared in Image, Hunger Mountain, and several anthologies. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, and online at www.sarazarr.co ...more

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Quotes from Once Was Lost

“I wonder how you're supposed to know the exact moment when there's no more hope.” — 31 people liked it

“A know a place called New Beginnings, but I don't think it works quite like that. You can't just erase everything that came before.” — 17 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6449468-once-was-lost?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344270815l/6449468.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6449468-once-was-lost?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr[/url]

Once Was Lost

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