Booth cushions the blow of the main protagonist's early-onset Alzheimer's with a zany romp, lots of love for books, and heartwarming, unexpected friendships.
Elaborate mythology swirls around the mysterious author of the blockbuster fantasy series The Falling Children, which was written under a pen name, F. T. Goldhero, and fans dream up fantastical stories about the writer and his life. He is often assumed to be living in outrageously wealthy fashion in a European castle.
But the real-life author behind the books is unassuming Libby Weeks, holed up in her apartment with her dog. She is private, isolated, lacking in self-esteem--and when she was starting out, she naively signed away most of her rights to the millions the series later garnered.
Now Libby has hit a writing wall. She's allowed the falling children to work themselves into a seemingly impossible conundrum that is sure to lead to their deaths, and she can't determine how to extricate them. She's months late delivering the newest installment of the series, and her publisher and fans are losing patience, to the point that online message boards, then newspapers, begin printing threats and promises to unveil the author's true identity and force a conclusion to the books.
But Libby receives a devastating diagnosis that changes everything: early-onset Alzheimer's. As she's reeling from the news and considering her potential legacy and the fate of the falling children, she becomes obsessed with finishing her book...but she's going to need some help.
Enter superfan Peanut Brixton--who may be even more familiar with The Falling Children books than Libby herself. Libby sets out with her dog on a quest to seek Peanut's wisdom...but she's starting to lose the plot of her own life, and the loner is in need of support that's far greater than writing inspiration.
The cover of Libby Lost and Found struck a light-fiction chord for me. The tone of the book is often playful--but dark humor often surrounds Libby's diminishing memory, and countless who's-on-first types of conversations occur as a result. This is a zany romp, as Libby's determination to push on to an ending for her series combines with her lack of commanding details around the mission she has set out on to cause upheaval at every turn.
The story is a quick read and somewhat of whirlwind. It often felt like a young-adult story because of the significant focus on young Peanut and her own challenges. Libby Lost and Found holds a tragic illness at its center, with lots of heart and redemption softening the blow.
I'd love to hear your Bossy thoughts about this book!
I received a prepublication copy of Libby Lost and Found courtesy of NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark.
Libby Lost and Found is Stephanie Booth's first book.
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