Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

 
Let's Get Lost
Written by Adi Alsaid
Contemporary, Road Trip
Published August 1st 2014
336 Pages
Thank you to Harlequin Teen Australia 
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Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's Hudson, a small town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And Bree, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday, and a few stolen goods along the way. Elliot believes in happy endings… Until his own life goes off script. And Sonia worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268 mile journey that she discovers the most important truth, sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.
Leila is on her way to see the Northern Lights, her compulsion taking her on a road trip as far north as she can possibly go. With a simple mission and limited funds, all Leila has is her intelligence, sense of humour and beat up car that seems to be more rust, than red paint. It isn't long before she stops into her first town on the road, to ensure her car will make the journey. Hudson never imagined Leila would walk through the door of his father's workshop, and nothing could prepare him for the adventure that may just be remembered as the best night of his life.

But Leila is on a mission, and is soon back on the road when she picks up Bree. Bree has been hitch hiking for months after running away from home, fleeing from her guardian who doesn't understand her and seizing each and every day like it was Tuesday. But when a liberating session of shoplifting and a joyride in a luxury car lands the two girls in jail, perhaps this is one Tuesday neither of them should have seized.

It isn't long before Leila is back behind the wheel and on the verge of running over a very drunken Elliot on his way home from the Prom. After being in love with his best friend for years, he finally plucked up the courage to tell her how he felt... Only she didn't feel the same. Elliot is looking for a love you only find in movies, and along with the help of Leila, he's determined to win over his girl.

Sonia is still grieving the loss of former boyfriend Sam, while falling in love with Jeremiah. The only way to protect Sam's family from heartbreak is to keep their relationship a secret, but Jeremiah disagrees and wants to announce it to the world. With only hours from the wedding ceremony they are both attending, Sonia flees and stumbles across Leila, wearing nothing but shorts and a tuxedo jacket. Sonia is reluctant to return, but discovers the wedding rings are safely tucked away in Jeremiah's tuxedo pocket. Returning may not be as easy as she thought, leaving her bag with her passport at a truck stop, she now has no way of returning over the border into Canada without the help of Leila and a stoned philosopher.

What they all have in common is Leila, having met the quirky girl on her travels just when they needed a helping hand. But just what is Leila's story?

My Thoughts


I love a contemporary adventure where characters travel to find themselves, and Let's Get Lost is an entertaining and subtle take on a quirky, John Green style road trip. The one factor all the characters have in common is Leila, a girl who is determined to make it through the United States to Alaska, to see the Northern Lights. But rather than share her own story, Leila meets Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia along the way and shares a few brief moments with each, poignant moments that may change their lives.

Looking for treasures in Hudson's small town, seizing the Tuesday with Bree, helping Elliot to win the girl and smuggling Sonia over the border to find love again. Leila always seems to be willing to put her own adventure on hold in order to help her new companion. She's quirky and fun, but holds her own story close to her chest until she reaches her own destination. I loved her character, she was selfless and a point of motivation in each situation.

Sadly with so many short stories making up the complete road trip, I never quite connected with the characters, as their persona doesn't delve into anything more than their current situations. Overall, it's a nice, quick read that will surprise.

18 comments

  1. Great review and very helpful! I love the sound of the book, but don't know if I'm going to read it yet...

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    1. It's a nice little read Lavender, perfect for a rainy weekend.

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  2. Thanks for the fantastic review, Kelly! It's a shame that there doesn't seem to be much character connection in the novel. I've heard mixed things about this book, so I'm not too sure if I'm going to pick it up any time soon. However, I think it's relatively cheap at Big W, so it might be worth picking it up for when I'm in the mood for a light, quick read.

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    1. I think it's mainly due to packing so much into the storyline, it doesn't allow readers to really delve into each character before we're whisked off to the next one. I think one less character along her travels would have been more ideal and the storyline stretched out a little. But it's a great read regardless.

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  3. That was exactly how I felt about this book. I had a lot of fun reading it and seeing how Leila made a difference in each of their lives but I completely agree that the short story format made it harder to connect with each of the characters. At the same time though, I actually liked the format because it made the book stand out from the others out there! :)

    Lovely review, Kelly!!

    Rashika @ The Social Potato

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    1. Yeah, it's a double edged sword, or so they say. I liked how there wasn't any storyline filler. Just sharp and to the point, but perhaps Leila should have had her own moments between meeting each character along the road, might have allowed readers to connect with her more. She really plays the part of observer doesn't she.

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  4. What a lovely review, Kelly. I haven't really tried reading roadtrip novels yet but this one particularly intrigues me. I might have problems with connecting to the characters as well but you liking it overall is good news for me. I'll keep this in mind if I want a fun, quick read. :)

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    1. It really is Sarah. It's certainly entertaining and won't leave you emotionally drained either. Just a fun and mostly lighthearted read that's perfect for a lazy weekend or rainy day.

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  5. Road trips are bloody awesome... but only if they last less than 12 hours. I remember going to a road trip once, from our island of Luzon to the south island of Mindanao, and it took three bloody days on car and on ferries. Three days there and three days back and it was so boring and exhausting and everything. *Tries to forget*

    In any case, this one would be really interesting to read. It's a nice premise, to have one person make a difference in every one else's problems except her own. Too bad you weren't able to connect with them, though... I remember Rashika mentioning the same problem too in her review. Hopefully that doesn't happen to me!!

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. Oh I hear you Faye, by the end you feel like you've lost a limb almost and your bottom has fallen asleep. Three days? I can't even begin to imagine! I've been on a forty hour road trip, there and back. I've actually made the same journey half a dozen times. I could never do it again.

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  6. I love road trips in real life and in books, but I don't like another Green-type of novel. Somehow, his Alaska and Papertowns felt short for me. So this book might make me feel the same way.

    ~ Dre @ Sporadic Reads

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    1. It reminded me a lot of a John Green type road trip, but without the quirkiness. Having said that though, Adi Alsaid knows how to write a proper ending, where John Green doesn't. That man bloody infuriates me!

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  7. Most reviews have been saying about the same thing as you are Kelly – that the stories were simply too short to actually allow you to get an emotional connection towards the characters. I’m definitely still going to read this because the plot is intriguing, and I love the sound of how sweet it is. Thanks for sharing and, as always, BRILLIANT review! <33

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

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    1. Thanks Zoe. They truly were. The author really has a knack of grabbing your attention and keeping it, it was incredibly entertaining, but I needed more and a greater insight into Leila especially in order to connect. The ending is lovely though, I think you'll really enjoy this one.

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  8. Hmmm sounds like a nice filler read but like it's not intended to be any more, so I'll reserve it for when I'm looking for something like that. I like how the MC stops and helps other characters along the way and we kind of get to find out their stories. I think short stories have grown on me a lot lately. Lovely review Kelly!

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    1. It's great pick me up when you're looking for a quick no nonsense type of read. The ending is brilliant though. I was actually really surprised and it tied it up beautifully.

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  9. I've been looking forward to this book, so it sucks that you can't really connect with the characters enough. Leila sounds like a wonderful person though, and this sounds like a cute road-trip story to sweep me out of this horrible winter weather. :D

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    1. It's perfect for winter! One aspect I really enjoyed it about it was the different emotions of each character, the sad, the lost and lonely. But in several ways, the appearance of Leila in their lives really gave them the motivation and spark to dust themselves off and keep going. It was incredibly touching and even really funny in parts.

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