Book Review: The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes

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The Distance Between Lost and Found
Author: Kathryn Holmes
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: February 17th 2015
Review Source: HarperTeen

Ever since the night of the incident with Luke Willis, the preacher’s son, sophomore Hallelujah Calhoun has been silent. When the rumors swirled around school, she was silent. When her parents grounded her, she was silent. When her friends abandoned her … silent.

Now, six months later, on a youth group retreat in the Smoky Mountains, Hallie still can’t find a voice to answer the taunting. Shame and embarrassment haunt her, while Luke keeps coming up with new ways to humiliate her. Not even meeting Rachel, an outgoing newcomer who isn’t aware of her past, can pull Hallie out of her shell. Being on the defensive for so long has left her raw, and she doesn’t know who to trust.

On a group hike, the incessant bullying pushes Hallie to her limit. When Hallie, Rachel, and Hallie’s former friend Jonah get separated from the rest of the group, the situation quickly turns dire. Stranded in the wilderness, the three have no choice but to band together.

With past betrayals and harrowing obstacles in their way, Hallie fears they’ll never reach safety. Could speaking up about the night that changed everything close the distance between being lost and found? Or has she traveled too far to come back?

The Distance Between Lost and Found is one of those books that I have a lot to say but I don’t think I’ll find all the words to express it. I was utterly consumed by this story. I started reading this during Thanksgiving, and while I was cooking I just sat there having this little twitch to get back to it, I was worried about the characters, that if I didn’t get back to them something bad would happen. That’s how much I was in love with this book, I knew the moment I started day dreaming about it, it was going to be a book that stuck with me.

The Distance Between Lost and Found follows three teens who are all together at a group retreat, Hallelujah, Jonah, and Rachel. Six months ago something happened to Hallelujah that made her completely close up; she became silent and was just surviving. The three of them decided during a group hike, they were going to turn back, they were fed up with that has happening around them, and they wanted to go home. Then they took one wrong turn and got lost in the Smoky Mountains, where they had to learn how to survive, how to trust, how to finally open up.

Like I stated earlier, this book consumed me. I was wrapped up into the story from page one and was angry when I had to put it down to cook Thanksgiving, Hallelujah needed me. This book was full of survival, trust, love, faith, and finally standing up for the truth. We watched the three of them grow so much through their journey; I still can’t get over how much of a page turner this was.

So yes, get your butt out there and get this book! This is the first from Kathryn Holmes and it was absolutely beautiful, I can’t wait for more of her books in the future.