The Distance between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Distance between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes Karen Coats Holmes, Kathryn The Distance between Lost and Found. HarperTeen/HarperCollins, 2015 [320p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-06-231726-1 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-06-231728-5 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 7-10 Ever since she was caught in a compromising position with her pastor’s son, Luke, on a youth retreat and was falsely accused of being the aggressor, Hallelujah has been a social pariah. Now on another retreat, Hallelujah joins a new girl, Rachel, who decides to leave the group during a hike; Jonah, one of Hallelujah’s former friends, goes with them; when the three take a wrong turn, they end up lost in the mountains of Virginia. They endure pounding spring thunderstorms, but between Jonah’s Boy Scout training and Hallelujah’s reasonably well-stocked backpack, they are okay for the first couple of days; by day five, having run out of food and each having suffered an injury, they begin to despair of rescue. They also get to know one another, and their story-sharing results in a warm friendship as well as forgiveness and a budding romance between Hallelujah and Jonah. The survival story effectively overlays adolescent crises over rugged nature; readers will find echoes of Hatchet as these teens find strength, courage, and redemption in their struggle to survive in a hostile yet breathtakingly beautiful environment. In seven days, the broken worlds they left behind have been remade, furthering adding to the symbolic power of a story that includes frank discussion of faith and its challenges; readers undergoing their own trials will be bolstered by Hallelujah’s hard-won hope for a bright future following adversity. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois