Review: I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

When I was asked if I would like to review I Have Lost My Way, I responded almost immediately with an emphatic yes. I've read about half of Forman's novels and have enjoyed every one of them. I felt certain that I would enjoy this one too, and I'm very pleased to report that I was not disappointed.

Told over the course of a single day, I Have Lost My Way tells the story of three very different young people who find each other in New York--Freya, a young musician on the cusp of fame, Harun who wants to run away from his family so that he can be with the person he loves and Nathaniel who has found himself alone after a family tragedy. The trio collide--quite literally--in Central Park. From there, I experienced a roller-coaster ride of emotions as their stories played out as flashbacks, while their present situations and newfound friendships helped each of the characters to influence one another for the better. (On a side note, I loved the trip to Hayden's office.) Though the novel was quite short, and aimed at a YA audience, each of these characters is well rounded and pleasingly complex from Freya, a young woman with mixed Ethiopian and Jewish heritage who wants, or perhaps wanted, fame for the wrong reasons, to Harun, who is struggling with his sexuality and the fear that he won't be accepted by his strict Muslim family, to Nathan who didn't understand about his father's illness until it was too late.

This one was an easy but engaging read. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia for my review copy.

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