The Beautiful lost / Luanne Rice.

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Title:

The Beautiful lost / Luanne Rice.

Author:

Rice, Luanne

ISBN:

9781338111071

Edition:

First edition

Physical Description:

286 pages

Abstract:

Ever since her mother left, Maia has struggled with depression, which has only gotten worse since her father remarried; so Maia decides run away to Canada to find her mother, together with Billy, a boy who now lives in a group home and has his own family tragedy--but when they finally arrive in Tadoussac, Quebec, Maia discovers that even her mother has been keeping secrets.

Subject Term:

Depression, Mental -- Juvenile fiction.

Runaway children -- Juvenile fiction.

Children of divorced parents -- Juvenile fiction.

Mothers and daughters -- Juvenile fiction.

Secrecy -- Juvenile fiction.

Interpersonal relations -- Juvenile fiction.

Runaways -- Juvenile fiction.

Secrets -- Juvenile fiction.

Geographic Term:

Tadoussac (Québec) -- Juvenile fiction.

Canada -- Juvenile fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Teen Fiction Book Hardback	120791002653069	T RIC	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

From NY Times bestselling author Luanne Rice, a sweeping story of a girl and boy, both troubled in different ways, who take off on a whirlwind road trip.Here are three things to know about Maia:1. Ever since her mother left, Maia's struggled with depression -- which once got so bad, she had to go to an institution for a while. She doesn't want to go back.2. Maia's sure that if she finds her mother, if the two of them can talk about whale songs and constellations, then everything will be okay again.3. She's in love with Billy, the handsome, brooding boy who lives in the group home in town. He doesn't seem to know that Maia exists... until now.When Maia sets off on a road trip in search of her mom, Billy unexpectedly comes along. They drive up the East Coast, stopping along the way for lobster rolls and lighthouses. Maia learns that Billy has dark secrets of his own -- and wants to outrun his past, too. But what will the future hold if they reach their destination?From internationally bestselling author Luanne Rice, this is a sweeping, stunning story about the surprising directions our hearts can take.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up-An absent mother, a battle with depression, and a road trip with the son of a murderer-what's not to like? This realistic novel starts slowly. When Maia was only 13, her mother left, sending her letters filled with loving reminders of the bond they once had. The promise of rekindling that relationship inspires Maia to plan a trip to the only fjord in North America to go and live with her mother, who is researching whales. Maia has a crush on Billy, a social outcast who's used to evading the law (his father was convicted of murdering his wife for the insurance money). Together, Billy and Maia cover their tracks and make their way to Canada to find Maia's mother. Teens will read this predictable romance with apprehension, wondering how Rice will resolve two main issues: Maia's decision to stop taking her medication, and her pact with Billy never to return to New Britain, CT. Readers will be relieved that the resolution of both matters is handled responsibly. The author's note sheds light on her own experience with depression, and a valuable list of resources is appended. VERDICT Fans of Nicholas Sparks will fall in love with this YA title.-Jodeana Kruse, R.A. Long High School, Longview, WA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

The gentle sounds of a piano playing at the opening sets the tone for Rice's YA novel about 16-year-old Maia's struggle with depression. When her mother abandons her family to follow her dream of studying whales in Tadoussac Bay in Quebec and her father remarries, Maia descends into depression, attempts suicide, and is sent to a rehabilitation institution near her home in Connecticut. Returning to school is difficult for her, and she finds a welcome distraction in her budding romance with Billy, the son of a murderer who is living in a nearby group home. Maia becomes convinced that finding her mother will give her the peace she longs for, and soon she and Billy run headlong on a wild adventure to Canada. Narrator Clarke's youthful and convincingly emotional voice conveys Maia's tumultuous feelings about her parents' divorce and her first love; Maia's battle with depression looms even during the high points of her road trip. Clarke provides Billy with a husky bad boy's voice, but the voices of Maia's friends and family are not noticeably distinct. Rice chimes in at the end to read the author's note detailing her own experience with depression and provides resources for young people experiencing this disease. The change of pace and reader helps convey the seriousness of the issues explored in this coming-of-age tale. Ages 12-up. A Scholastic hardcover. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

Maia is barely managing her depression; she longs to run away to find her mother, a scientist who left the family to study whales in remote Canada. Maia carries out her plan and, strangely, her crush Billy comes along for the ride. Maia's voice is quirky but indistinct in this road-trip novel, and her motivations feel childish and inauthentic. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

It's been six years since Maia's mother left and one year since she was hospitalized for attempting suicide. The depression is starting to set in again, but this time she has The Plan. Eighteen-year-old Maia is determined to find her mother. The young white woman has no problem saying goodbye to her father or even her best friends, but leaving Billy, her longtime crush, proves more difficult. She risks a meeting, thinking if she can just see him one more time, she'll be able to leave. But Billy is just as unwilling to lose her, offering to run away with her. He knows how to disappear, telling her that cellphones are out, but good music and snack foods are a must. Maia finds herself falling in love with the freckled white boy. And when everything starts falling apart, losing him seems like just one more thing she cannot bear. Veteran Rice pens a riveting examination of the ravages of depression and loss. Both Maia and Billy are well-formed and complicated, and their progression from acquaintanceship to love will tug at even the most jaded hearts. An author's note and resources serve as encouragement for those battling their own pain. This novel clearly demonstrates that sometimes it is only in darkness that one can see light. (Fiction. 12-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Excerpts

The car running, I gripped the steering wheel hard with my elbows locked, just begging the stars to let him walk by. That's when I spotted him sitting alone under a maple tree, leaning against the wide trunk. And, as if the stars had decided to answer, he leapt up and came toward me. I got out of the car."What are you doing here?" he asked."I came to say..." I said, but I couldn't get the words out.He looked in the back seat and saw my duffle."Where are you going?" he asked."Away," I said.Our eyes burned into each other. I felt heat in my chest, knowing that this really was the last time. I wanted to reach over, touch his hand. I hoped he could read my mind and somehow know he was the only person I'd miss, that I'd come here today because he was, ineffably, mine."Away where?" he asked."To see my mother," I said."Can I go with you?" he asked.I stared at him. Had I heard right? No, I had to be dreaming. "Will you take me?" he asked. It was real. This was happening. His eyes were begging me. "But people will miss you. They'll wonder where you are," I said."I live in a group home," he said, gesturing at the building. "They won't wonder for long."And then he touched me -- just one finger on my wrist bone -- so quickly I would have thought I'd imagined it if it didn't tingle all through my body. "I can help you," he said."Help me?""Yeah, you're running away, right? I know how to do that. No one will catch us," he said. He was already hurrying around the car.I didn't think after that. I climbed into the driver's seat, he got in beside me, and we sped off. Excerpted from The Beautiful Lost by Luanne Rice All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.