Book: Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Once Was Lost was my first ever book by Sara Zarr. I know I am very behind most bloggers and I plan to remedy that as soon as possible. If her other books are anything like this one, I know I will love them.

When I first started reading Once Was Lost, I wasn’t sure I would even be able to finish it. I really don’t like books about religion. It’s not really the topic that turns me off, it’s the writing. Most religious books are preachy and I can’t stand that. I read to get away from being told what to do. Luckily, Once Was Lost wasn’t like any other book about religion that I have read. It wasn’t preachy at all and all the religious matter had to do with the storyline. It didn’t detract from the book at all.

Also, this was not your typical religious family. Samara’s dad was the pastor at one of the many churches in their tiny town. Everyone knew him and his family, but nobody really knew what that family was like. Eventually Samara realizes that not even she knows what her family is truly like because they are forced to lie and pretend to be perfect, when they are anything but. Once Was Lost is Samara’s journey to find that truth with the help of some new friends and some old ones.

Overall, I think this is one of the best books I have read recently. The storyline was really captivating and I just wanted to keep reading. I think if you give this book a shot, you won’t want to put it down either!