WHERE THE
LOST ONES GO
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Starred review from School Library Journal
Released as an audiobook with Recorded Books
Cover illustrated by Feifei Ruan and designed by Sarah Kaufman. Art director: Aurora Parlegreco
In this middle grade contemporary fantasy by critically acclaimed author Akemi Dawn Bowman, a twelve-year-old biracial Japanese American girl grieves the loss of her beloved grandma and attempts to contact her beyond the grave.
Eliot is grieving Babung, her paternal grandmother who just passed away, and she feels like she's the only one. She's less than excited to move to her new house, which smells like lemons and deception, and is searching for a sign, any sign, that ghosts are real. Because if ghosts are real, it means she can find a way back to Babung.
When Eliot chases the promise of paranormal activity to the presumably haunted Honeyfield Hall, she finds her proof of spirits. But these ghosts are losing their memory, stuck between this world and the next, waiting to cross over. With the help of Hazel, the granddaughter of Honeyfield's owner (and Eliot's new crush), she attempts to uncover the mystery behind Honeyfield Hall and the ghosts residing within.
And as Eliot fits the pieces together, she may just be able to help the spirits remember their pasts, and hold on to her grandmother's memory.
content warnings
cw: ghosts, dementia, losing memories, mild threat, grief
AUDIOBOOK
Recorded Books - Narrated by Sophie Oda
"This is a beautiful story that explores grief and friendship... A captivating story that will appeal to readers who love a mystery, have experienced loss, or anyone who has searched for friendship in a new place." — ★ School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
"Poignant memories explore Eliot’s biracial Japanese identity, and figurative language embellishes the empathetic relationships she forms with the living (and unliving) characters... Filled with powerful twists and revelations, this is an emotional contemporary fantasy about second chances and the value of holding on to precious memories." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"The mystery is wonderful and simple but complicated enough that it isn’t predictable. The end is heartbreaking but happy, and I can’t imagine a better one." — Seattle Book Review
"A beautiful and gripping tale of ghosts, friendships, and moving on without forgetting the ones who have mattered to us. Eliot is a heroine readers are sure to love." — Katie Zhao, author of Last Gamer Standing and the Winnie Zeng series.
"Full of heart and captivating from start to finish, Where the Lost Ones Go takes the sharp pieces of grief and molds them into a story full of warm, radiant love. With both the fantastical elements and profoundness of a Miyazaki film, it’s a story that’ll stick with me for a long time." —Lyla Lee, author of the Mindy Kim series
BUY LINKS
