Review Detail

Sangu Mandanna’s YA debut is a quiet, contemplative piece of science fiction. Obviously inspired by Frankenstein, it deals mostly with identity—the book’s protagonist is out to prove that she can be her own person in spite of her status as a “thing” and not a human. In many ways, The Lost Girl is very groundbreaking and thought-provoking. But in some ways I found it to be rather dull.

Mandanna’s prose is undeniable good. She writes this story with refinement and skill. I, however, found the rambling, expansive patterns of her writing style to be boring and unengaging. It was something like riding down a river an an inner tube—I was half awake, just along for the ride. I’m not actually a big reader of action novels—I’ve never read an “action scene” without skimming in my life. However, I think there needs to be something in an author’s prose to grab me and, unfortunately, I did not find it in The Lost Girl.

Really, I felt similarly about all of this book. Eva’s struggles were interesting, and they had depth, but I found myself yawning through them. The plot twists were surprising, but I couldn’t muster the emotion to care. The end was, well, bittersweet and memorable, but I didn’t care. Really, I just couldn’t bring myself to care very much about The Lost Girl. It’s different and complex and well-written, with a character I could root for. But I didn’t care.

I don’t know exactly what it was that was so lacking in this book. Reading positive reviews from my friends, I readily agree with everything they have to say. Yet this book didn’t touch me on the same level as it did them. Something—I’m not sure what—was missing. Maybe it’s because I was never (and will never be) interested in Frankenstein?

In any case, I found that I did enjoy The Lost Girl to a certain extent. As I said, Mandanna’s prose is lovely, if overly dense, and Eva was a wonderful protagonist. I enjoyed watching her adjust to some situations, though I found the final few chapters to be somewhat at odds with the earlier passages of the book. It is an interesting concept, for sure, though I think it wasn’t explored quite as well as it could have been.

I do recommend The Lost Girl, though it’s not a particular favorite of mine.