This was just a bitch eh for me. Couldn't really engage with any of the characters or their stories. Shame :(

I really enjoyed this book! There aren't any other books I can think of that you could compare it to but it's heartfelt and I loved Michael as a character. Definitely one I'll be recommending to our teen readers!

What an important novel, I mean seriously. I love how this speaks of a time that teens today may not really know much about or truly understand just how devastating it was. I love that it comes voices similar to their own. I love how well Dunbar was able to weave the fear and ignorance and naivete and excess into what ends up being a wonderfully hopeful story. I loved the characters and the storytelling. I loved this book. I think this definitely needs to be on all YA shelves and would make for an exceptional book club selection. This book demands to be discussed and I think I appreciate that most of all.

In order to structure my thoughts, I will create a list of what I liked about this book (I) and a list of what I didn't so much like (II).
I.
- Historical Gay YA: I like the idea of historical fiction for YA, especially LGBTQ YA. I think it is important for young LGBTQ folks to explore their complex histories and fiction is a great way to contextualize and experience that.
- Writing: Parts of this book were written in such a beautiful and clear prose that I was moved. It never felt overwrought, but always felt appropriate.

II.
- Not OwnVoices: I have enjoyed books written by women about gay boys (as the trend tends to go), but I am often just a little suspicious of them. I often feel their heart is in the right place (but I have to question it, always) but sometimes something seems to be missing. I think writers should and are able to write outside themselves and their own experiences, that is what makes a good writer, but I also think this book suffered in this regard. Michael never felt, to me, fully formed. He was a narrator I felt unconnected to, as if he was telling me a story too far removed from his own real experiences; a voice looking back and forgetting. And I cared about the story! I cared about Michael, James, Connor, and Becky. I wanted to connect to them in a way I never truly felt I did. AIDS feels like a specter in the narrative, but it isn't engaged with except Michael's fear. But his fear never has an outlet. He never has a moment of revelation outside of himself. Other characters encounter this (James, Connor) and communicate it to him. It was a missed opportunity for such a definitive moment in history for the LGBTQ community.
- Writing: There were things I just did not like about the writing. I did not like the choppiness, the way time seemed to flow in spurts. I did not like how the writer did not use quotation marks (this is a per peeve of mine in general). I could never tell when a speaker was done talking and Michael's narration picked up.
- Plot/Narrative: Not much happened in this story. I am not usually a person to mind this. Sometimes not a lot needs to happen for a story to be meaningful. But the other elements didn't hold it up. Michael's narration wasn't interesting or introspective <i>enough</i> for it alone to carry the story. The side-characters were interesting but not present enough to feel important.

In the end, I'd recommend this book to young readers if for no other reason than a primer for talking about the AIDS epidemic.

I was drawn to this book first of all because of two things: the cover and the reference to The Perks of Being a Wallflower in the blurb. Of course, the summary of the story then led me to further know that this was definitely a book I wanted to read. Even with all of that very promising material, I had no clue quite how much this book would resonate with both my emotions and my love for creative writing.

Before I go on to describe my reading experience, a summary: We Are Lost and Found, set in the early 1980’s New York City, centres around Michael and his two best friends, who try to find their way to being happy with who they are despite fear of judgement and the unknown. With the weight of his father’s rejection of his gay older brother Connor and the building fear of AIDS looming over him, Micheal struggles to find a future in which he can possibly be himself. When he isn’t hanging out with his best friends James and Becky, he seeks reprieve in a nightclub called The Echo. There, he meets Gabriel, a boy who finally sees him for who he is and leads Michael to question what he’s willing to risk for happiness.

When I first started reading We Are Lost and Found, it took me a little while to get into the stream of the writing style. I was confused at first by the lack of quotation marks, for example, as I’d assumed this was a book that would follow a common narrative form. Instead, the novel is told in vignettes, some like poems and some similar to journal entries penned by Michael. I got used to the style quickly and fell into the story with a sense of awe. For me, the whole book felt like a really long, intricate and whimsical poem. Which I absolutely loved. Helene Dunbar has managed to writing something truly unique and moving and I couldn’t applaud her writing more.

Of course, it’s not just her writing style that makes this book, it’s the content as well. While a big part of that was the characters and their individual paths, whether it was Michael and Connor finding theirs in the face of their father’s conservatism and open hatred of homosexuals, or James’ as he tries to navigate the theatre scene and love in the face of art, judgement and fear of death, or Becky as she supports her best friends struggling with being gay and deals with her own issues, it was the exploration of the AIDS epidemic that really hit me the most.

I knew a fair amount about the history of HIV/AIDS before reading this book, but now I feel like I have a deeper understanding of it. Michael, Connor, James and Gabriel, and even Becky even though she wasn’t directly impacted by the fear of the disease in the same way, made me think about people in the 1980’s who were strongly affected by the epidemic. Michael in particular, as the narrator, felt so real and it was clear to me that he embodies so many people in the past, present and future who have suffered. Michael fears having sex because he doesn’t understand AIDS, no one does. Even after reading an important article and a brochure about safe sex, the fear of catching the disease that has already killed so many is always there for him, as it was for many in the 1980’s and still is today. The two afterwords included in the book were perfect accompaniments, giving further information and insight into both the setting of the book, how real the characters were imagined and history of the disease.

I don’t think I know what else to say about this book. It’s so much more important than anything I can write in a blog post, so all I can say now is READ IT. If you don’t know much about HIV/AIDS, or already known a lot, or if you want to read a story about teenagers finding a way to be themselves in a messed up world, this is a book for you. I think it’s a book everyone should read. I am so grateful I have.

Firstly, I loved the plot and the storyline. It was really hard to put this book down because of the plot. It was hard to read without the quotations at many points and at first I was mad but kind of got over it as the story went on. (but I did think about them the entire time). I liked many of the characters and I’m not sure if this book is going to have a sequel but I felt like there were a small handful of loose ends at the very end. Still I loved the characters and the story and recommend giving it a read.

Utterly gorgeous and emotionally evocative, Helene Dunbar's We Are Lost and Found feels like pages from a person's diary. It so effectively and beautifully captures the early 1980s in New York City, what it was like to be a teenager struggling with your sexuality and your desire to be loved and be seen, and the uncertainties and fears of the early days of AIDS.

Michael, James, and Becky are best friends. While Michael and Becky are still in high school, James is two years older, and is a performance artist. James is always the center of attention—his ethereal good looks and his magnetic self-confidence tend to pull everyone toward him.

Michael is envious of James knowing who he is. Ever since Michael's father threw his older brother Connor out of the house after he came out, Michael wants to do everything he can to stay under the radar, yet at the same time, he's just dying to tell his parents the truth. In fact, he wants to tell everyone the truth but at the same time, he's not quite ready to make that leap.

The one place Michael feels at home is at The Echo, a gay dance club. There he can lose himself in the music, flirt without consequence, and not have to acknowledge all of the anxieties he carries with him on a daily basis. He doesn't have to be stuck between his parents and his brother, he doesn't have to lie to his parents about where he's going, he just enjoys the few hours he has, simply to be.

When Michael meets Gabriel, he finally feels seen for the first time, by someone who is interested in him, not in using him to get to James. Michael is lost in the flush of first love, despite the fact that he can't really spend time with Gabriel except at The Echo once a week, despite the fact he can't tell his parents why he's happy. And the more his feelings and his desire for Gabriel intensify, the more his fears about AIDS start to consume him. How does anyone know who's safe? Is it safer never to be with anyone than to put yourself at risk, even if it is all you want?

We Are Lost and Found really struck a chord for me. While I was a little bit younger than these characters in the early 1980s, Dunbar really captured that period of time so perfectly. Coming of age and struggling with my sexuality in the midst of anxieties about AIDS was immensely difficult. The fears of how your parents would react to your telling the truth about your sexuality coupled with wanting to be loved (or even just liked) and the general upheaval of being a teenager was difficult enough, let alone wondering if being with a person could lead to a death sentence.

Dunbar is a fantastic writer. I fell in love with these characters and was really rooting for them, and hoped the book didn't take a severely maudlin turn. The book is told in vignettes more than chapters, and Dunbar doesn't use quotation marks to denote dialogue (at least in the advance version I read), but neither of those things bothered me in the slightest. I honestly could have done with more of the book because I was sad when it ended—it probably didn't help that I read the entire thing in one day.

Maybe some of those who lived through those days will remember things differently, but as someone who was close in age to the characters at the time the book took place, We Are Lost and Found was pitch-perfect. A beautiful book so well-told, one that I won't soon forget.

NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire provided me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

This book will be published September 3, 2019.

I’ll be honest and admit the the only reason I really requested an ARC of We Are Lost and Found was its cover. I was also pretty intrigued by the setting (New York City in the early 1980s) and the fact that this basically sounded like a YA version of Rent. Well, after reading it, I can say that it definitely isn’t YA Rent, although it was an interesting and well-written book.

So… we’ll start with the good. I loved Becky and James. They felt like they could really be my friends. I liked Michael’s complicated relationship with his brother. I pretty much love anything set in the 80s, so that was a definite plus for me too. I also thought that the book was really well-written.

Things I liked less were the lack of quotation marks throughout the book — it made it very difficult to determine who was talking, if anyone, and really pulled me out of the story — and what felt like a lack of plot. I mean, sure, it’s about a gay boy in 1980s NYC amid the AIDS crisis, but nothing huge happens.

The synopsis of this book compares it to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which, for once, is a pretty accurate comparison. I had the same problem with that book, so it might just be an issue of me not really connecting with this type of story.

Dunbar's novel takes us into the heart of New York City during the rise of the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, setting us in an atmosphere of confusion and fear and homophobia. I really enjoyed this story, and although I didn't feel as if there was a lot of growth for any of the characters, they didn't feel too static but instead real because this story takes place over a very short period of time. Michael, our narrator, and protagonist, often felt like a wallflower grappling with his own sexual orientation and where he fit into the world, and perhaps the fear the kept him back didn't make him as an intriguing of a protagonist, but then again he also tended to fall into the average Joe trope area. Becky and James on the other hand, I could really see them and their layers even though they were often sidelined and blurred by Michael's limited and biased perceptions. I would have thoroughly enjoyed seeing from James's point of view, especially taking into account how flamboyant characters are so frequently the side characters of every narrative written. At the end of the day, I still couldn't put Michael's story down and I wish I could have another glimpse into his world, maybe this time with a chance for everyone to grow.

hmm.. well i don't know. maybe im in some type of mood? because i felt absolutely nothing while reading this.

obviously i hated the writing style. the complete lack of quotation marks to indicate when someone was speaking was incredibly annoying. i often wasnt sure if what i was reading was narration or dialogue. i shouldnt have to spend my time deciphering who's speaking if anyone is at all.

i was a kinda hesitant when i found out this was not an ownvoices book and truthfully i think this book did suffer for it. i just have found that the topic of aids in the lgbt community has always impacted me more, emotionally, whenever it comes from a more personal and experienced voice.

i did like the characters. the friendship dynamic between michael, james and becky was nice to read. the brotherly dynamic between michael and connor was relatable i could see my own brother and myself in them. not sure i felt a whole lot with gabriel and michael although i did more or less like gabriel's character on his own.

overall it was okay but it didnt totally capture my attention. i did finish this in one sitting but i grew bored every once in a while.

https://bibwithblog.blogspot.com/2019/04/if-you-are-lost-find-this-review-of-we.html?m=1

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the EARC I received in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Before I read Helene Dunbar’s We are Lost and Found, I read a blurb comparing it to The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I couldn’t help but do a (figurative) double take since PoBaW, Stephen Chbosky’s coming of age masterpiece is pretty much my go to read when I want to really think about the high school experience for anyone who doesn’t fit neatly into a clique. In other words, a pretty high bar was set before I even started reading.

I have to say, this book totally lived up to my expectations. It was heartbreaking and raw and addressed things head on. So head on, in fact, that you flinch as you feel them coming towards you.

We are Lost and Found focuses primarily on our main character, Michael, his best friends, Becky and James, and his brother Connor. All the male characters are young, gay males struggling with their sexualities at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in NYC. The book asks questions that, while specific to the epidemic, are still timely today: how do teens minimize the risks to their bodies while exploring their sexualities? How can you protect yourself when it requires so much faith in other people? How can you have faith when your life experiences are telling you not to?


Tackling the issues of STIs, sexuality, love, commitment, and familial stress, We are Lost and Found is an authentic and genuine journey through the angst of adolescence. It faces these issues without being overwrought or soap operaesque. It’s painful, thoughtful, sweet, and hopeful. This is the book every teen should read this year.

My review will be posted on August 3, 2019 at my website: http://www.kinziethings.com
Link will be active then; https://wp.me/paKz1h-U8

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The descriptive bit: We Are Lost And Found by Helene Dunbar tells an important story that took place in the 80s. Michael is a young man who is just becoming comfortable with his sexuality, and he’s living in a time when he has to contemplate the fact that having sex might kill him. HIV/AIDS is spreading even though, at that time, there was nothing certain about transmission. To add to the uncertainty in Michael’s life, his brother Connor has been kicked out of the family home by their homophobic father. All that keeps Michael sane is his free-spirited friend, James, his bestie Becky and the mysterious boy he keeps meeting at his favorite club.

My thoughts bit: Oh this book. I absolutely loved it. Full transparency – I began volunteering at AIDS organizations in the early 90s and was running one five years later. This was my time frame. Dunbar really captured the fear and confusion that was rampant in the 80s and 90s. HIV/AIDS was such a huge thing hanging over a community of people who had once been very sexually free.

Michael is a great character. He’s complex and I really enjoyed being in his head for a while. His home life was heart-breaking with a homophobic father and a mother without the wherewithal to stand up for her sons. Michael finds his escape from uncertainty at The Echo – a dance club that has become his little island of safety.

Michael is often in the shadow of his friend James. James is artistic, mysterious and creative and he draws people to him. Becky, on the other hand, is worried about everyone. While Becky and James have a bit of friction between them, Michael seems to be the glue that holds their friendship together.

Once Michael meets Gabriel things change. Gabriel only has eyes for Michael and for the first time in his life Michael is pushed out of his comfort zone. He has to figure out how to be the person he needs to be without being thrown out of his home. How does it feel when you see your first Pride parade? How do you make the decision to have sex in a time when there’s a deadly disease that no one knows how to prevent? How do you protect yourself from something you can’t see? What risk is worth it?

This is an important story. There are so many people who have forgotten what happened during the 80s and 90s. This is a story that has needed to be retold for the YA audience and I think that Dunbar has nailed it.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the music references throughout this story. I want the soundtrack! I had to stop a couple of times while I was reading to head to Apple Music! The music was a great way to round out the feel of the time.

The warnings bit: Please be aware, I’m by no means an expert on what may or may not have the potential to disturb people. I simply list things that I think a reader might want to be aware of. In this book: Homophobic speech, homophobia, hate crime (homophobia results in physical assault), verbally abusive parent, mention of unprotected sex.

I received an ARC of We Are Lost And Found by Helene Dunbar from SOURCEBOOKS Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book was so good that I wasn't even annoyed with the lack of quotation marks. Michael's story offers amazing insight of what it was like to be part of the LGBTQ community during the AIDS crisis. His story is heartbreaking but also hopeful, and I found it easy to get sucked into every single word of this book.