I'll preface this by saying that The Book of Lost Things is one of my favorite books of all time. It was formative for me as a writer and a reader, and at one point in my life I kept three copies on my shelf (two to loan and a spare in case I wanted to re-read it while someone else was borrowing it). I can't tell you how many times I re-read it during my teenage years.

With that being said, I was surprised to see a sequel on offer--the original book is neatly wrapped up and self-contained in a way that didn't seem to lend itself to a sequel. The author says as much in his acknowledgments; this book wasn't planned, but it came to be anyway.

The Land of Lost Things is solidly written, with vivid characters and a healthy dose of fairy tale magic in that special Connolly way. I enjoyed reading it, and it was nice to see some familiar faces as I traveled through the world of the book. I will say that it doesn't hit quite the same as the original--it's not as dark or gutting, and the stakes don't feel as high, and in places the meta about stories feels a little forced. That didn't reduce my enjoyment of it, but I don't see myself re-reading this one the way I did the first.

Overall it was nice to revisit this world as an adult. The print edition is also lovely with its gold foiling on the cover. Worth a read if you enjoyed the original.

Do you love adventure? Do you love dark fairy tales and especially fairy tale retellings told in beautiful prose? If the answer is yes then do I have the book for you. The Land of Lost Things is the long awaited sequel to The Book of Lost Things and i highly recommend you read the first book before reading this one. This is a page turning thrill ride of a fantasy book by the author of the very dark supernatural Charlie Parker detective series. This book made me laugh and at times brought tears to my eyes, I mean it has everything from giants to a support group for wicked witches in its pages.

While you might think this is a book for children, it and the first book definitely are not for little kids. There’s no sex but lots of dark violence (much like the Charlie Parker series). You will care deeply about Ceres and Phoebe by the end of this book.

While I got an ARC via NetGalley (thanks to the author and publisher) I also preordered a hardcover due to my love of the first book and I’m very glad I did because it is a book I will definitely read again.

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and John Connolly

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

I guess I stumbled onto the wrong kind of book. I can appreciate that “Land of Lost Things” is creative, imaginative, and very well thought out… but it did not land with me. I utilized the audiobook as well as reading the eBook and, frankly, I could not wait to be finished with it. I understand that it is the second book in the series to “The Book of Lost Things,” and perhaps being familiar with that one would have provided more momentum, but I am just not going to bet on that happening.

Three stars because John Connolly’s writing is beautiful, and I am sure fantasy fans are going to adore this. I just did not care about more magical forest creatures popping up (gawd, I sound so grumpy!). My gaze is drifting over to my shelf to a five-hundred-page book of his, “The Furies,” which I will tackle someday. It is classified as a mystery-supernatural-thriller, and I am optimistic.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Lost Things was perfect as a standalone, but this book came and fit perfectly to the universe.

Ceres's life just wasn't the same anymore after an accident left her only daughter in a coma. She made it her mission to tell her stories , hoping her daughter could hear her even though she can't respond at all. One day she started making up stories about the Crooked Man even though she totally had no idea where the story came from. then someone told her about The Book of Lost Things--David's book. her curiosity get the better of her, went trespassing David's house, chased by mysterious person, running away, then ended up on the Land of Lost Things.

This book was set years after the first book, following a different main character who's happen to be a full grown adult woman who has a kid. At first I was confused like who's the real MC? surely not this woman since this is a middle grade book? but as I read along, i get the reason. And unlike the first book that focuses on David's grief, this book was more centered about the experience of being a mother. there's still fairytales characters with twists in their characters, and there's a surprise related to the first book. the ending made me a little sad but overall it's a good ook. i prefer this to the first.

“We must be careful of our fancies and wary of our dreams, lest the worst of them should be heard or witnessed, and something should choose to act upon them.”

Are you up for a partly sweet, partly sinister bedtime story? If so, John Connolly is your man, and this is your book. My thanks go to Net Galley and Atria Books for the review copy. This book was published in September, 2023, and I am disgracefully late, but this is largely due to my realization that I could not read the second in a two book set and review it effectively without first ferreting out the first book, The Book of Lost Things. Now that I’ve read them both, I can recommend both to you unreservedly. At the same time, I will caution you that—what with the titles of this and its predecessor—this is emphatically not a children’s book! When I saw the title, I wondered if, like so many authors of late, Connolly had decided he should write a book for tiny tots. This is not that! Don’t hand this book to your child, or anyone else’s, unless they are already both old and mature enough to enjoy the works of Stephen King—or for that matter, other books by Mr. Connolly.

In the first book, a boy named David, who is mourning the death of his beloved mother and increasingly alienated from his father, stepmother, and tiny baby (half) brother, begins to notice strange things about the books in his bedroom, which came with the house. Events lead him to a place near his house, where he is sucked into an alternate world in an alternate wood, and it is there that nearly all of the narrative takes place.

Now, in this story, we have one of David’s descendants, a young mother named Ceres, whose little daughter, Phoebe, lies comatose in a hospital. Because of the place’s location, she decides to stay in a family home that is not being used currently, what with being rundown, but which is convenient to the place where Phoebe is. And yes of course, it’s that house, and those woods are still there.

Nearly twenty years separate the publication of the first book and the second, and I can see the difference immediately. Whereas The Book of Lost Things is well written and quite memorable, The Land of Lost Things is even better. The pages turn themselves, and the words pop off the pages. The fairy tales that Connolly implants into the first half of the book are cleverly altered, and I laugh out loud more than once as I read them. And then, as things darken and become more intense, the dangers more palpable, it’s hard for me to look away. I learned years ago not to read Connolly’s work too close to bedtime, and that habit stands me in good stead here.

Part of the charm inherent in everything Connolly writes is his impatience with pretentious attitudes and behaviors, and his deep respect for women. Add to this his tight, resonant dialogue and his dark, crackling wit, and the result is a large, loyal fan base, of which I am obviously one.

For those that love satire and are drawn to things that go bump in the dark, this magical book—and its predecessor—are highly recommended.

This sequel is a spectacular re-entry to the world created in Book of Lost Things. I loved the new characters and was glad to see a couple familiar ones return. The writing of this novel is just like I remember in the last book — entrancing. I am buying a copy specifically to mark it up for the beauty of the language. I am so grateful that books like this — playful, dark, intelligent — exist for readers like me.

This is a well written book. It has some fine lines, a few well-conceived set pieces, a fair share of perceptive and insightful observations, and some lean dialogue. That said, try as I might I found neither the characters, nor their situations, nor the overall narrative engaging enough to arouse or hold my curiosity and attention. As a consequence, it doesn't seem fair to write much more of a review, apart from encouraging inquisitive readers to give the book a try.

The writing is solid, creating a vivid atmosphere, but the plot is a mix of captivating moments and predictability. Characters are well-developed, though some lack depth. Pacing fluctuates, making it a decent but not outstanding read.

This is a fairytale story within a story with dark undertones. It is a follow-up to The Book of Lost Things and I enjoyed revisiting Elsewhere and its characters. While the prose is beautiful, this isn’t a feel good kind of story, it is a story about finding ones way through grief and difficult times. Overall, what I liked most is Connolly’s obvious love of books, there are so many quotes that I highlighted while reading reflecting my love of reading and books.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

4.25⭐️

When a car accident leaves eight-year-old Phoebe comatose, her doctors advise her mother Ceres to shift her to a care facility located on the property of a writer who vanished years ago. Devastated and scared of losing her daughter, Ceres, who shares a love for reading, instilled in her by her father, with her daughter spends her time at her child’s bedside reading from her favorite book of fairy tales to her. The writer’s old home located on the property seems to beckon to Ceres who gives in to the temptation to explore further which leads her into a world that she believed only existed in the pages of a book. The narrative follows Ceres as tries to find a way back to her daughter.

Touching upon themes of grief, loss, loneliness, resilience, and hope, The Land of Lost Things by John Connelly takes us back into the world of Elsewhere -the magic and adventure in a world inhabited by forces of good and evil. We meet several new characters and revisit some whom we met in The Book of Lost Things. Vivid imagery, stories within stories and the magic of books and reading transport us to a world of fantasy, folklore and fairytales (with a dark twist). Beautifully written, full of heart, immersive and just as memorable as The Book of Lost Things, this is another winner from author John Connolly. I did feel the pace faltered in parts, but this did not detract from the overall reading experience. Though this book does work as a standalone, I would recommend reading The Book of Lost Things before picking this one up for a more wholesome reading experience. Overall, I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable read that left me with a smile on my face, a lump in my throat and a feeling of gratitude for all the books and stories that have been my best friends and continue to be a source of comfort for whenever I need them.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Didn’t realize this was a sequel and felt like I was a little in the dark! I feel like I would have understood more if I’d read the first but I still enjoyed the magical world!

The Land of Lost Things is the follow-up to Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things. I chose to read this story because I enjoyed the first book immensely and was craving a “Twice upon a time” story. The book pulled me in from the beginning, especially being that just recently my family experienced a tragedy very similar to Ceres. What are the chances? This is a heartwarming tale and a grim-like fairytale. A tribute to the power of reading and sharing that experience with loved ones. Connolly transported me to a magical world with his gift of world-building and lyrical prose.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have an extremely special connection to The Book of Lost things. It's a comfort book that I reread every time I'm sick and has a visceral response within me that simultaneously makes me feel nostalgia and adventure. I was ecstatic when I learned that there would be a second one, but also extraordinarily nervous. How can anything possibly live up to something that I hold so dear to my heart? Reader, The Land of Lost Things does exactly that. The sense of returning home that I felt when I read the first lines brought literal tears to my eyes. John Connolly will forever have my awe and respect for the way he weaves stories from my childhood, from myth and legend, into a new and unexpected world to explore. Poignant and wistful, magical and thought provoking, and absolutely unforgettable.

I am sad to say that second book malady has hit. This was not as well written nor as clever as the first. I was very disappointed as I’m sure others will be. Next one!

Sequel to the Book of Lost Things. Ceres has a young daughter in a coma and moves her to a residential facility in the country near Ceres's childhood home. This also happens to be very near the home where David lived in the first book, and Ceres is eventually summoned to the Land of Lost Things. I really enjoyed this. It's actually pretty different from the first one, and it's hard to compare or say I liked one more or less because the world becomes very different with Ceres's arrival and also she is a very different character (a single mother) with very different motivations than David (an adolescent boy) so that things play out differently. I think I am also giving this one 4.5 stars rounded to 4, same as the first book. I hope we see more from this world in the future.

I eagerly requested this sequel to The Book of Lost Things when it became available on Netgalley, anticipating a magical journey similar to the original. Unfortunately it was not the case. Whether it was because I was in a different place or the author was telling a different story, I just found myself disconnected from the characters and the conflict. For that reason it took me weeks to reach the conclusion, meanwhile reading other books in between to break up the long slog.
The story begins in our world with an accident that puts daughter Phoebe in a coma and leads to her mother’s quest for healing. Cerce finds herself a teenager in a fantasy world of creatures with all kinds of powers and the worst aspects of human nature. The author uses this chance to comment, rather heavy-handedly, on the human condition. Every now and then he regains his form and writes some gripping scenes of battles and horror but for the most part I was left unmoved. And if you are hoping for the conventional fairytale ending, be warned. You won’t get it. I hope I am saving you the disappointment I felt upon completing the journey and the book.

I loved The Book of Lost Things and was so excited to see the sequel. Unfortunately it fell short for me and I just couldn't get into the story. The prose was wonderful but it just moved too slow and was missing the magic of the first book.

The Land of Lost Things is a fantasy rooted in a poignant reality: A mother's grief as her daughter lies in a coma after a head injury, a state from which recovery is possible though unlikely. The mother's quest for her daughter's return, lived out in a rich and frightening fairytale world, is absorbing-- and I say this as a reader whose natural inclinations don't lean toward fantasy novels. But John Connolly is an exceptional writer. Particularly for lovers of imaginative fiction, this book is a winner.

The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly is about the power of love and hope and family, the wonders that grow from reading, the enchantments in the worlds of books, and the place of fairy or folk tales in our lives. This book builds on Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things but can be read as a standalone, which is what I have done. (I do plan to read the first book soon.)

As the story opens, Ceres, is watching as her young daughter, Phoebe, is being cared for in hospital some time after having been hit by a car driven by a distracted driver. Phoebe has been unconscious, comatose since the accident and Ceres is losing hope. The child’s transfer to a specialty care hospital returns Ceres to her childhood home and she continues regularly visiting her daughter. Ceres brings their favorite book of fairy tales to read to her in the hope she may hear. Ceres was raised by a father steeped in folklore and legends and has shared some of this with Phoebe.

Ceres doesn’t realize that she is days away from entering a different reality, one her father would have recognized, populated by beings not primarily human. There she will experience her own tale all the while worrying about her daughter and remembering all she was taught by her father.

This is a wonderful tribute to the love and power of books and reading as well as the bonds created within families by reading together. It is also a loving tribute to imagination, to the folklore that has been gifted us from the past, and an invitation to be our own writers and readers whenever we choose.

Highly recommended to those who enjoy stories, fantasy, fairytales or, better yet, folklore, or a great read. Connolly is a gifted writer.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. The review is my own.