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orangejasmine's review against another edition
2.0
I'm very disappointed. This would have been better as a hard hitting contemporary than the strange mystery/thriller it actually was. 2.5/5 stars
graceburts's review against another edition
3.0
3.75 stars
Fragments of the Lost follows Jessa as she cleans out the room of her dead ex-boyfriend and all the emotional turmoil that follows. It follows her as she remembers their past and tries to piece together the last days of his life to figure out where he was going when his car was driven off the road.
This book was so original. Which is weird because it was about grief, which we’ve all read about and relationships, which we all experience but the way Megan Miranda wrote these characters and their reactions to the situation made it unlike any YA book I had ever read; or any book for that matter. The characters in this novel are not particularly striking or original, but it hardly matters because what makes them interesting to read about is the way Miranda portrays their emotions. She has such a deep-rooted understanding of the way every one of them feels, and it's evident from every single word written, and because of this, the characters feel like real people.
The relationship drama and flashbacks of a once loving relationship were also super interesting to read about. I don’t like romance, but the deterioration of relationships fascinates me. It is a reality not many authors acknowledge. This isn’t a book about a toxic relationship like you might expect but miscommunication and secrets and growing apart and facades and how no one truly knows anyone; all things I love to read about. This book made me think and not only about what happened to Caleb(the boyfriend). The themes explored were rich and thought-provoking, and I had to stop so many times in the middle of listening to this audiobook to just sit there and think because it was that good. I'm 100% in support of reading for entertainment alone, but I can't help appreciate when a book takes it a step farther and makes you question things you thought you understood and this book does that perfectly.
I did have some slight issues while in the middle of this that enabled me from giving this book a perfect rating, but those were more personal things than actual flaws of the book. For example, Jessa reminded me too much of a past version of myself that I don’t like thinking about and the addition of a love triangle( which if you ask me is always a cheap option).
I did, however, enjoy the ending and the way all the plot points and underlying message wrapped up together. The writing was smooth and effective. It felt like the main character was speaking directly to you, the memories fade in and out seamlessly, and the title is perfect.
Despite my personal issues with this novel and the fact that it took me super long to read I would 100% recommend this book. It’s a highly underrated, wonderfully written YA thriller focusing on a brilliant and unique set of themes following a collection of the most real and relatable characters I’ve ever read about. I highly recommend.
Fragments of the Lost follows Jessa as she cleans out the room of her dead ex-boyfriend and all the emotional turmoil that follows. It follows her as she remembers their past and tries to piece together the last days of his life to figure out where he was going when his car was driven off the road.
This book was so original. Which is weird because it was about grief, which we’ve all read about and relationships, which we all experience but the way Megan Miranda wrote these characters and their reactions to the situation made it unlike any YA book I had ever read; or any book for that matter. The characters in this novel are not particularly striking or original, but it hardly matters because what makes them interesting to read about is the way Miranda portrays their emotions. She has such a deep-rooted understanding of the way every one of them feels, and it's evident from every single word written, and because of this, the characters feel like real people.
The relationship drama and flashbacks of a once loving relationship were also super interesting to read about. I don’t like romance, but the deterioration of relationships fascinates me. It is a reality not many authors acknowledge. This isn’t a book about a toxic relationship like you might expect but miscommunication and secrets and growing apart and facades and how no one truly knows anyone; all things I love to read about. This book made me think and not only about what happened to Caleb(the boyfriend). The themes explored were rich and thought-provoking, and I had to stop so many times in the middle of listening to this audiobook to just sit there and think because it was that good. I'm 100% in support of reading for entertainment alone, but I can't help appreciate when a book takes it a step farther and makes you question things you thought you understood and this book does that perfectly.
I did have some slight issues while in the middle of this that enabled me from giving this book a perfect rating, but those were more personal things than actual flaws of the book. For example, Jessa reminded me too much of a past version of myself that I don’t like thinking about and the addition of a love triangle( which if you ask me is always a cheap option).
I did, however, enjoy the ending and the way all the plot points and underlying message wrapped up together. The writing was smooth and effective. It felt like the main character was speaking directly to you, the memories fade in and out seamlessly, and the title is perfect.
Despite my personal issues with this novel and the fact that it took me super long to read I would 100% recommend this book. It’s a highly underrated, wonderfully written YA thriller focusing on a brilliant and unique set of themes following a collection of the most real and relatable characters I’ve ever read about. I highly recommend.
sandrareilly513's review against another edition
4.0
Jessa and Caleb's relationship was over before he was swept away during a flash flood, but that doesn't make her grief any less significant. She feels his loss in everything she comes across, especially all of the little pieces of his life she's packing away in his room at his mother's request. Each memory comes flooding back as she reflects on their relationship, both the good and the bad. Just when she wants to run and hide, her guilt compels her to continue. Everyone, including his mom, blames her for his death, assuming he was driving to see her when he was caught in the flooding river. But as Jessa packs each piece of Caleb's life into boxes, she begins to uncover evidence that Caleb may have been keeping secrets, realizing that the boy she knew never truly shared himself with her. With the help of his best friend, Max, Jessa is determined to uncover whatever Caleb was hiding. They thought they knew who Caleb was, but did they ever really know him? Some secrets should be kept for a reason...
I dived into this without remember what is was about. I was given an ebook copy from Netgalley back in November and didn't get around to reading it until now. Needless to say, I was beyond surprised. This was definitely not what I thought it would be when I started reading it. Fragments of the Lost is really two stories in one: first, we are introduced to Jessa and her relationship with Caleb in tiny fragments (obviously), as she packs away his things to help assuage her guilt about the circumstances of his death. Each memory is a reminder of how we can be so entwined with another person yet never truly know them. As her reminiscing becomes more and more detailed, so does her search for what really happened to Caleb. A story of grief-turned-mystery is a quick read for any reluctant reader and great for YA drama fans.
I dived into this without remember what is was about. I was given an ebook copy from Netgalley back in November and didn't get around to reading it until now. Needless to say, I was beyond surprised. This was definitely not what I thought it would be when I started reading it. Fragments of the Lost is really two stories in one: first, we are introduced to Jessa and her relationship with Caleb in tiny fragments (obviously), as she packs away his things to help assuage her guilt about the circumstances of his death. Each memory is a reminder of how we can be so entwined with another person yet never truly know them. As her reminiscing becomes more and more detailed, so does her search for what really happened to Caleb. A story of grief-turned-mystery is a quick read for any reluctant reader and great for YA drama fans.
avidreader8725's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Death
brittany_tellefsen's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5/5
When Jessa Whitworth is asked to pack up the room of her recently deceased ex-boyfriend, she is more than a little hesitant. Afterall, his mother blames her for his death and they weren't exactly on the best terms when he died.
But as she starts packing and loses herself in memories of her time with Caleb, she starts to uncover pieces of his life that were hidden to her and she starts to question what she knew about him...and even wonders if his death was really an accident as it appeared.
Each piece she uncovers puts together more of the puzzle as she becomes determined to find what really happened to Caleb, and who else could be involved.
--------
This was an interesting reading experience as it blends well the genre of YA contemporary with mystery/thriller.
The first 75% or more of the book read like a harder-hitting YA Contemporary as we, through Jess's eyes, learn about Caleb and his life with her fromt he time they first started dating to their rocky end.
However, told between snippets of the past and present day actions, we, along with Jess, start to realize their is more to the situation then what there appears and the mystery slowly unravels until the last few chapters when it really takes on a more thriller-like quality.
I honestly enjoyed the way that this story was told, and I found myself quite invested in the mystery.
I will say, that the overall mystery was fairly predictable and will likely not leave anyone with their jaws weighted to the floor in disbelief.
Despite this, I still enjoyed the process and following Jess as she uncovered the secrets Caleb was hiding for her. But I would say my main complaint was how quickly and easily jess connected these threads that, in my opinion, did not really seem all that linked. And how she suddenly was finding new information from memories she had held for months. Though I guess that is possible when presented with new information, I had to susped my disbelief at some aspects of this story.
All in all though, I enjoyed Miranda's story-telling and will be picking up one of her other thrillers soon!
When Jessa Whitworth is asked to pack up the room of her recently deceased ex-boyfriend, she is more than a little hesitant. Afterall, his mother blames her for his death and they weren't exactly on the best terms when he died.
But as she starts packing and loses herself in memories of her time with Caleb, she starts to uncover pieces of his life that were hidden to her and she starts to question what she knew about him...and even wonders if his death was really an accident as it appeared.
Each piece she uncovers puts together more of the puzzle as she becomes determined to find what really happened to Caleb, and who else could be involved.
--------
This was an interesting reading experience as it blends well the genre of YA contemporary with mystery/thriller.
The first 75% or more of the book read like a harder-hitting YA Contemporary as we, through Jess's eyes, learn about Caleb and his life with her fromt he time they first started dating to their rocky end.
However, told between snippets of the past and present day actions, we, along with Jess, start to realize their is more to the situation then what there appears and the mystery slowly unravels until the last few chapters when it really takes on a more thriller-like quality.
I honestly enjoyed the way that this story was told, and I found myself quite invested in the mystery.
I will say, that the overall mystery was fairly predictable and will likely not leave anyone with their jaws weighted to the floor in disbelief.
Despite this, I still enjoyed the process and following Jess as she uncovered the secrets Caleb was hiding for her. But I would say my main complaint was how quickly and easily jess connected these threads that, in my opinion, did not really seem all that linked. And how she suddenly was finding new information from memories she had held for months. Though I guess that is possible when presented with new information, I had to susped my disbelief at some aspects of this story.
All in all though, I enjoyed Miranda's story-telling and will be picking up one of her other thrillers soon!
ktxx22's review against another edition
3.0
Perfectly adequate YA Thriller. I enjoyed the ending even if overall it was really predictable. I wasn’t a fan of any character with the exception of the other love interest/ best friend. I really felt like DNFing this early as I found the premise very strange.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoy Megan Miranda’s books and when I read the summary on Fragments of the Lost I immediately wanted to read.
This book focuses on Jessa Whitworth. Her ex-boyfriend recently died in a car accident and his mother (who I IMMEDIATELY didn’t like) basically tells Jessa that since she is all over that room she is the one who should pack it up. I thought Jessa should have responded a different way to his mom but in the end, Jessa wants to know what happened and she thinks she might find something in Caleb’s room.
This book shifts from current time to flashbacks and I liked how Miranda did it. If this is done well it helps to tell the story and since we can’t get Caleb’s part, we at least get to experience everything from how they met to how they broke up through these flashbacks. They also help Jessa realize that something was off. She might not have noticed everything real time but as she reflects on certain things, she starts to see that there were things she missed.
Considering this story revolves around the mystery of what happened to Caleb, there isn’t a lot I can say about the specifics but I thought Miranda did a great job of pulling the story together and keeping me interested not only in what really happened with Caleb but what happened to these two characters from start to finish.
The secondary characters in this book really helped move things along as well. The relationship that Jessa has with her brother and her parents was refreshing and I loved how they tried to support her through such a difficult time. Max was a nice addition to the story as well and I liked how he fit in to the overall story.
In the end, I think if you like Miranda’s other books you will enjoy this one too. I found myself plowing through it, so I could find out what exactly happened to Caleb. Miranda pulled me into all the feelings of this book from sadness to fear to anger and I loved every minute of it. If you are looking for a YA contemporary with a bit of a mystery, definitely check this out. I will be keeping an eye out for more from Megan Miranda, that’s for sure!
This book focuses on Jessa Whitworth. Her ex-boyfriend recently died in a car accident and his mother (who I IMMEDIATELY didn’t like) basically tells Jessa that since she is all over that room she is the one who should pack it up. I thought Jessa should have responded a different way to his mom but in the end, Jessa wants to know what happened and she thinks she might find something in Caleb’s room.
This book shifts from current time to flashbacks and I liked how Miranda did it. If this is done well it helps to tell the story and since we can’t get Caleb’s part, we at least get to experience everything from how they met to how they broke up through these flashbacks. They also help Jessa realize that something was off. She might not have noticed everything real time but as she reflects on certain things, she starts to see that there were things she missed.
Considering this story revolves around the mystery of what happened to Caleb, there isn’t a lot I can say about the specifics but I thought Miranda did a great job of pulling the story together and keeping me interested not only in what really happened with Caleb but what happened to these two characters from start to finish.
The secondary characters in this book really helped move things along as well. The relationship that Jessa has with her brother and her parents was refreshing and I loved how they tried to support her through such a difficult time. Max was a nice addition to the story as well and I liked how he fit in to the overall story.
In the end, I think if you like Miranda’s other books you will enjoy this one too. I found myself plowing through it, so I could find out what exactly happened to Caleb. Miranda pulled me into all the feelings of this book from sadness to fear to anger and I loved every minute of it. If you are looking for a YA contemporary with a bit of a mystery, definitely check this out. I will be keeping an eye out for more from Megan Miranda, that’s for sure!