Citation: Connolly, John. The Book of Lost Things. New York: Atria Books, 2006. Print.
Annotation: After David's mother dies and his father remarries, David would give just about anything to escape. Little did he know, an escape awaits him that would have him longing for home again, only he will have to overcomes magical beasts, a tricky crooked man and packs of ravenous wolves to get there.
Justification for Nomination:
John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things is the pinnacle of fantasy, a fairy tale for adults. Beginning with a gold leaf cover that is crawling with ivy and an opening line of “Once upon a time”, both the aesthetics and format of The Book of Lost Things emulate a bygone age, where Grimm's fairy tales were regularly stocked on shelves and stories were told at night around fireplaces as a regular past time. Connolly’s story is lengthier and darker than some might expect for a fairy tale, but his intriguing characters, fast-moving plot and substantive approach appeal to both adult and young adult readers. The book's omniscient third person narrator follows David, a young adult on a journey of self-discovery through a magical land of dreams, or better yet nightmares while transforming the reader's imagination and challenging the reader's understanding of the genre. While The Book of Lost Things is an adult market title, nearly every aspect of the story appeals to young adult readers, from the riveting horror to the deeper questioning of oneself.
The obvious connection between the protagonist, David and young adult readers is age and experience. When David's father remarries and his half-brother Georgie consumes his parents' time and energy, David feels displaced within his family. He is angry and makes an escape from his discontent into an alternative realm which holds within it both the beauty of dreams and the terror of nightmares. At first David finds himself wondering if he is missed, if he matters to his family and whether he will be able to find a place in his new world. The journey within this alternate reality mirrors a quest theme, in which David embarks a child, scared and selfish and finishes a man, flawed but self-aware and conscientious of others. In this world he confronts his fears, but more important he confronts his own short-comings and gains new wisdom from them. Connolly's story echoes the adolescent experience- it is a search for identity, a journey to find ones own worth- a difficult but worthwhile journey indeed.
Genre: Coming of Age, Fantasy, ALEX Award Winner
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