Lost and Found

by Carolyn Parkhurst

7 oddly matched pairs - a mother and daughter, 2 business partners, 2 flight attendants, a born-again Christian couple, 2 former child stars and other unlikely pairings - are thrown together to compete in a high-stakes televised contest. It is a new reality show called LOST AND FOUND, a global scavenger hunt whose initial purpose in entertainment. But with each challenge the drama builds as the number of players is whittled down. Laura signed on to try and re- connect with her recalcitrant teenage daughter, Cassie. But Cassie knows they were only selected because of a secret she hides, which one of the show's producers hopes will be revealed as the pressure of the competition mounts. Justin and Abby want to use the million-dollar prize to spread their message of faith but the game soon puts their marriage to the test. Juliet and Dallas, deep in the where are they now? Stage of stardom just hope to put some life back in their fading careers. But as the game escalates, tension mounts, temptations beckon and the bonds between teammates begin to fray. The question is not only who will capture the final prize but at what cost?

• ISBN10: 0316015555
• ISBN13: 9780316015554
• Publish Date: 1 January 2006
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 9 December 2008
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Little, Brown & Company
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[ibeforem]

Lost and Found is an Amazing Race-esque reality show where teams of 2 compete in a sort of scavenger hunt in locales around the world.

When we join the story, they are about halfway through their journey. At the center of the story are Laura and her daughter Cassie. Laura is hoping to reconnect with Cassie on this adventure, because they've both recently been through a trauma -- Cassie hid a pregnancy, and Laura didn't know until she'd given birth.

Some of the other contestants of note are Juliet and Dallas, former child stars; Justin and Abby, newlyweds who have both "graduated" from gay conversion therapy; and Carl and Jeff, brothers who are hoping to use the prize for Carl's son's healthcare.

The story follows the group on their journey through the show, which gets complicated by a twist in the team makeups. You get chapters from different character's points of view, but Laura always remains the main eyes through which we see.

I enjoy the Amazing Race, so this book was a bit of a treat for me. It was also a good reminder that much of reality TV isn't reality at all. I liked the book more than I expected to!