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Libby Lost and Found, by Stephanie Booth, is a quick, quirky, and fun summer read. Booth weaves together a tale of imagination and reality that connect and intertwine in an endearing and strangely dependent way.

Throughout the novel, I found myself rooting for Libby, not to finish her novel so much as to beat the cruel disease she's up against. I enjoyed her quirky counterpart, 11-year-old Jessie, but also found myself tiring of her.

The tandem plot of "The Children" in Libby's last of her series of novels and their impending death, feels a lot like Netflix's 2016 series, "Stranger Things." Both present an underworld run by an evil being with herculean powers and children trying to stop the evil one and in effect, save the world. I found myself much more interested in Libby's life and her management of the disease robbing her creative mind.

Booth's story telling in both reality and fantasy are exceptional. Libby's daily decline into the abyss of dementia leaves the reader rooting for her and feeling anxious with each new day and her ability to handle the world waiting to take what it wants.

Initially I wondered the genre then realized it is part Fantasy, part Romance and part mystery all rolled into one cohesive story about a dysfunctional family….real and imagined. Libby and Peanut are the primary characters surrounded by a plethora of real and imagined characters which make this a very colorful story. Although it was a slow start, I was unable to put it down and had to finish it during the wee hours and by flashlight as we had no power. Only made the story richer! There is lots of room for a continuance of this storyline.

When I received this book I read the back cover summary and immediately asked myself why I had chosen it. It wasn't my usual genre at all. As I started reading that feeling grew. You quickly see the lead character is anything but normal. And shortly, I decided that her chances of being "found" were, it seemed to me, pretty remote. Apart from this commitment I'm not sure i would have continued.

As the book progressed that alternately faded and was reinforced. Libby becomes more appealing, and more strange. I liked her but at the same time wondered if anyone could actually be so irregular. What world did she really live in? Was this a slapstick comedy. It felt like a roller coaster. Not so much the ups and downs but the unexpected jerks and changes in direction. I see, we are headed here; oops, no we aren't.

Before long I realized that was the nature of the book. As I relaxed, accepting it for what it was, I began to enjoy it more. Truthfully, though, there seemed no chance Libby would ever be found, what ever that meant. Her habit of moving seamlessly in and out of fantasy seemed a long ways from normal.

That pattern persisted in the lead characters, though not all did the fantasy flip. Still, they were irregular. Slowly that changed, somewhat. As she developed the characters they gradually became three-dimensional, from flat pictures to living sculptures. More real, though the story line continued its quirky shifts. And then little snippets of wisdom begin to pop up from various of the characters. Never developed; just said. It arrested my attention each time. I wanted to think more about them but the story just moved on, as if none but the speaker really got it.

One of the interesting parts for me was how, about halfway through, it seemed certain that the story was winding to a conclusion. Then I looked at how many pages remained and I wondered how there could be so much story left. Another sudden twist and we were off on a whole new adventure. Same theme but with many new irregular characters and plot twists. The author's strategy never changed, even to the very end.

This author has an astonishing imagination. And once you get a sense of how she writes you realize you are in for a fascinating ride. Confusing but not disappointing. I recommend it.

Libby is a strange and wonderful children's book author. She's beloved for her fantasy series called The Falling Children. She lives alone with her dog and writes under a pseudonym, F.T. Goldhero, to keep her quiet life private. Unfortunately Libby has just been diagnosed with early onset dementia and can't manage to finish her book series. In desperation, she secretly reaches out to her superfan Peanut. Together they form an unlikely partnership to complete the book (and save the Falling children). From here the story gets more crazy and fun. This is a magical, heartwarming story about identity, loss, family, friendship and our ability to endure life's ups and downs. . The author does a wonderful job of navigating the realities of dementia and Libby's diminishing memory. You'll end up laughing, crying and loving all the characters that make up this story.

Because I am a fan of both the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs, this particular novel Libby Lost and Found by Stephanie Booth was very intriguing. The love of a book, the stories and tales told can easily shift into the relm of reality for the reader.
That's exactly what happens to the writer (Libby) of the tales of the Falling Children and kids everywhere who believed in the story. Especially true for Pandora "Peanut" Bixton, who lives by every word written by the author F.T. Goldhero aka Libby Weeks. The complexities of each life becomes intertwined and it's the family that keeps the reality confined to their basic schedules of school, work, friends and fantasy but they overlap and often times unknowingly.
Libby is dealing with a recent diagnosis of early onset dimentia which devastes her daily routine and results in total anxiety. She tries unsuccessfully to deal with it on her own only to complicate everyone's life that comes into contact with her. Similar to the ball in a pinball machine, Libby bounces randomely from one event to another trying to distinguish the truth in her mind.
According to Peanut, Jessie (her sister)? has no idea what it's like to get swept up in a book, how it can become more real than real life. Take the leap down the rabbit hole and enjoy this novel for it's pure entertainment and whimsy.

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Libby Lost and Found. Twice, I debated giving up on it before finally getting invested in the characters.
Libby Weeks has written a spectacularly popular children’s fantasy book series. Think Harry Potter level of popularity. She’s trying to write the sixth and final book. But Libby has a case of rapidly progressing early onset dementia, and writing has become impossible for her. Her fans and her publishers are both becoming not just anxious, but angry. She turns to an eleven year old “superfan”. Peanut doesn’t have much going right in her life and relies heavily on The Falling Children books for comfort.
There were several plot points that just didn’t work for me. I know every case of Alzheimer’s is different, but Libby’s didn’t feel real. I also struggled that her fans would turn on her so viciously. What did work for me and what kept me listening was Peanut and her family. An orphan, disfigured and lacking friends, my heart just went out to her. The story flips back and forth between their two POVs which did help propel the story forward.

Booth provides just enough information about The Falling Children books to give you a feel for them. Obviously, with five books in the series it’s just going to be bits and pieces. So, the idea of saying there’s a book within a book feels a little forced. But I could see why they would have been such big hits. I found the writing a bit disjointed at times. The big reveal wasn’t a surprise but the fallout was. Overall, the story was heartwarming, if not a total success. But based on this, I will be curious to see what Bloom comes up with next.

I listened to this and brava to Mia Barron as a fabulous narrator.

I was looking forward to reading this book and I wanted to like it, but it just didn't happen. I didn't like any of the characters except for Peanut. The others were annoying and not real to me. I know this was a take off on the Harry Potter series but I don't think it was a good idea. Need something more original, and this book was way too long.

I found the premise of this book to be very intriguing: Libby, the author of the famous Falling Children book series, is diagnosed with dementia at the same time that her next book is due. She is close to finishing it, however her memory is failing her so much that she enlists an avid 11 year old reader, Peanut, to help her figure out how to write an ending that will save the children in the story. Stephanie Booth's writing is excellent and Peanut is a well developed character with an engaging voice. I feel like this book would be enjoyed by YA readers and even middle grade readers, because I found the story to be focused on Peanut and the child characters in the book more than it was on Libby, the author experiencing cognitive deficits. Libby's story was the one that interested me, but I struggled to get through parts of the book that were about Peanut and her friends and the Falling Children series. With that being said, I think this book would do very well as a YA publication and even as a middle grade selection. I am a retired teacher, and my students and I loved reading the Harry Potter books together, so I think this book would make a great classroom read-aloud!