The Lost Causes Review

Synopsis from Kids Can Press:

They’re the kids that no one knows — or no one wants to know. The rich depressive, the OCD chick, the hypochondriac, the drug abuser, the athlete with anger management issues. All chosen for intensive group therapy because they’re out of other options. They’re lost causes, the therapist tells them. She promises this support group will help them heal.

There’s only one problem. She’s not a therapist. And that water she offers? It contains a dangerous serum that gives each of the kids a psychic power.

Suddenly, they can think clearly, speak to ghosts, see the past, even move objects with their mind. Their earlier problems have vanished, but their new freedom comes with a price.
Sabrina, Gabby, Z, Justin and Andrew are to help the FBI solve the grisly murder that has rocked their small town. Their new powers will help them uncover clues and follow leads that have eluded the authorities. Their outsider status gives them the perfect cover.

But the same traits that make them top investigators also make them vulnerable. As they close in on the murderer, they expose a much larger conspiracy that puts them directly in harm’s way and makes them wonder who — if anyone — they can trust.

Compulsively readable, The Lost Causes sweeps readers into the place where science fiction and mystery meet, ending on a drop-dead cliffhanger that will leave them longing for more.

About: The Lost Causes is a young adult thriller written by Alyssa Embree Schwartz and Jessica Koosed Etting. It will be published on 9/5/17 by KCP Loft, an imprint of Kids Can Press, also an imprint of Hatchette Book Group, 344 pages. The genres are young adult, fiction, and mystery/thriller. This book is intended for readers ages 14 to 18 and grades 9 to 12. According to Kids Can Press’ website, it is “the largest Canadian-owned children’s publisher in the world – recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2013.” The Toronto-based publisher has variety of books for all readers, from picture books to non-fiction, graphic novels, young adult, and more. Please see below for more information about the author and publisher.

My Experience: I started reading The Lost Causes on 7/22/17 and finished it on 7/31/17. This book is a fantastic read! I love how the authors reveal little clues here and there to keep the story interesting. I love a good chase and a good puzzle and this book has it.  It’s great to be able to follow the characters as they analyze and unravel the mystery among themselves. Despite being lost causes, I like that they are smart and can think for themselves when situations became suspicious. This book has enough suspense and mystery to keep me reading on and I like that I couldn’t see where the ending was headed.

In this book, readers will follow 5 high school students who are deemed the lost causes because their parents/teachers gave up on helping them to overcome their personal problems. Gabby with her OCD, Justin with his anger issues, Sabrina with her drug abuse, Z with her depression, and Andrew with his body pains and constant ambulance calls all are varies in background. One day, the 5 got summoned to a therapy session, they were under the impression of meeting the school’s psychologist, Dr. Pearl but in fact were met with the FBIs. After the initial meeting, they woke up with enhanced senses: Z can hear other people’s thoughts, Andrew becomes a genius, Justin can throw people off with his minds, Gabby can see people’s past by touch, and Sabrina can see dead people. When they confronted Patricia and Nash (FBIs), they were given the choice to go back to being themselves as they were before with their issues or join a secret mission to solve a recent murder with their enhanced abilities. The best thing about this enhanced abilities was that it suppressed their prior problems. When they realized that this secret mission will give them a purpose in life compare to their being outcast in the past, they all agreed to take part in the mission. The group find themselves not only solving the murder but also questioning whether they can trust the FBIs.

This book is written in the third person point of view. It has great characters and an interesting plot. It’s very well written and makes an addictive read! This thriller is light hearted so it’s ideal for readers who doesn’t like to read gruesome killings. I love how the characters were all are flawed and that they are trusted with an important mission to do something they normally couldn’t. I love the sense of humor and the shyness in romance, despite very little romance there is in this book. I love how through this mission, the lost causes become confident in themselves and find the meaning in friendships among each other that they previously lacked. The Lost Causes is an unexpected but satisfying read and I highly recommend everyone to read it!

Pro: friendship, crime investigation, secret mission, enhanced abilities, page turner, fast paced, flawed main characters, problem solving, strategy analyzing

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

Buy here for free shipping: Book Depository or Kids Can Press Website

About the Authors:

Alyssa Embree Schwartz is one half of a writing team with Jessica Koosed Etting. The two met the first day of freshman year at the University of Southern California and instantly bonded over their obsessions with Brenda Walsh, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Babysitters Club books they read growing up. After spending a full year mourning the end of college, they began writing television and feature scripts together. They have set up pilots at ABC, NBC, Fox and CW, and sold films to The Weinstein Company, Happy Madison, Paramount, New Regency, MGM and Alloy Entertainment. They love writing female-centric stories, especially for teen and tween audiences, mainly because they still think they are the 18-year-old girls they were when they first met at USC. (Photos and info obtained from Goodreads).

More Information about Kids Can Press

Website: http://www.kidscanpress.com | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidsCanBooks | Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidscanpress

***Many thanks to the authors Alyssa Embree Schwartz and Jessica Koosed Etting, publisher Kids Can Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine