Author Gregory Maguire has a very peculiar mind, yet is endlessly fascinating. There are intriguing similarities between Lost and his prior work, the incredible Wicked and the awfully fun Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, yet he heads into various new territories here in Lost.

Certainly not as taut as the earlier novels, this one does meander quite a bit and by the end, author, characters, plot and reader do seem quite lost. Perhaps that was the intent.

Still, this is brainy good times with endless references to children's literature and plenty of scholarly folderol, less stiffly British than diva A.S. Byatt and with Maguire's resoundingly American timbre and elan. This is not one of the author's best efforts, but it's still quite the amusing read.

by Stephen Richmond
Rambles.NET
24 June 2006