So, I have no idea what synopsis I was looking at, but The Lost Book of Adana Moreau had nothing to do with Adana Moreau living in a parallel universe and having to decide to come back to her own Earth [insert nervous laugh]. She did write a book about parallel universes, though. And, unlike what it seemed in the middle of the book, she did, in fact, destroy the manuscript of her sequel novel.
The first half of this book is very fantastical, with all the stories of portals and other Earths interwoven with the main narrative. The second half, however, is much more somber with the stories of women searching for the bones of their husbands and sons in the desert, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and the diligent search for a man in order to fulfill a grandfather’s dying wish.
I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
I’m not going to spoil it for you about how Adana’s second book came back into existence, but the power of friendship in this book is incredible. The friendships between Adana and Afraa, The Last Pirates of the New World (the pirate and the old pirate), Maxwell and Benjamin, and Saul and Javier had profound impacts on the lives of each of them. Neither of Adana’s books would have come to be if it weren’t for these friendships, and Saul may have never found Maxwell if it weren’t for these friendships. Aside from the mysteries between the pages, love is ever present in the interactions of the characters in this book.
Another thing I enjoyed about The Lost Book of Adana Moreau is the way everything wraps up neatly. I didn’t finish the book without finding out what happened to each person and wasn’t left wondering. Cliff hangers are good, and I use them in my own writing to leave the reader wanting more, but sometimes I want conclusions and closure, and I felt like I got that by the end of the book.
I would definitely recommend this one, but you’ve got to pay attention, or you’ll forget whose story you’re reading or who’s talking (quotation marks for dialogue are virtually nonexistent except when a character is telling someone else’s story). I returned my copy on Overdrive yesterday and borrowed The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. We’ll see how I like this next book. Until next time…
Happy Reading!
♥
Christine Gabriélle 