Search - Lost

I must admit, I was somewhat disappointed in Lost. Maguire made a phenomenal debut with Wicked, turning our understanding of the fantasy-land of Oz on its ear. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister was rewritten as a historical novel, debating on the concept of beauty. In both of these, Maguire kept to familiar framworks, and twisted them to show new facets.
In Lost, however, he seems to overreach himself. He includes elements of Dickens' Chrismas Carol, as well as stories about Jack the Ripper. For my part, the title of the book is appropriate, as the plot left me lost and foundering for my way.

I'll agree with most reviewers that Lost is at the lower end of Maguire's writing quality scale. Despite an intriguing start, the story began to meander and I sometimes grew tired of Winifred, the protagonist. However, things really picked up in the last 1/4 or so of the book, with an electric jolt to the plot that I never saw coming.

This is my least favorite Maguire book, but it is interesting to read as an analysis of his writing style. This book chronicles the haunting of an author as she deals with her personal ghosts. It was not bad, by any means, but it was not a compelling read like his other novels.