Fragments of the Lost
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: Young Adult/Mystery
Published on: November 14, 2017
Pages: 373 [hardcover]
Caleb and Jessa broke up six weeks before he tragically drove his car off of a bridge. He was last seen talking to Jessa at a cross country meet. The rumor is that he was so distraught after their conversation that he was distracted while driving. The reality is that she was just asking him to hold her necklace before her race. Stormy weather caused flooding, the bridge was not safe to drive over. A literal and emotional storm was ensue but Caleb is not alive to tell his side.
In the opening chapter, Jessa is grudgingly tackling the task of packing up Caleb’s room per his mother’s request. Doesn’t she know that they had broken up? Nevertheless, she puts Caleb’s life into boxes, piece by piece, categorizing his entire life. Clothes, personal belongings, books, school supplies, and electronics.
“His mother asked me to do this, because she said it wasn’t something a mother should ever have to do. I don’t think it’s really something an ex-girlfriend should have to do either, but mother trumps ex any day of the week” (Miranda 6).
Day after day, Jessa returns to peel away every layer of his life. Painstakingly decoding everything down to the ticket stubs in the depths of his desk drawers, she gets lost in her thoughts. She wonders about their relationship, his childhood, his secrets, and why on earth his mother is making her do this. But she insisted, and now Jessa is knee-deep and might not like what she finds.
Fragments of the Lost is an easy-read, with just enough suspense to keep you reading until the end. As for negatives, it is repetitive and moves slowly in the middle. Once the story starts to unfold, it becomes slightly predictable, as well. Still, it is a unique young-adult mystery. Perfect for a rainy day.
