Lost and Found

I love the premise of this book: teams of two compete against each other as they travel around the world solving puzzles and collecting objects to win a million dollars. It sounds like the only reality show I've followed almost faithfully from the beginning (The Amazing Race! which is truly amazing and which I would love to join. The only season I wasn't into it was when they had families of 4 competing).

The twist is that the book isn't about the game as much as it is about the people who join: There's Laura and her daughter Cassie, who are going through what seems to be more strained-than-average mother-daughter tension; Jeff & Carl, divorced, good-natured brothers; Dallas & Juliet, former child stars trying to crack the world of grownup showbiz, and Justin & Abby, former homosexuals who have renounced their ways and married each other. There were 8 other teams, but when the book opens it's down to 6, and you don't really learn too much about the other 2.

I only picked this book up today and just fell in love with the whole bundle. I couldn't put it down--not just so I could find out who won but also to find whether everyone gets a happy ending. (Almost everyone does, to some degree.) I loved how well-fleshed-out the characters were. Considering how short this book is (less than 300 pages) the author does justice to all her characters--each one feels like someone you might know. Each person's actions and decisions make sense.

I love this book so much I just may buy a copy for myself and try to find Carolyn Parkhurst (she lives in DC!!) so I can get her autograph.