Britt is a competitive soccer player for her high school team but when an injury devastatingly ends those dreams, she’s struggling to come to terms with who she is now without her soccer skills. However, when an opportunity arises for her to go to the U.K. to participate in a literary scavenger hunt based on the classics with a huge cash prize, she jumps at the chance to go. Faced with three other competitors, each with their own assigned chaperones and a cute bookish guy with a charming accent, Britt must navigate an unfamiliar country trying to solve clues in order to win an amount of money that would change her life.
Well this book sure helped/didn’t help my immense case of FOMO at everyone traveling right now. On the surface, especially with a cute cover like that, this may seem like an easy, light read but the story does have more weight and depth to it. The insecurities and challenges that Britt and the other characters deal with are nothing to quickly dismiss. There are some themes of communication, deep-rooted grievances and familial pressures. I found these moments particularly compelling to see develop – like what goes through a person’s head when what they thought themselves to always be is suddenly no longer. All the assumptions made about others and what they think they know about them. I found that a really interesting theme throughout.
While the scavenger hunt kept the story moving along, I did find the pacing a bit inconsistent at times. Perhaps I wish it flowed a bit more into each other between the actual scavenger hunt and the deep conversations as it felt like completely separate things and consequently pulled the momentum back a bit for me, which then made it read a bit long at times.
All that being said though, there is still a lightheartedness to the overall story. Britt’s voice is entertaining and a bit of a jokester so she was really fun to read. I definitely had some grinning, laugh-out-loud moments. Overall this was a fun, armchair traveling summertime read. In a way, it’s very much a coming-of-age story in that this journey allows for self reflection and growth at a pivotal age. Perfect for fans of shows like The Amazing Race and cute summer adventures abroad with a chance of romance.
Review: ★ ★ ★ ☆ (3.5 /5 stars)
Available: June 14, 2022
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A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
JUST A LIL LOST 