Lost and Found by Brooke Davis

            Lost and Found by Brooke Davis is a heart-warming novel, following the journeys of three impossibly different individuals. The story is told by the alternating thoughts of the three main characters, and we accompany them while they rediscover what they know about death, while gradually strengthening their relationship to the other characters. As the story progresses, we are told more about their individual experiences with loss, while we become familiar with their personalities and their perspectives of death. This novel feels as if it is not complete, concluding with a perhaps rushed ending that leaves me longing for a sequel.
             "Millie's dog, Rambo, was her Very First Dead Thing". As the opening sentence, it abruptly introduces the theme of this novel, loss, in a childish, innocent manner. Throughout the beginning chapter of the text, Millie's first few experiences with death are presented with immensely detailed visualisation, using only words that are available in this seven-year-old's vocabulary. She views morbid death scenes with a naive perception, filling her mind with connections to flourishing life. At the beginning of the novel, Millie is uncertain of the meaning of death and doesn't grasp the concept of her recently deceased dog now being non-functional. She recognises the situation more as deprivation, rather than release of life. A reason why it is often difficult for children to comprehend the idea of an ended life is because commonly used euphemisms for death can be extremely misleading, and will be taken literally. In order to avoid distressing young children, adults tend to stray from the truth, and provide a more insulated illustration of the loss. Towards the end of the story, Millie is familiarised with the idea of death, and has come to terms with her impending future, not letting a fearful prospect loom.
             Although the characters' relationships to their lost ones are of equal significance, their various levels of understanding dramatically alters their perspectives on their losses.