The Days Lost by Shannon McCrimmon

Title: The Days Lost
 
Author: Shannon McCrimmon

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published Date: November 20, 2013

Buy on Amazon: Kindle & Paperback 

Author Website: http://shannonmccrimmon.com
 

 

 

Synopsis: 

On the heels of her high school graduation, Ellie Morales is spending her summer vacation in the mountains of Western North Carolina with her dad and brother, Jonah. Having lost their mother only months earlier, all of them are trying to cope with the loss in their own way. 

 

Part routine, part escape, running is Ellie's way of dealing with her grief. Shortly after sunrise each morning, Ellie and her dog, Bosco, set out for a lengthy run on the path that passes by her house and leads deep into the woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains. One fateful morning, Ellie is lead off of the trail and discovers a secret that will change her life, as well as the lives of the family she meets, forever. One member of this mysterious family is Sam Gantry, who seems unlike any guy she's ever known. 

 

This meeting sparks a series of events, causing Ellie to question everything she's ever known and believed. The more she learns about Sam and his family, the more she wants to help him find the missing puzzle pieces.

 

My Thoughts:

Shannon McCrimmon is a wonderfully talented author with which I have had the pleasure and opportunity to review for.  I instantly fell in love with her first two books, The Summer I Learned to Dive (my review can be found at: http://endlessdaysofbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-summer-i-learned-to-dive-by-shannon.html) and it's sequel, The Year I Almost Drowned (my review: endlessdaysofbooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-year-i-almost-drowned-by-shannon.html.)  I became very excited upon learning that Shannon McCrimmon had a new book coming out, The Days Lost.  

The Days Lost is a novel that is very unique and differs greatly from McCrimmon's prior books.  Based in present day North Carolina, The Days Lost focuses on college freshman Ellie, who is grieving the loss of her mother.  Ellie, along with her father and brother Jonah, have left their home in Florida to vacation and heal at their mountain retreat.  One morning while running off of a beaten trail Ellie stumbles upon a strange family whose cabin is well hidden from hikers.  Instead of turning around and leaving, Ellie's curiosity gets the best of her when she observes Sam, a beautiful male with an angelic voice.  Ellie soon finds herself in the home of Sam and his old fashioned family and discovers a secret that seems unreal.

The Days Lost features a heartwarming friendship that morphs into a romance between Ellie and Sam.  Sam, in his own gentle way, helps Ellie deal with the grief that she has been bottling up.  In return, Ellie sets off with Sam to solve a mystery that has the potential to turn his family's life upside down and inside out.  The Days Lost also has a shocking twist that literally left me reeling.    

I especially loved reading about the relationship between Ellie and Jonah.  They constantly bickered and fought but were hugely protective of each other when it counted.  Having suffered through the loss of their mother, each were dealing with issues but still managed to be there for one another when no one else was.  You could easily see how much they loved and counted on one another. 

Shannon McCrimmon's The Days Lost is a well written, suspenseful and romantic young adult novel that is a quite a page turner!  I would love to see a sequel that deals with Sam's family acclimating into modern society as well as exploring Sam and Ellie's blossoming relationship.  If you are looking for an interesting read, The Days Lost is the book for you!                         

Shannon McCrimmon

The author has provided me with a complimentary copy of her book, The Days Lost, for the purpose of review.