In the Forest of the Lost and Found

By: K.D. Van Brunt

Narrated by: Katie Penate

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Eighteen-year-old Allyssa Baylor lives a sheltered life of privilege. Not anymore. Now she is lost in the wilderness below the arctic circle with little more than the clothes on her back. A battle is coming and if she’s going to survive it, she must lose who she was and discover who she is.

Ever since her mother’s horrible death, Allie wants nothing to do with her family, particularly her sister, Grace, whom she blames for the loss of her mother. But Allie is persuaded to join her family on one last vacation, one last chance to heal the breaches among them before college. The group travels by float plane to a remote lake cabin in northern Canada located 150 miles from the nearest road. The vacation becomes a disaster when the plane never returns to retrieve them, and they have no way to call for help. Soon, the food runs out. More ominously, something prowls the woods around the cabin, and they dare not go outside after dark. Finally, desperate and with no other options, Allie resolves to do the impossible: hike through the Canadian wilderness back to civilization and evade whatever predator is waiting in the surrounding forest.

With her younger sister and brother in tow, Allie sets off into the wild with few supplies and no survival skills. They are not alone. A monster begins relentlessly hunting them. After weeks of running and hiding, the end has come. Allie must overcome the raw fear inside her and make a stand against the beast alone, buying what time she can for her family to escape.

©2021 Kirk Van Brunt (P)2021 Kirk Van Brunt

Definitely Worth a Credit

I received this title after requesting it from the publisher in exchange for an honest review-

This is the first audiobook I have received in this manner so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. The author was unknown to me but the story sounded promising so I started it right away.

Allie is hard to like at times especially in the beginning of the book, she comes across as a spoiled rich girl that is selfish and doesn’t treat this around her very well but as the story goes on, you admire her determination and her resolve.

Some aspects of the book left me puzzled, like how did everyone just forget where they were and how quickly time elapsed but I wasn’t too bothered by it because the story was so good and you kept listening to find out what happened next.

I also really enjoyed the performance by the narrator and found her very enjoyable to listen to. I devoured this book in 2 days and wanted to listen nonstop. I was really sad when it was over and was left wanting more but in a good way.

Wilderness Thriller

In the Forest of the Lost and Found, written by K.D. Van Brunt is a wilderness survival thriller with some (at first) rather unlikeable characters. Allyssa Baylor, her younger sister Grace and younger brother Nick all reluctantly leave their privileged suburban lifestyle for a week worth of camping in the middle of nowhere.

Most of the characters, Allyssa (Allie) in particular are initially hard to bond with. They are the epitome of spoiled rich kids who treat everyone else like dirt, so it was with a possible morbid curiosity I kept listening in the hopes they might get eaten by a bear or something.

The camping trip goes awry when their only means of getting home never shows up. After a week or more passes, Allie decides she's their only hope and must hike the 200-odd miles to civilisation, even though her life thus far has left her woefully unprepared.

Away from her family she must survive on her own, and this is where my attitude towards the character began to soften and I began rooting for her to win through. It's a credit to the author that he could turn around such an unlikable character.

There's an awful lot of tension in this book as Allie is stalked by some unknown creature, intent on eating her alive but for some reason in no rush to do so. An interesting story of self-discovery and growth.

The narration by Katie Penate was delivered well without any detectable errors in the production. The right cadence for the story, slipping easily between a plod through the wilderness to a fight for survival. The only minor issue I had, to begin with, was the overall finished product seemed lacking in tonal depth like it needs more bass.

Overall, it's an interesting story of self-discovery and growth, and a wild thrill ride at times through the remote wilderness. There are a few loose ends that I would have preferred to be answered. Without giving away anything, mainly the "why" driving the whole misadventure.

I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I have not let this gift affect nor influence my opinions of this audiobook and have left an honest review.

I liked it.

The story was enjoyable. I definitely feel like this was more of a young adult book. There were a few mispronounciations and odd phrasing.