Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Starred Review Frannie's mother committed suicide after a long disappearance e that Frannie's grandparents tried to explain away in order to protect their granddaughter. When Louis and his twin sister, Willa, were children, they ventured onto a fire escape, and Willa's ensuing fall resulted in amputations of both her legs e beginning of her life with prostheses and lifelong guilt for Louis. Frannie and Louis met as children via an online support group and developed a years-long friendship that culminates in a road trip: the teens travel from opposite coasts to meet in Austin, Texas. Frannie is in search of her long-lost father, supposedly in Austin; Louis heads to the university there to check out a tennis scholarship opportunity, and, of course, they both want to meet each other. Willa joins Louis, and Frannie is accompanied by her cousin Arrow. The relationship between each family pair crackles with wit, humor, and enormous love, revealing the vulnerabilities of all four teens with heartrending honesty. A charming fablelike thread of magical realism, involving the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of meaningful objects, runs through the plot as well. Of course, savvy readers will know the real "lost and found" refers to the fascinating characters in this riveting tale, who, after enough loss, struggle to find themselves and make each other whole.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Frances and Louis live on opposite sides of the U.S., but they have been in touch for years through an online chat group for those coping with trauma. (Frances has lost her parents-one to jail, one to a mental institution-while Louis feels responsible for the accident that cost his sister her legs.) After Louis gets a tennis scholarship and a letter from Frances-s late mother reveals shocking (and probably untrue) details about Frances-s -real- father, the two make plans to meet each other in Texas and answer burning questions about their identities and futures. Frances and Louis have heavy psychological burdens, but Leno (The Half Life of Molly Pierce), alternating between the teens- perspectives, uses their optimism and sense of humor to bring lightness to the story. Leno takes her time building each protagonist-s present and the past that informs it, which-while helpful for character and background-draws out the wait until their inevitable meeting. But patient readers will be rewarded with a rich, romantic story about two thoughtful teenagers on a quest for meaning. Ages 13-up. Agent: Wendy Schmalz, Wendy Schmalz Agency. (July)

School Library Journal (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

Gr 7-10 Louis and Frannie, two teens who meet in an online support group for trauma survivors, have an odd tendency to lose thingsin the trunk of a car, off their desks when their backs are turned, and in other bewildering ways. Though they only know each other through the webthey don't even use their real names—they each receive a package in the mail that has them taking off on a road trip to Texas to find each other. This is a beautiful exploration of loss in many forms and the emotional toll it can take on those who are affected. Quirky, endearing, and believable characters propel a narrative that pulls readers in with every mile of the road trip. The unusual aspect of disappearing objects plays wonderfully into the story, and, rather than being a distraction, it serves as a driving force that expands the deeper themes. Strong and multilayered characterization adds complexity and authenticity to the storytelling. There is a subtle examination of the healing benefits of therapy, and readers will come away with the knowledge that people are much more than they appear. VERDICT An emotional journey that's well worth the ride.— Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford College, Weatherford, TX

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Alternating chapters narrated by the two main characters, Frances (Frannie) and Louis, tell a well paced story. Both characters have experienced loss in their lives. Frannie resides with her grandparents due to the dysfunction of both her parents. During a domestic argument when Frannie was younger, she was stabbed by her father with a pen, prompting him to serve jail time. After her parents' divorce, Frannie's mother suffers a breakdown which turns into an acute mental illness. When Louis was a young child, he witnessed a terrible accident which led to the amputation of both legs of his twin sister. Both join an online support group, TILT (Tragedy Inspires Love and Togetherness) which leads to an anonymous friendship that exists only on the Internet. After Frannie and Louis both receive news that leads them to question their paths in life, they embark on a road trip to find answers to their questions. Louis has been offered a full scholarship to play tennis at the University of Texas. He must confront his anxiety and obsessive tendencies in order to make the decision to leave his home in California. Frannie discovers her mother has not been living in Florida, but has passed away while residing in a mental institution. Letters written by her motherwhich had been withheld from Franniestate that her real father is a famous actor who lives in Texas. To complicate matters, both characters keep losing important objects.The Lost & Found is a sophomore addition to Leno's works, whose past book was the well received The Half Life of Molly Pierce (HarperTeen, 2014/VOYA August 2014). Using the popular genre of the teen road trip, it is a journey worth taking. The novel combines a realistic story with characters facing anxieties and searching for answers with a touch of magic realism. The characters are well developed and Leno does a fine job of giving them voices that teens will find genuine. Fans of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's, 2013/VOYA December 2012) and Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid (Harlequin Teen, 2014/VOYA August 2014) will enjoy The Lost & Found.Adrienne Amborski.