The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

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✦ BLURB ✦

It was only meant to be a brief detour. But then Lauren finds herself trapped in a town called Lost on the edge of a desert, filled with things abandoned, broken and thrown away. And when she tries to escape, impassable dust storms and something unexplainable lead her back to Lost again and again. The residents she meets there tell her she's going to have to figure out just what she's missing--and what she's running from--before she can leave. So now Lauren's on a new search for a purpose and a destiny. And maybe, just maybe, she'll be found...

Against the backdrop of this desolate and mystical town, Sarah Beth Durst writes an arresting, fantastical novel of one woman's impossible journey...and her quest to find her fate.

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A haunting, magical journey through a town that holds the abandoned, the broken, and the lost — until you find yourself.

Pre-Reading Thoughts

Sarah Beth Durst is one of those authors whose stories feel like warm blankets with a little chill at the edges. I was excited to revisit this 2014 title, curious how the new epilogue might shift the ending, and ready for that blend of melancholy, whimsy, and emotional punch that she does so well.

Post-Reading

As I thought...
Beautiful, tender, and quietly powerful. Lost is a town filled with magical strangeness and wistful melancholy, and Durst balances those elements with an elegance that makes the emotional stakes feel immediate. Lauren’s journey — wandering, stumbling, and gradually uncovering her purpose — hits that sweet spot of fantasy that’s heart-forward rather than battle-driven.

It surprised me by...
How deeply it hit emotionally. There were moments of laughter, tears, and that pit-in-your-stomach longing that only a truly thoughtful fantasy can evoke. The town itself is almost a character — desolate yet alive, whimsical yet haunting — and the new epilogue wraps Lauren’s journey in a way that felt earned, gentle, and bittersweet.

MUSIC PAIRING

• 🎵 Featured Song: “Shelter” by Birdy – introspective and hauntingly beautiful.

• 🎶 Vibe Album: The Magic Place by Julianna Barwick – ethereal, sparse, and atmospheric.

• 🎧 Artist Recommendation: Agnes Obel – tender, mysterious, and quietly otherworldly.

Vibe Check

• Colour palette: Dusty ochres, faded turquoise, muted golds

• Soundtrack: Whispering wind, the soft crunch of sand underfoot, distant bells

• Season: Late summer, when heat shimmers over endless desert and magic lingers in the shadows

• Mood: Melancholic, wistful, quietly hopeful

• Scent: Sun-warmed stone, desert sage, and a hint of old paper

Tarot Pull

The Hanged Man – Reflection, surrender, and seeing the world from a new perspective. Lauren must pause, confront what she’s running from, and open herself to transformation — much like the card’s deep, introspective energy.

For Fans of:

• Books: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones

• TV/Movies: Stardust, Pan’s Labyrinth

The Lost publishes on the 11th November, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.