Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

I've been waiting for a new Sarah Addison Allen book for what seems like forever. I'm a huge fan of her books and all her books are definitely worth reading, including this one. I love the way that she writes realistic stories but includes a little supernatural without over doing it. The magical realism genre is probably one of my favourites because you don't quite know what's real and what's magic. The combination is subtle which makes it mysterious and interesting, while still reading a heartfelt story. Like one of the characters in the book says, "Magic is what we invent when we want something we think we don't have."

LOST LAKE, is about finding one's self, and many of the characters, if not all, end up "waking up" in one way or another. Kate, the main character, is first encountered after she "wakes up" a year and a day after her husband's death. She ends up doing something random, breaking her mother-in-law's rules by taking her daughter on a road trip to visit the place where she had her best summer ever, where she spent her last summer as a child. Kate's vulnerability and insecurity after losing her husband makes her a realistic character, and a likeable one at that. We see her get stronger not only as a person but as a mother and a friend.

The magical realism elements are more subtle in this book than her other ones I think, or at least come later on in the book and creep up on you. I don't want to reveal too much because I strongly believe this book needs to be read with an open mind, without any spoilers.

The setting of the book couldn't be more perfect. Lost Lake is a sort of old cabin/camping ground that used to be an amazing place to spend the summer but has been lost and forgoteen by many except for a few lost souls. The slew of original and eccentric characters add life and energy to the novel and it's kind of wonderful a that they end up finding each other.

If you're looking for an easy, yet heartwarming story, you can pick up any Sarah Addison Allen book. LOST LAKE just happens to be her most recent novel. Personally I hope she keeps writing only stand alone books because I can't see her doing anything else. The ways she builds stories and invents characters, they're only made to be visited once because their mysteriousness would simply be gone if they were to be expanded on event more. One thing is for sure, this author has been on my auto-buy list since she first came out with GARDEN SPELLS. I just hope I can convinced a few more people to pick up her books because I can't be the only one that finds her stories so wonderful.