A Book Report, "The Lost Daughter"

I bought this book a couple of years ago during the Bookmarks Festival. I was sucked in by the book's cover and by Wally Lamb's endorsement. That it's been sitting on my bookshelf since initial purchase was telling. I think I intuitively knew the story wouldn't live up to the pretty cover.

The premise was simple. Teenage lovers Brooke and Alex deal with an unplanned pregnancy. An early delivery and resulting actions haunt them both for 15 years. The truth of that night is something they both have difficulty believing.

I'm not sure when it happened, somewhere around the middle of the book perhaps, but at some point I no longer cared. At some point the characters changed from ones I could empathize to being laughable. Alex's arc was just so unbelievable. I found myself skimming the last half just to get through the book. I would have given it up, but I try to finish all books I start. After this one, I might rethink that. Life is too short to read crappy books.