Julie's Review: The Department of Lost and Found

Summary: It didn't start out as the worst day of Natalie Miller's life...As the top aide to New York's powerful woman senator, Natalie's moving rapidly up the political ladder. She works hard, stays late, and enjoys every bit of it. Then her neglected boyfriend announces he's leaving. But that's only the beginning. Her doctor tells her she has breast cancer—and raw ambition and ruthless determination alone are not going to cure it. Suddenly the life Natalie needs to change is her own. The time has come for her to take a tough look at the choices she's made. She'll start by tracking down the five loves of her life in order to assess what went wrong. And by revisiting her past, Natalie just might discover exciting new paths to unexplored places—and learn how to stop barreling through life long enough to really embrace it. ~amazon.com  

Review: After reading Allison Winn Scotch's other two books (The One That I Want, & Time of My Life) I quickly ordered her first novel The Department of Lost & Found and just now got to reading it. I will say that I believe this was probably my favorite of her novels so far. I absolutely adored Natalie from the minute she introduces us to her diary and her life. Natalie is 30 and is battling breast cancer and is going through her first round of chemotherapy. Her boyfriend also dumped her the day she found out because he found love elsewhere. This causes Natalie to reflect on the fact that she never really knew why all her other relationships ended, which in turn becomes a quest for her.

I liked how Ms. Scotch handled this aspect of the novel because it could have very quickly become old and stale. She didn't let Natalie dwell on each relationship but instead she had her ask the questions she wanted the answers too and then move on. I loved that the guys were honest with her and were able to help her out. Don't we often wonder about why our relationship end? For the most part, I can tell you why mine ended but I do wonder about the guy's perspective.  What ends up happening is a journey of self-discovery and Natalie figuring out what she wants out of her life. 

There are parts in the book that made me laugh out loud and well anytime there's a mention of Michael Vartan I swoon. There were also times during the book that I found my eyes welling up with tears. I can't imagine going through all that Natalie does and for 90% of the time having a great outlook on it. 


I love Ms. Scotch's books. I love how she writes her female characters because there is something in all of them we can all connect to. I can't wait to read her newest one, The Song Remains the Same, when it is released on April 12, 2012. If you haven't read her, I highly recommend her.


Final Take: 4/5