Vanished - Review by Amos Lassen

"In this book Brian matures a great deal and the book is full of surprises. Brian had great hopes as he got to San Diego and he manages to find a place to live and a job. His landlord, Leo Horshiwitz, is fatherly and he works in the LGBT community. He also meets Emilio and Mike and they quickly become friends. Brian continues his search for Jamie but his luck is lousy and I wanted him to keep trying but I also sensed the pain he felt when things did not work out. It is in this section that Barnaby really catches the reader with some beautiful writing.


Brian had no trouble making friends even with his self- restraint and we see a comedic side of him?  Brian  really lets us get to know him and he keeps us on our toes through the plot  twists even with the sense of mystery that he carries. Barnaby creates wonderful characters and they are all full of life but Brian is her special creation; he is innocent yet wise and I could not help but love him. Barnaby had already sold me on the series with the two earlier books but she has cemented my relationship with the books with this one. It is intensely good storytelling and I am ready for still more."


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Enlightened - A review by Amos Lassen

Every now and then a book comes along that you do not want to end… but it does anyway and you are left on a high, shaking your head and saying, “I can’t believe it just ended”. That is what happened to me when I read “Little Boy Lost: Enlightened” but I realized that it is okay because the “Little Boy Lost” books are going to be a series.

This is such a beautiful book and rings so true that you might have to pinch yourself to remember that you are reading. It is a wonderful love story about two unforgettable characters, Brian and Jamie. Brian is the typical boy next door and a good boy he is. He goes to school and he studies as well as helping his foster family. But Brian has a special secret and that is that he is in love… with Jamie, his best friend.

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Enlightened (5 Stars) JesseWave Reviews

This is a compulsively readable book. I sat down with it the other day, intending just to skim it for this re-review, but within a few pages I was pulled completely into the story just like I was last year. Brian and Jamie are wonderful characters, beautifully drawn and realized. They experience the wonder and excitement of their first love, going through each step: a touch, a kiss, an embrace, and more. At the same time, they are terrified of what might happen to them should anyone find out about their relationship. They live in a very small town in Alabama where faggot jokes and homophobia are the norm. How do they reconcile their feelings for each other with the reality of the time and place in which they are living?



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Enlightened - Katiebabs' Official Best Books of 2010

Katiebabs' Official Best Books of 2010: http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/2010/12/katiebabs-official-best-books-of-2010.html

Enlightened - JesseWave's Reader's Favorite Gay Books

JesseWave's Reader's Favorite Gay Books (Young Adult): http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/2010/10/05/readers-favourite-gay-books/

Enlightened - JesseWave's Guest Reviewer Top Picks for 2010

JesseWave's Guest Reviewer's Top Picks for 2010: (Leslie #4): http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/?p=39207

Enlightened (Excellent) - Jenre Well Read

"Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. The themes are, as I said, a little bleak and I would class this more as a romantic drama, as the ending is nowhere near a HEA or even a HFN. However the beauty and complexity of Brian; the raw emotion; and the sympathetic look at two young men struggling with their sexuality in a town of closed-minded people, made this an engrossing read and one that I won't forget in a hurry. I am greatly looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which I think is due out soon. In the meantime if you like YA books, if you want to read a book which shows the genuine difficulties faced by gay teenagers, I urge you to read this book which gets a grade of 'Excellent'."

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