In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives but boys are expendable, even a liability. In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brett Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing up on his prophet's compound - and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they're expelled from the sect.

The most memorable FLDS member in current time is past leader Warren Jeffs who is now in prison for multiple offenses. Brett Jeffs is his nephew and could have grown up to have multiple wives and power within the church. After realizing that there were darker secrets behind the church's pious public image he walked away and was the first to file sexual abuse charges against his uncle.

He shares the history of the Mormon church and startling details of his own life growing up in a polygamous family. He describes how harsh and isolated life was and the fact that his uncle, the prophet, maintained absolute power and could change the rules at will and often did. Their religion demanded complete obedience with no individuality and the reality of the outside world was distorted and viewed as evil. Since multiple wives are encouraged, young men are seen as competition and are often cast out unprepared for the real world. They frequently turn to drugs and alcohol and suffer emotional and psychological distress.

Eventually Brent Jeffs left the church with his whole family, which was highly unusual, but continued to live a polygamous life. This is usually hard to do outside of the FLDS. Fortunately they had the love and support of each other, which is also unusual. Brett Jeffs repressed memories of his uncle molesting him and other boys ages 5-7, eventually led him to press charges against him. He tells of his own struggles into adulthood and what has become of him and his family members. He has also helped establish support for other lost boys so their own transition may be easier than his was.

I was fascinated by the insight Brent Jeffs provided into the FLDS. It's sickening to realize how much power an individual can have over so many other lives and the corruption that was involved under the guise of religion and God. I'll be curious to see how these lost boys and others from the community will fare in the future. I hope that this man's courage will help them to all have an easier life. If this is a topic of interest I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for a copy of this book. ( )

Brent Jeffs gives a harrowing account of his experience growing up in and later leaving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). His recollection of events that took place in his polygamous family provided insight into some of the struggles a household with more than one wife/mother might face. Brent also explains why boys, even those from privileged FLDS families, are not guaranteed a spot in church leadership and that many are kicked out of the church and abandoned by their families only to become “lost boys.” Brent tells his story with the assistance of Maia Szalavitz, and her style makes the book compelling to read and easy to follow. At times the descriptions of Brent smoking “chronic” and listening to rap were hard to picture, but then again, much in the book was hard to imagine. The book was upsetting at times, but I was impressed by Brent Jeffs’ bravery at facing a world that he was raised not to trust and ultimately seeking justice against those who wronged him. ( )

I have always been fascinated with the FLDS church and polygamy. I have a lot of books on the subject but haven't made the time to read most of them yet. When I received Lost Boy to review from LibraryThing I was very excited.

Jeffs story is fascinating. I was pulled into it right from the start and read the entire book in two sittings. The detail he provides along with all the colorful, and unbelievable, people in his life, make Lost Boy unforgettable.

The story is told in almost a conversational tone, and while that worked great in some parts, in other parts in came of as unpolished. I was actually surprised that there was another author credited on Lost Boy with the informal feel of the book.

If you are interested in polygamy or the FLDS Church I highly recommend Lost Boy. ( )

Ever since reading Escape by Carolyn Jessop, which presents a female perspective of living in the FLDS, I have been fascinated with learning more about how this religious cult has affected people. Lost Boy is about Brent Jeffs' experiences living as a male in the FLDS and his eventual decision to leave the church and his life as he knew it.

I struggled a bit with the beginning "Before" section of the book. The flow between the first several chapters wasn't the greatest and I felt that it could have used a bit more editing. But once I made it past that point, I was so intrigued by the story I had a hard time putting the book down. Unfortunately, I still feel some of the grammar and just the overall writing style could have been improved. However, the writing IS very simple and straightforward, and that doesn't lessen the telling of the horrors that this boy, now man, went through. Jeffs and his brothers were targets for sexual abuse and after leaving the church struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. It's amazing the complete control the prophet had over the people and how he could make up and change the rules at will.

Overall a very good read. And I'm glad I now have a man's perspective on the FLDS. Would definitely recommend this book. ( )

Clear description of how the FLDS church works and why its people behave the way they do. But the book was marred by Brent Jeffs' eagerness to present himself as one who questioned the faith -- as a 6-year-old? -- and its flat tone made me reluctant to believe all he said. ( )