Found

This is the first book I've read by this popular author. It was fast-paced, suspenseful, and a really fun read. It's the first book of a series, so there is a lot of set-up and most questions are left unanswered by the end of the book. There are some cliches and stereotypes used in the place of strong character development - for example, the "bad" or "mean" kids were described as the group of kids wearing torn jeans and black hooded sweatshirts. Come on, I was wearing ripped up jeans and black sweatshirt as I was reading and I am a very nice person! That was the worst stereotype, and I don't know if the author honestly assumes that kids wearing that type of clothing are mean, but luckily kids know better so hopefully readers can show more overlook that horrible stereotype and enjoy the interesting plot, which involves adoption, identity, government conspiracy... and I won't say more in case I give anything away! show less

Haddix is one of my favorite children's authors, so I had high hopes picking up this novel, the first in a new series. Jonah Skidmore, an adopted child who receives a mysterious letter saying only "You are one of the missing." When his new friend, Chip, receives the same letter -- and consequently discovers that he was adopted too -- the boys and Katherine, Jonah's sister, search for more clues about the boys' identities and the mystery surrounding their adoptions. A fast-paced book, very plot-central with lots of twists, and a quick read but not as good as some of her others. I would easily recommend it to reluctant readers.

WOW! This is AMAZING! It's definitely unique and creative! Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix definitely exceeded my expectations with it's quick pace, suspense, and exceptional writing! I am definitely impressed with this sci-fi series-starter!

To start: the praises...which in this case are many! Let me just say that the plot of Found is awesome! It's got everything: originality, uniqueness, and overall great writing. It starts off with a BANG! in the prologue, and continues just like that until the very last page. (Speaking of the last page, the end was SUPER cliffhanger!) I must say that I quite like Haddix's writing style, and how suspenseful her books are. She has a way with words! The pacing in Found is also quite good; I felt like show more it was never too slow or too fast.

Additionally, the characters were well-developed and very realistic. I quite liked the characters in Found; they were really realistic and very well thought-out. They each had their own personalities (Katherine was the source of sass, Jonah was always - and rightly so - skeptical, and Chip was the "book clown"). And even better the relationships between the characters was also realistic as well.

All in all, I will definitely be continuing the series! I can't wait to see what Haddix has in store for Jonah, Chip, and Katherine! I'd recommend this story to readers who enjoy adventure and sci-fi. Haddix definitely is a writer to watch! show less

The Good: Found sort of blew me away, with its amazing premise and promise of even more in the rest of the series. The way things all came together was pure magic. It's not very often when I find myself absolutely shocked - mouth hanging open and eyes wide - at a reveal. This is one of those books that as soon as you finish it you want to go back and reread the buildup again to fully appreciate everything that brought you to this point.

The Bad: Almost the entirety of the book was buildup to the big reveal. While worth it in the end, it would have been very easy to give up on the book a long the way. The events leading up to the end were fantastical and it got to the point where I firmly believed there was no way they could add up to show more anything coherent in the end. Of course, I was proven wrong, but it's a minor miracle I read long enough to learn that for myself and I fear most readers won't make it until the payoff. show less

Not as "timeless" as her "Among" series; there are too many already-dated contemporary references, and it relies somewhat on an acquaintance with the historical back-ground, but otherwise okay.
However, much of the plot depends on having kids do something they KNOW is stupid.
This is bad when adult characters do it, and requires great finesse by the author to make it work, but there is no excuse for inflicting children with this flaw.
At least they have the excuse that they might not really understand that it's stupid, but that has to also be set up properly.

Margaret Peterson Haddix leaves me wanting to pick up the next book, "Sent" in The Missing series. A plane full of babies with no adults appearing out of nowhere, an uncooperative FBI agent, and odd letters being sent to two adoptees in the mail? The answer to why these things are happening was a total surprise and shock to me. It is no wonder that Ms. Haddix won the 2010 Nene Award (chosen by the students of Hawai'i). Fast paced and a pleasure to read.

I stumbled across this in the library, and was hesitant to pick it up. After reading most of her Shadow Children series, I figured she had a lot to live up to, and this book looked like part of an attempt to repeat her prior series' success. But... I read it anyway.

It was good, but not as good as her other work. There were some aspects of the book that felt contrived - particularly the ending sequence, though I understand that it needed to set up the next book - and the writing style and characters were similar to that of Shadow Children. There were some unbelievable parts, while other parts simply surprised me... namely, she doesn't turn around and give everything a perfectly natural explanation in the end, like in many of her other show more books. That was good - a bit of a departure, so I appreciate the effort - but I'm not quite sure how it'll pan out.

That said, I can say with certainty that I'll read the next book, though it isn't released until this coming August. I want to reserve judgment on the series as a whole until after I see how she develops the theme and moves the plot. In the meantime...? If you've liked her other books, it's worth checking this one out. If you haven't read Haddix before, try book #1 in the Shadow Children series first (Among the Hidden). show less