Lost in the Sun 

by Lisa Graff

Realistic Fiction/ Middle School

Earlier in July I read Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff. This novel is about a boy, Trent, who experiences a traumatic event in his life which he feels responsible for causing. However, he is not to blame, but he suffers from PTSD and has tremendous difficulty coping and getting his life back to normal. At the moment his book of thoughts is his crutch. He is dealing with divorced parents and one has since remarried and is expecting a child. He is a so called model of the middle child syndrome and feels no love from his father. The people in his life see his anger issues and fear it. Trent must find a way to start over. He reluctantly becomes friends with a girl whose strong personality teaches Trent so much! This novel helps middle school students learn how to cope with so many changes, being true to yourself and others, and learning life lessons sometimes the hard way.