Glad You FOUND This Post
Reviewer: Vraj Patel
No Spoilers.
No Spoilers.
Hi! Welcome back to my blog! Today I will be talking about the book Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Published in 2008, it is the first book in a series of 8 called "The Missing." I first found this book (no pun intended) as part of assigned reading in middle school, and I enjoyed it so much I had to reread it and the rest of the series. Here is my review on Found:
Summary:
Jonah is a thirteen-year-old adopted boy living with his non-adopted younger sister, Katherine, and his parents. He has a friend, Chip, who was also adopted by his family. One day, Jonah receives a letter saying he was one of "the missing." At first, he does not think too much about it, but then, once figuring out Chip got a similar letter as well, he begins to ponder the meaning of it. One of the things Jonah questions is whether it was a letter from his real parents. A few days later Jonah and Chip both receive another letter saying people will come to take them back. Scared, the boys, along with Katherine, go to an FBI agent close to Chip's adopted family. The FBI agent tells the kids that he was once part of a baby-smuggling group. Katherine takes pictures of a list of all the smuggled babies while the agent is distracted (how careless of him to leave the list out on his desk, right?). Jonah and Chip's names are on this record. The kids later try to get in touch with all of the other kids who were on this list, and they learn that a bunch of these kids are also adopted and live in the same area as them.
Sometime after, the kids are contacted by a woman who had claimed to see a plane full of babies appear out of nowhere many years ago during her time working at an airport, and she was sure it was a time machine. Could it be that Jonah and Chip were babies on this plane? A little later, the boys receive another letter, but this time it is an invitation to a gathering of adopted children living in the surrounding towns. They go to this convention, and they recognize a bunch of names of kids that were on the FBI agent's list. Who are Jonah and Chip actually, and will they be able to put all of the information together to learn the truth about their past?
This book is one of my favorites. I would easily give it a 5/5. It is a science fiction story that incorporates historical aspects. Out of the many delightful aspects of the book, I enjoyed it because of the plot and the characters the most.
To begin, the plot is intense (intense in a good way. that is). The plot is full of action and suspense, and it made me want to continue reading. The story goes from some normal teenagers' normal lives to a huge discovery of their pasts, one that no one could have thought of.
The characters in the story are relatable. They live realistic, 21st-century lives that people can relate to (or they did before the whole baby-smuggling stuff arose). Jonah's parents are those type of parents that are like "oh, you're adopted, but we love you. And we will always bring up the point that you're adopted, but we still love you." Jonah and Chip are both basketball fanatics as well, and many readers probably know of people in real life that are similar, if they are not themselves. This relatability allowed me to connect and understand the characters' lives more clearly, and enjoy the book more.
So, yeah. Check out Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix if you're looking for a read that will keep you at the edge of your seat. And if you liked Found, check out the rest of the "The Missing" series. See ya next time!
Sometime after, the kids are contacted by a woman who had claimed to see a plane full of babies appear out of nowhere many years ago during her time working at an airport, and she was sure it was a time machine. Could it be that Jonah and Chip were babies on this plane? A little later, the boys receive another letter, but this time it is an invitation to a gathering of adopted children living in the surrounding towns. They go to this convention, and they recognize a bunch of names of kids that were on the FBI agent's list. Who are Jonah and Chip actually, and will they be able to put all of the information together to learn the truth about their past?
This book is one of my favorites. I would easily give it a 5/5. It is a science fiction story that incorporates historical aspects. Out of the many delightful aspects of the book, I enjoyed it because of the plot and the characters the most.
To begin, the plot is intense (intense in a good way. that is). The plot is full of action and suspense, and it made me want to continue reading. The story goes from some normal teenagers' normal lives to a huge discovery of their pasts, one that no one could have thought of.
The characters in the story are relatable. They live realistic, 21st-century lives that people can relate to (or they did before the whole baby-smuggling stuff arose). Jonah's parents are those type of parents that are like "oh, you're adopted, but we love you. And we will always bring up the point that you're adopted, but we still love you." Jonah and Chip are both basketball fanatics as well, and many readers probably know of people in real life that are similar, if they are not themselves. This relatability allowed me to connect and understand the characters' lives more clearly, and enjoy the book more.
So, yeah. Check out Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix if you're looking for a read that will keep you at the edge of your seat. And if you liked Found, check out the rest of the "The Missing" series. See ya next time!
Great post! I also read the first book of this series in middle school, and really enjoyed it. I had forgotten about these books until now, but if I have time, I might try to finish the series. Your review was well-written, but I did have one question about the plot. If the woman that saw the plane full of babies a long time ago, why didn’t she tell anyone then and also how did she know to contact Chip and Jonah? Overall, you did a really good job summarizing the main points of the book without spoiling any of it.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of this author several times before, and for some reason for most of my life I thought that she had written a mega-series called Haddix as her last name is bigger than the title for most of her books. From your review I got a much better idea of what this author is about and that this book sounds like a really fun read. Your summary gives a good idea of the book, and your review all the more makes me want to look in to it. Overall, great review.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I had also read these books way back in middle school and Also enjoyed them. I think I got around 3 books in before ultimate dropping the series but your review may just convince me to pick them up again. Your review helps me see a clear picture as to why you like this book as much as you did and I think you summarize enough without spoiling anything while still giving enough for the readers to be interested in the book. Overall good job!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that I read this book a while ago in middle school (I went through a Haddix phase, don't ask), but I don't remember that much about, nor do I remember whether I actually read it or not, so yeah. Anyways, your review does a great job of drawing me in at the beginning with the concise and intriguing plot, albeit without spoiling the series at all, which honestly impressed me. You also did a good job of stating your opinion and giving evidence as to why you thought that way. It was well structured, having different points made in different paragraphs so that I was never lost while reading your review. Your punny (haha get it) title draws readers in, and along with your content makes a good example of what a book review should look like.
ReplyDeleteI like how you thoroughly explained the book with a lot of detail. It leaves me with almost no questions except now I have to read the book. I think I have read this book before but I only vaguely remember it, I will be sure to take another look at it. You mention how the plot is intense which makes the story better. I like books like these because they don'y usually have slow starts and crazy endings. They typically are action packed all throughout the book. I also like your little blurb in the end about the setting and how that makes the book relatable. Nice job!
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