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Emily the Strange: The Lost Days is the first book in the Emily the Strange series of novels. The book introduces readers to Emily’s strange world, filled with her own inventions and pranks and characters we hope to meet later. In Emily the Strange: The Lost Days, readers learn about Emily’s life right along with Emily. Authors Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner have collaborated on an entertaining story about a strange, but interesting, heroine.

As Emily searches for answers, she meets a bizarre cast of characters and encounters improbable situations. Fun for tweens and young teens, ages 10–14.



Pros

• Filled with illustrations that enhance the story
• Nicely designed and packaged
• Clever dialogue and storyline
• Good introduction for those who don’t already know about Emily

Cons

• Emily's lists may get repetitious.
• Convoluted plot will not appeal to less able readers

Description

• Title: Emily the Strange: The Lost Days (Emily the Strange Novel #1)
• Authors: Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner
• Illustrators: Rob Reger and Buzz Parker
• Length: 266 pages
• Recommended For: Ages 10 - 14
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication Date: 2009
• ISBN: 9780061452291

Guide Review - Emily the Strange: The Lost Days (Emily the Strange Novel #1)

Emily is:
1. Wondering where she is and how she got there
2. Very inventive and resourceful
3. A cat-lover
4. A list-maker
5. Probably about 13-years old
6. The main character in a graphic novel series and now a series of novels for middle-schoolers
7.

An enthusiast of the number 13
8. A little strange

A cross between Wednesday Addams and a mad scientist, Emily is clever and smart, with some very different tricks lurking in her bottomless pockets. When she first wakes up on a park bench, she realizes that she needs answers, but she also needs a sandwich. She meets Amber, the puzzling, but beautiful, coffee-shop waitress and finds four cats that seem to know who she is. With these allies, Emily begins to piece together the story of who she is, why she is in Blackrock, and where her mother is.

Interestingly, the character of Emily first came to life not in a story but in artwork. According to the Emily the Strange Web site,

• "Emily the Strange came to life in the early 1990's and quickly became a beloved counterculture icon all around the world. In her earliest years, she was a quiet but sharp-witted stranger, slinging philosophy and cultural observations in a series of hand-screened t-shirts and stickers...Today, Emily continues to be a voice for individualism and self-awareness, and her appeal is especially strong among alternative-minded young women and girls who identify with her signature singularity."

Emily the Strange is also featured in Emily the Strange comic books and graphic novels.
The first novel in this series serves as an introduction to Emily and her strange world. The book is filled with Emily’s lists (all with 13 items) and her sharp, funny observations about those around her. Filled with stunning black and red artwork on glossy paper, this book is a fun and fast read for middle-schoolers, but it will find fans among Emily’s older fan base as well.