So today for my lunch break, I decided that I'd crack open a book that my brother gave me as a gift. The book was Lost At Sea--a graphic novel by Bryan Lee O'Malley (the same guy who did Scott Pilgrim). I only intended to read a few pages before going back to work. I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting.The thing is, stories are powerful.What I found in this book was what many a young adult--myself included--have struggled with at some point in his or her life. The story is centered on a girl named Raleigh, who finds herself quite unexpectedly on a road trip with a few others whom she distantly knew from high school. Much of the book is her inner monologue as she relates to the reader her mass of jumbled and confused thoughts on....well, life. She finds herself wandering through life aimlessly and is trying to make sense of it all--is it all meaningless, coincidence, or something else? Why does she feel empty--souless, even? Is it the loss of her past friend? Her parent's divorce? The cats that are magnetically drawn to her? (You just need to read it and find out for yourself!)Reading this for me was....well, gut wrenching. Because I can relate to times where I've felt wandering, searching, lost. Lost, confused, and scared. But I will tell you by the end of the book, there was a peaceful release, as if deep in my heart I sincerely believed "It's going to be alright. It really is going to be alright." That's also the power of hope for ya.It's a good read. Especially for you who've struggled with this thing--or still are, as many of us are--it's really nice to know that you're not alone and that it really is going to be alright.-J
