The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. [ペーパーバック]

Reviewing this book and deciding how many stars to give it was difficult. I was torn between reviewing the actual book and the threesome's journey. The idea of abandoning successful lives and embarking on a year long expedition around the globe is without a doubt 5-star worthy. I'm jealous that they had the guts to take the leap, to be honest. The actual book itself, though, fell a little flat.

What Kept Me Reading
- The book changes locales often, providing the reader with the ability to see places all over the world that are off the beaten track. If I was thinking about doing this sort of trip these probably wouldn't necessarily be the places I'd think of visiting, but it was a nice tour.
- I appreciated how the narration was done- it divided the book up well (this is actually a downfall too... see below).
- The girls are honest about burn-out and conflicting emotions about the people, places, and jobs they left back home.

Not Quite Good Enough
- The writing style really annoyed me, especially when they laid it on thick. I know it's a travel log and they want to be descriptive, but the authors frequently over did it (along the lines of, "I sipped my steaming, bitter, hot coffee from the shiny white plastic top that had been tightly placed on top of the thick cardboard cup by the boyish barista who was wearing a bright green apron with dark stains on the front." This isn't actually in the book, but you can see there is some major adjective overkill).
- The three girls each tell their different stories, but, honestly, they really don't have their own narrative personalities. Yeah, they have different back-stories and a few personality quirks, but I'd often have to look at the bottom of the page to remember whose section I was reading.
- There's nothing in the book that is truly, truly exciting. They have adventurous spirits, obviously, but I everything was just portrayed in a very-low key way that was a bit disappointing. I didn't always feel the enthusiasm that I am sure was there.
- There are no pictures! A few black and white ones of their favorite places would have been nice, at least.

Again, I really admire these three women. They are brave, strong, resourceful, and extremely adept to new situations. I think one issue too is that they are used to writing blogs and articles- a 500+ page book is an entirely different beast.

This memoir is wonderful: Funny, smart, honest and perfectly captures that odd time in life when you're no longer an adolescent, but still wobbling into adulthood. The point where choices seem endless, where responsibilities are minimal, and where you're fully aware that one step can suddenly take you on a journey you never thought you were capable of achieving.

Holly, Amanda, and Jen were twentysomething, single women in New York City, trying to juggle romance, careers, friendships, and keeping up with paying rent when they decide to go on a trip of a lifetime: An around-the-world adventure together. The three plan profusely, cobble up funds, quit their jobs (or, in one case, are fired from a job) and take off. Along the way, they discover things about themselves, the world, and that who they want to be when they "grow up" just may be who they are right now?

I definitely need to emphasize that this is NOT a memoir simply about an amazing trip. Instead, the three women are smart writers, incredibly resourceful (they developed a budget--without financial help from family--that seemed reasonable and doable on a just-past entry level salary) and funny. They don't take themselves too seriously, and don't strive for an Eat, Pray, Love style transformation. Instead, they notice and indulge in the tiny details of living--sneaking chocolate into an ashram, having a fling with a fellow hostel-visitor, trying to smooth over the awkward friendship issues that can come up when three girls spend 24/7 together--and emerge as 3-dimensional characters who you feel privileged to get to know through the pages (and jealous that you didn't come along, too!)

The three have set up an awesome website to complement the book and to encourage readers to embark on their own adventures, and that sense of resourceful, "if we can do it, you can do!" pervades the book. That may be one of the absolute best parts: They're so encouraging and friendly and honest on the page, you really catch their enthusiasm and the travel bug. And don't be intimidated by the number of pages--it's a fast, addicting read that's perfect for the beach or the pool. The thing is, you really do feel like you're hearing these stories from your best friends--and I really hope they go on another adventure so they can write another book.

Finally, not only does it explore what travel means, it also really looks at the awkward, conflicting, yearning emotions of being in your twenties and how sometimes there are breathtaking highs and dizzying lows. Ultimately, it's a celebration of youth, a modern-girls On the Road, a fun, fearless read that's perfect for any young adult about to embark on her (or his--there's a lot of insight into the female mind, gentleman!) adventure.

Our book club very much enjoyed reading this travel memoir. I was surprised and pleased by the enthusiastic reactions and comments of our late-50s to early-60s members. While the book is geared toward twenty-thirty year olds, it should by no means be overlooked by those of us who are older. I found it interesting that these girls didn't take the trip with any "agenda" in mind - changing the world, writing the great American novel, etc. They simply love to travel and are willing to make it a priority in their lives. They are risk-takers who are open to meeting all kinds of people, and willing to work hard to make things happen for themselves and for others. I found it a fun book to read and hard to put down at times. I certainly hope readers of all ages, but especially young women, will find courage from the adventures in this book to begin to follow their own dreams.