Official Review: Finding Lisa by Sigrid Macdonald

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 18 Sep 2019, 11:14

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Finding Lisa" by Sigrid Macdonald.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Tara is a middle-aged wife and mother who is feeling increasingly somber about her life. Her teenage son, Devon, has become impossible to connect with, and she is beginning to resent the monotony of her lackluster marriage. Her husband, Mark, isn’t providing her with the attention that she needs and to make matters worse, she has developed an obsession with an attractive young man. The object of Tara’s lust is a 23-year-old grocery clerk named Alain.

The only reprieve from Tara’s misery is during her weekly get-togethers with her best friend, Lisa, who insists that Tara is going through a midlife crisis. Lisa is an ex-addict, and she has worked hard to put her life back together. She has a steady boyfriend and a fulfilling career, so Tara is quite shocked when Lisa disappears. She doesn’t leave a note or tell anybody where she is going. As days turn into weeks, Lisa’s loved ones fear the worst.

Between her failing marriage and Lisa’s disappearance, Tara is feeling more lost now than ever. Can she salvage her marriage and find her best friend before it's too late?

Finding Lisa by Sigrid Macdonald is a character-driven novel that is written in the first person and follows Tara as she tries to find her best friend. While the story’s main emphasis was on locating a missing person, it was also a book about reflection and self-discovery. In the absence of her greatest confidante, Tara was forced to face her struggles by herself. She had to deal with her unfulfilling marriage, her fears about turning forty, and her lack of self-confidence.

My favorite aspect of the book was the character development. The author was quickly able to pull me into Tara’s world by creating a character that was flawed and relatable. Tara grappled with feelings of loneliness and seemed to be incredibly afraid of aging. Between her desperate attempts to win the heart of a much younger man and her failing marriage, it was apparent that Tara was going through an identity crisis. She said, “... with my birthday looming in the distance, suddenly, I don’t know who I am anymore or what I want. I don’t even know who I want, but I can’t see myself growing old with Mark.”

Another thing that I loved about Finding Lisa was the element of mystery. Once I picked up the book, I couldn’t put it down, and I needed to find out what happened to Lisa. The book had many twists and turns, and as soon as I thought I had it figured out, I was thrown another curveball.

The only thing that irked me about the book was the author’s decision to provide only one perspective. While Tara’s character was strong and relatable, I still felt like something was missing. Perhaps adding in a narrative from a secondary character would have added another layer of mystery and excitement during the subdued parts.

Finding Lisa was professionally written, and I only noticed a few minor errors which didn’t interfere with the overall readability of the book. I chose to give the book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.

I would recommend Finding Lisa to lovers of mystery books; the author had me guessing until the very last page. For readers—like me—that are nearing middle age, this book will strike a chord with you. It had me laughing and crying at the absurdity of just how far Tara would go to make herself seem young and relevant. For readers who feel as though they are stuck in a rut, this book is for you!

I would not recommend this book to young readers, as it may be challenging to relate to the main character. The book contains foul language and scenes of violence. I would discourage victims of physical abuse from reading this book as it may trigger painful memories.

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Finding Lisa
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Corina Elena · Post by **Corina Elena** » 19 Sep 2019, 10:00

Oh, such a thorough review! I would definetly read this book, it seems to be an incredibly interesting read. I enjoy mistery novels a lot, and seeing the personal development included in this one makes it all even more interesting!
Grat review!

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 19 Sep 2019, 11:46

corinaelena wrote: ↑19 Sep 2019, 10:00 Oh, such a thorough review! I would definetly read this book, it seems to be an incredibly interesting read. I enjoy mistery novels a lot, and seeing the personal development included in this one makes it all even more interesting!
Grat review!

Thank you! I haven't read a mystery in a long time; it was long overdue!

Ekta Swarnkar · Post by **Ekta Swarnkar** » 19 Sep 2019, 12:03

What an amazing review!
I think the beginning of the story is interesting. I think it is an informative review. Good job!

rumik · Post by **rumik** » 19 Sep 2019, 12:40

I have a feeling I'd really like this one. Too many women are terrified of growing old like Tara is and face the same problems as her (minus the best friend disappearing problem!) I hope she found her self-confidence by the end and realized growing older is an inevitable process that doesn't diminish her worth in any way. Thanks for the review!

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 19 Sep 2019, 14:50

Ekta Swarnkar wrote: ↑19 Sep 2019, 12:03 What an amazing review!
I think the beginning of the story is interesting. I think it is an informative review. Good job!

Thanks very much!

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 19 Sep 2019, 14:52

rumik wrote: ↑19 Sep 2019, 12:40 I have a feeling I'd really like this one. Too many women are terrified of growing old like Tara is and face the same problems as her (minus the best friend disappearing problem!) I hope she found her self-confidence by the end and realized growing older is an inevitable process that doesn't diminish her worth in any way. Thanks for the review!

You make a very great point. Thanks!

Rachel Lea · Post by **Rachel Lea** » 19 Sep 2019, 18:05

I think I would find the content of this story rather depressing, but the book itself sounds like it has a great plot and a host of well-developed characters. Thank you for your detailed and thorough review!

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 19 Sep 2019, 19:18

Rachel Lea wrote: ↑19 Sep 2019, 18:05 I think I would find the content of this story rather depressing, but the book itself sounds like it has a great plot and a host of well-developed characters. Thank you for your detailed and thorough review!

Thank you!

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 20 Sep 2019, 00:21

This was a wonderful review! Now I want to find out what happened to Lisa.

Kabui-nj · Post by **Kabui-nj** » 20 Sep 2019, 03:03

Such a beautiful mystery book. I would love to read it. Thanks for the thorough review.

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 20 Sep 2019, 04:58

MsH2k wrote: ↑20 Sep 2019, 00:21 This was a wonderful review! Now I want to find out what happened to Lisa.

Thanks for your comment!

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 20 Sep 2019, 04:59

Kabui-nj wrote: ↑20 Sep 2019, 03:03 Such a beautiful mystery book. I would love to read it. Thanks for the thorough review.

Thanks!

inaramid · Post by **inaramid** » 22 Sep 2019, 19:31

Very interesting premise. I'm intrigued by the depth of the mystery and am really tempted to give this one a shot. Thanks for this review!

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 22 Sep 2019, 22:28

Your review makes the characters seem so real! I can see how it would be easy to identify with the characters since the author has done such a good job on taking the time to develop them. This looks really good! Thanks for the recommendation.