from Lorinda:

Quick read and never a dull moment. Kate and her daughter Devin are dealing with the loss of their husband and father when Kate comes across an old letter sent by her great Aunt Eby telling about her resort camp that she owns in the southern Georgia swamplands. Kate and Devin decide to pack up and go for a visit to see if aunt Eby’s resort, aka, Lost Lake is still around. What they find is an almost abandoned struggling summer camp and their great aunt who has decided to sell out.

Kate and her daughter meet up with a whole cast of misfit characters who all have their own stories of love and loss but in the end they will find that with the help of each other they can find their way back to happiness. This story is not depressing but magical and heartwarming with a little touch of a supernatural alligator! I have read all of Allen’s books so far and haven’t found a one that I didn’t enjoy.

from Laura:

Sarah Addison Allen is so good at atmospheric descriptions. They often involve food: “The bell over the restaurant door rang, and yellow light from inside melted into the fog like butter.” While I enjoyed Allen’s Garden Spells a little better, I liked Lost Lake too. Taking place in Georgia near the beginning of summer, it was a nice escape from our still-hanging-on Ohio winter. ( )

One of my favorite authors. ( )

4 1/2 stars
A book of love, loss, and growth. The magical knowledge of oneself. Where misfits connect at Georgia swamp campsite. It has very diverse characters. Excellent writing. A keeper. ( )

Kate and her daughter, Devin take a road trip to Lost Lake, Georgia, where Kate spent the most memorable summer of her life. Kate needs to escape from her life since her husband passed away. Kate's great aunt, Eby runs the place, but is thinking of selling the lake and the cabins. Kate's mother and Eby had falling out the last summer Kate visited when she was twelve. She has not been back since. Kate runs in the boy, she spent time with her twelfth summer. He runs a pizza place. Devin has an active imagination and claims there is an alligator in the lake. This book is full of magical realism and quirky characters. If you want a magical ride this book is a good one. ( )

Oh, how I loved this book! Sarah Addison Allen's writing has deepened and developed in the most beautiful, rich ways since her debut, and I am delighted. This was very fun, and had lots more to it. ( )