The book Emily the Strange: the Lost Days, by Jessica Gruber and Rob Reger, is an intriguing and unique fantasy, told in first person, and in journal format. I have read this book a total of nine times and every plot twist still surprises me. My goal is to read it 13 times for reasons you will understand if you read this book.

Earwig finds herself sitting on a bench in a humdrum, beige-colored town with a full-blown case of amnesia and only a notebook, pencil and a slingshot. She
builds herself a lean-to outside a restaurant called the ‘El Dungeon’. Here she befriends a quiet, slow-witted, and beautiful waitress named Raven, four black
cats and a nine-year-old psychic called Jakey and his white parrot. The customers of the El Dungeon seem like normal, boring people until Umlaut and
his friends show up to play an extremely complicated game called Calamity Poker, documenting everything she witnesses, and her thoughts on what’s happening, in her notebook. Earwig uncovers many secrets in this seemingly boring town. Some of these things being that Attikol, Umlaut’s rich friend, is
a dangerous person; Raven isn’t what she seems to be; and Blackrock is more important than just any old boring town, even if no one realizes it. She also
discovers that even through all this she can succeed as long as she tries hard.

I absolutely loved this book because of so many elements. For one, the format of the book, Earwig’s journal, keeps it so casual and Earwig’s tone, is amusing.
Another thing is all the creative hand-drawn pictures, band names and top 13 lists, keeps the book unique and fun. The main thing I love about this book is the plot though. Earwig goes on so many adventures and the whole time she’s learning clues to her amnesia, who she was before her amnesia, and about her
history in Blackrock.

I would rate this book a five because I thought it was great and I think others will too. To be specific, by others I mean people in sixth grade and up because
the authors do use some big words. Also, the plot can get a little hard to follow and Earwig is a strange character, younger readers might not understand
her and instead find her scary.

Overall I think this book is great and I’m sure others will too.