Tom Finder

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Powell,
Ohio.

Tom is hurt, hungry, and tired and has no memory of who he is or what
happened to him. He knows he should go to the police to tell them that
he has amnesia, but for some reason his legs refuse to carry him inside
the station. So begins Tom’s life on the street and his quest to find
himself and his home.

Almost immediately, Tom encounters a man who is praying for the return
of his own lost son. Samuel Wolflegs sees Tom as a “Finder” who has
been sent in answer to his prayers. Tom reluctantly agrees to look for
the boy and in so doing encounters many other lost teens. Tom’s
reactions to his day-to-day experiences become the basis of his new
identity. When he follows the clues that lead him to remember who he was
“before forgetting,” he realizes that he now has to make a choice as
to who he will be in the future.

This compelling story takes the harsh and edgy reality of life on the
street and washes it with the dreamlike language and poetic imagery of
fantasy fiction. Tom’s situation is intrinsically captivating and
keeps the reader in anticipation of discovery until the end. Tom is a
fantasy hero on a modern-day quest whose monsters, demons, and dangers
appear in the very real world of the street. This is a brilliantly
written work of suspense that will appeal to a wide young-adult
audience. Highly recommended.