“Review from Youthwork Magazine”
Lost is a retelling of Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son. The author breaks the story into four sections, and uses them to explain the gospel. 'Pursue the Dream' explores our rejection of God, 'Crash Landing' focuses on our bankruptcy as sinners, 'Welcome Home' describes the delight of the Father when we return. The final section, 'Missing the Party,' highlights the oft-forgotten figure of the older brother - he works like a slave for his Father, but in reality loves neither God, nor the things God loves.
The language is funny, accessible and memorable; the illustrations by Andre Parker enhance the text, the whole book has less than 60 pages, and sin for example is described as 'dumping God'! It would be ideal for a teenager exploring Christianity for the first time, or someone who has grown up in church, but not really understood grace. Allcock fills this seemingly simple story with relevance and challenge. My only criticism is that he tells us too often how amazing and challenging it is - he doesn't need to say that, he shows it! But I'm quibbling - Allcock does a great job of demonstrating that 'Jesus welcomes sinners' and at £4, it's a steal.
