This beautiful and haunting book follows Lazlo Strange, Junior Librarian and head-in-the-clouds dreamer. Lazlo was found as an infant, orphaned by the war that was ravaging his city, and he was raised a servant. But he's always longed for something more. He's always longed for Weep, the lost city across the desert. Up until two hundred years ago, merchants from Weep would cross the vast and dangerous desert and offer all manner of bizarre and magical goods for trade. That is, until they abruptly and mysteriously stopped coming and no one from Weep was ever seen again. 
 Lazlo has always dreamt of traveling across the desert and discovering that lost city. But he's never had the courage or ability to take his dream and make it a reality. Until, of course, it is forced upon him. When a contingency from Weep arrives for the first time in centuries in search of expert scholars to return with them to Weep, Lazlo must finally be brave enough to reach for his dreams. 
 I really loved this book. It's taken me so long to write a review for it because it's so hard to describe. I keep trying to recommend it to coworkers and each time I do, I have to give up on telling them what it's about and instead say, "It's weird and beautiful, just read it!" So I will say that now in this review as well: It's weird and beautiful, just read it! 
 It may be a slow book for some readers. There's a plot, sure, but it has a slow unveiling. So when you first begin reading, you kind of just have to experience the story and the writing and trust that it will all make sense. I know that that is a turn-off for a lot of people, so keep that in mind!