Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fast-paced thriller seeks to solve mystery of missing teen.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Five teenagers return to their hometown 11 years after they mysteriously disappeared. They have no memory of who took them, where they've been, or even if they've been together during those years. Most unsettling, none of them has any memory of Matt, the sixth child presumed kidnapped with the five. They return to families changed and sometimes broken, and while some seem content to settle into their former lives and identities, two are determined to solve the mystery of their kidnapping. The story unfolds with one tantalizing clue after another -- the discovery of a cult novel whose plot mirrors their disappearance and captivity, notes suggesting Matt may still be alive, recovered memories that hint at a past romantic relationship between Lucas and Scarlett. And why did everyone dismiss a possible link between the disappearance and a school shooting?
Is It Any Good?
This abduction mystery relies on a fast-paced plot filled with twists and turns rather than the all-too-common storyline of teens being sexually abused by their kidnapper. Interwoven in the story is a provocative question: Who are we without our memories?
While the resolution of the mystery and identity of the kidnapper are believable, packing all this into a two-week time line is a stretch, although it's one not likely to bother readers caught up in the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about reunions. Have you ever been separated for a long period of time from your family or best friends? What was it like when you were reunited? Was it awkward or easy to pick up where you left off?
Why do you think movies and TV shows about child abduction are so popular?
If you were writing your autobiography, what are the childhood memories you would want to include?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Bloomsbury Children's Books
- Publication date : June 7, 2016
- Number of pages : 421
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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