I have a real treat here for YA mystery lovers--two Megan Miranda novels that revolve around missing people.
"His mother asked me to do this, because she said it wasn't something a mother should ever have to do. I don't think it's something an ex-girlfriend should have to do either, but mother trumps ex any day of the week."
It was a dark and stormy night when Caleb disappeared, driving too fast under adverse conditions. The speculations that his car plunged off a bridge seem to be confirmed when parts of it start washing up. It seems unlikely that he'll turn up alive.
Caleb's mother has decided to move. She's told Jessa, protagonist of Fragments of the Lost, to pack up his room. It's an odd request for a mom to make. But Jessa wants to know what really happened. Maybe she'll find clues in his belongings.
The room is exactly as Caleb left it. His clothes are strewn on the floor. The necklace with the broken clasp Jessa had asked him to hold the last time she saw him is in his jeans pocket. The walls are covered with pictures of the previously happy couple...
...or maybe not so happy couple. As the objects in the room trigger memories, Jessa gains new insights. The sum of things she didn't see before begins to add up in a disturbing way.
Caleb's mother is acting very strangely--monitoring Jessa both tangibly and virtually. Could she blame her for Caleb's death? Or could she be hiding evidence of something truly sinister?
"Most searches have scanned just a fraction of the universe. They're guessing, grasping, listening for a very specific signal. It's no wonder they've come up empty so far."
Kennedy, one of the protagonists of Come Find Me, has survived a horrific crime. Her home is THAT HOUSE where the unimaginable happened. She's living in the apartment of the uncle who has been given custody. But when he's asleep she rides her bike to her former home. Her brother, Elliot, convinced that intelligent life had developed elsewhere in the universe, had set up an observatory in a building that had been a small stable. She now takes down the data that he no longer can. Plus the house, in danger of being sold, is the only place she can feel the presence of her family.
"That was two years ago. My brother is still gone. Missing. The police, the FBI, the volunteers who have devoted thousands of hours of labor, have found nothing. The newspaper headlines crackled for attention: The Unsolved Mystery of Promising Student Athlete, All-State Soccer Goalie, National Merit Scholar, golden child of Battleground High, disappears without a trace. Liam Chandler, stuff of legends."
Nolan, the other protagonist, lost his only brother, Liam, when he disappeared with his dog on a family outing. His grieving parents, after deriving as much hope as they could from law enforcement and a psychic, have converted their home into something decidedly unhomey.
"Okay, the truth: they run a nonprofit foundation for missing children throughout the Southeast. They've channeled their grief into action (so said the local paper). But if you ask me, they just feel at home in it now. And so they've willingly inherited the cause of every grief-stricken parent."
Nolan has become invisible in his own home except when the foundation requires him to work. He privately searches for Liam who he believes is alive and in need of help.
So how can these very different protagonists possibly help each other to accomplish their goals before time runs out?
There's one way to find out.
On a purrrsonal note, I had the most amazing day possible yesterday. I spent the morning snuggling with precious Tobago on the sofa near the tree reading. Then, for the first time since the Great Before my friend, Mazie, and I went to our favorite hang out which is Sweet Frog. It's a place where you can get frozen yogurt with all kinds of toppings. We enjoyed our sweet treats and had so much to talk about. Then we stopped at Goodwill. I found a cute cat leotard, a pair of Christmas sloth pajamas, and THE MOST AMAZING HIGHTOPS which ACTUALLY FIT!!! Purrrfect for my first day of internship! Mazie bought the chocolate chips which I need for Eugene's birthday cook which I can make Monday. I was so hyped up from all the wonderfulness of the day I needed chamomile tea to calm down enough to sleep. (Jules)
I met Mazie. I really like her. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Mazie.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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