The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy - ADVISABLE

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy, 385 pages.Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. $13.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Alia Quinn and her brother, Miles have just lost their mother to a sudden illness and their father is drafted to serve in World War II. They are sent to live with their mother’s best friend in Sterling while their father is away at war. Sterling is full of mysteries, like no scents of food or flowers, no stars at night, no reflections in the mirror or the surface of water, and may other things. Every 7 years something else disappears. The people of Sterling, and two neighboring towns, always plan a Harvest Festival when they expect a new disappearance. Alia quickly makes friends at her new high school, but her brother is having a hard time. The people that live in Sterling do not know the cause of the disappearances, but somehow they think that Alia and Miles’ mother, Juliet, is somehow responsible.

This was a great book. It was very well written. The characters were fantastic, well developed and believable. I could not put the book down and kept feeling part of the whole thing while I was reading it. I like how the writings of Shakespeare was brought into the book, and how Alia found new meaning and clues in the writing. I am already recommending this books to others in my family and teachers at my school. This is definitely worth reading, and I would give this one five stars.

Reviewed by: Ellen-Anita, Librarian