The Disappearance of Emily H. Barrie Summy. New York, NY: Delacorte Press (Distributed in Canada by Random House of Canada), 2015. 245 pp., hardcover & ebook, $19.99 (trade bdg.), $23.99 (lib. bdg.). ISBN 978-0-385-73943-6 (trade bdg.), ISBN 978-0-385-90790-3 (lib. bdg.), ISBN 978-0-385-89756-6 (ebook). Subject Headings: Missing children-Fiction. Memory-Fiction. Mystery fiction. Grades 7-11 / Ages 12-17. Review by Lacey Hall. **** /4 Reviewed from Advance Reader's Copy.

excerpt:

I take a few steps onto the driveway and stretch out my arms. Immediately, my fingers begin to tingle. My hearts tries to hammer its way out of my chest. I don't want to be busted on Jennifer's front yard. What would I say? Hi, I was out walking my dog and got lost in front of your house.

Sparkles are often easier to spot at night, but I'm seeing nothing here. I'm about to give up when my eye catches a twinkle. It's a small, dullish sparkle, barely bright enough to have a shadow, on the short wooden fence...two steps take me to the fence. Levi follows, sniffing at the bottom of a post. I reach out.....I grab the sparkle.

It's Emily's memory.

Raine, new to Yielding Middle School, has a gift unlike any other eighth grader - she has the ability to see other's memories. Sparkles litter her world, everywhere she goes; binders, strands of hair, necklaces - sparkles can be found everywhere. Once one is picked up, Raine sees a memory play out inside her head.

      When Raine joins her new cross-country team, she begins to hear about Emily Huvar, a girl who has been missing for weeks and used to live in Raine's new house. With the help of her gift, as well as her driving curiosity and detective skills, she sets out to find out what happened to Emily, unknowingly coming closer to danger with each discovery.

      This novel was thoroughly enjoyable. While the aspect of the "sparkles" being memories felt slightly out of place in the beginning, it very quickly became integral to the story and an interesting quirk for the main character to have. There were many unexpected turns in the plot, adding depth to the story. Summy's mystery-style writing capabilities made Raine's world very easy to immerse yourself in. I feel kids will relate to Raine, and to themes such as being new at a school and in town, as well as being picked on by the "popular" girls. All in all, I found The Disappearance of Emily H. hard to put down.

Highly Recommended.

Lacey Hall works as the assistant to the Dean of Arts at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and will be starting her Masters of Children's Literature program in Fall 2015.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

Next Review | Table of Contents for This Issue - September 18, 2015.

CM Home | Back Issues | Search | CM Archive | Profiles Archive