The Disappearance. Gillian Chan. Toronto, ON: Annick Press, 2017. 196 pp., pbk., hc., EPUB & PDF, $12.95 (pbk.), $18.95 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-55451-982-8 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55451-983-5 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-55451-985-9 (EPUB), ISBN 978-1-55451-984-2 (PDF). Grades 8 and up / Ages 13 and up. Review by Wendy Phillips. *** /4

excerpt:

I don't remember anything until it was dark, the whole house was quiet, and I was suddenly awake, chilled with sweat and the memory of Jon's angry eyes staring at me. The dream was back.

Then I heard the voice again—that rusty, whispering voice—but this time, I was positive it was coming from Jacob's bed.

"Danny killed Jon," it said. "Danny killed Jon. Something burst in Jon's head. It didn't hurt but a second."

A convulsive shiver shook my whole body. Jacob was talking. He was talking about things he shouldn't know about I could buy that I might have shouted Jon's name in my sleep, but not Danny's. …

Speaking was difficult, but finally, I forced out some words. "How do you know that?" I asked. "How can you say that and sound so sure? How do you know about Jon and Danny?" I didn't think I'd get an answer. Hell, this was Jacob the mute actually talking.

Jacob's voice cut off and the only sound left in the room was my ragged breathing.

Gillian Chan's YA novel, The Disappearance, combines suspense, mystery and the supernatural and, at the same time, keeps it real with troubled and believable characters.

      Scarred inside and out by the murder of his younger brother, Mike nurses his guilt and anger to keep Jon's memory alive. When he meets Jacob in his "last chance" group home, the two become roommates and unlikely friends. Mike is big and strong, and no one pushes him around. Jacob is small and silent, the victim of bullies both at school and at home.

      Then one night Mike hears Jacob talking about things he can't know, things about Mike's brother, about what happened the night of Jon's death and Mike's terrible facial disfigurement. Determined to find the truth about who Jacob is and how he knows Mike's deepest secrets, Mike sets out to solve the mystery. The answers he discovers are impossible to accept, but they must be true. To save both Jacob and himself, Mike must not only believe in the supernatural world but also connect to it.

      Chan is the author of eight previous books for young adults. Her adept portrayal of contradictory adolescent nature shows insight into the challenge of survival for young people suffering from childhood trauma. The boys at Medlar House are all damaged and haunted — some literally — by ghosts from the past. Mike has refused plastic surgery to repair his horrifying facial scar to punish both himself and his mother. "I worry that if I don't keep hating, don't keep remembering all that Jon could have been it will be like he never existed." It's a logical reaction to the attack he and his brother suffered, but it is also deeply self-destructive. And it does not reflect who he is inside. Though Mike looks like a monster and acts like a bully, he takes on the role of protector for the weaker boys in the home, including Jacob.

      Mike defies his stereotype, taking responsibility for his violence, embracing his own intelligence and showing compassion. Some characters, like the brutal Paddy and the follower, Matt, are more predictable as bully and sidekick but Chaz, the social worker, is shown as a refreshing change from the ineffectual adult figure; he is insightful, intelligent and caring.

      Chan's plot moves briskly in flashback reveals. At first a familiar problem novel, the book's supernatural twists of communication from beyond the grave and time travel are surprising and almost jarring. Yet the novel works well on several levels. Mike's belief that his brother is communicating from beyond the grave allows him to shed his guilt for not protecting him. The ghost story works both metaphorically and literally and will appeal to adolescent readers with a taste for mystery and magic.

      A quick read, The Disappearance is written in accessible, sometimes gritty language, full of realistic dialogue. Mike's voice reflects both the belligerence he needs to survive and the kindness and compassion that are essential to his nature.

      For readers looking for a twisted supernatural mystery with engaging characters, The Disappearance is an excellent choice.

Recommended.

Wendy Phillips is a teacher librarian in Richmond, B.C. and the author of the Governor General's Literary Award-winning young adult novel, Fishtailing.

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