This is a pretty ordinary coming-of-age story, albeit quite beautifully told.

Mannion is a gifted stylist and Libby is a believable narrator. Fortunately, for me, there weren't many eye-rolling passages of her being too precocious for her 15 years. (That seems more of an issue for narrators at 11 or so -- Scout for instance -- but I find young teens to be a bit too "wise" sometimes, also.)

Still, I didn't quite believe certain aspects of the plot. The ending, especially, seems over improbable.

Those who grew up in the early 80s will appreciate the cultural touchstones, especially women. Even as a man, who grew up in the later 80s/early 90s, this is a book that I was content to read, but won't think much about in a few months.

If you like coming-of-age stories, with a dash of crime and intrigue, this might be for you.

This book is fiction that reads like true crime. It’s about a disappearance it starts with a fight and ends with the summer of questions. I highly recommend this book

A mother, at her wits end, with four bickering children in the car decides she's had it. She demands that Ellen gets out of the car to walk the next 5 miles home. Ellen is only twelve years old.

What none of this family knows as they drive off leaving a twelve-year-old girl on the side of the road five miles from home with darkness closing in, is what will happen next.

Doesn't that sound intriguing? I was all in wondering what happens to this poor girl.

Libby, the older sister that narrates the story has a voice that just never resonated with me.

I'll be honest and say that this isn't the book that I thought it was going to be and it's my fault. I thought this was going to be a thriller or suspense novel of sorts and it is not that. This is most definitely a slow burn coming of age novel and there is nothing wrong with that but it just wasn't what I was in the mood for at the moment. Again, my fault. 3 stars!

Overall, I think this book is a 3.5 for me. I have a hard time telling if my problems will be solved by the final copy, as I just felt like something was missing from this book. There were so many great things about it - the atmosphere and tension was so prevalent throughout the book, and I felt very rooted in the setting. The family dynamics explored were very interesting to me and helped build the tension and unease that really defined the book for me. What fell a little flat for me, however, was the writing style - a lot of the situations and surroundings were told to me, rather than shown. I think it would be a lot more powerful if Libby didn't explain everything to me. I wanted it to do a bit more, but I also feel like some of my issues of flow might be resolved by the final copy.