*Contains Spoilers*
At first, I wasn't really sold on this book. I thought Wren was a whiney girl and I was annoyed with some of her behaviors. She shut herself off from the world at 7 years old because her mom went missing and at 12 years old still did not have any friends and was extremely angry at her dad for not finding her mom. As a result of this anger, she lies to her dad A LOT. As a mom, I don't love having my kids read books that make lying to your parents look okay. Wren came clean about a lot of the things she did wrong in the book but lying to her dad was not one of them. She decided that she needed to continue lying to him even though their relationship does improve. I really loved Wren's character arc. She learns and grows so much in this story and I really enjoyed watching her turn from the whiney, annoying girl into someone who didn't only think of herself and someone who could see the good around her and have gratitude even when she was going through hard things. With some of the content in this book (animal abuse/mutilation, child abuse, lying to parents, etc.) I would suggest this book to my own children when they were 16 or older.

Dnf at 50%. This is by no means a bad book. It's a me thing. In my current mental state, it's a little triggering. I've been trying to get through it for the past week and I'm struggling. I do think this is an incredibly impactful book that is needed not just for young readers but for all ages. My heart ached for Wren. I couldn't possibly imagine going through what she is. Elsi is such a wonderful character who I just adored.

This book was great. I loved reading this book and about the Cherokee culture as the story progressed. Wren is a dynamic and strong main characters that was great to read from the perspective of. This book touches upon so many important and intense topics and does so with a level of care and respect for the culture and also shows readers the importance of bringing awareness to the issues. Reno is a talented author and I highly recommend this book

Wren's mother has already been missing for 5 years, 3 months and 12 days, and it isn't getting any easier. Nor does it help to realise that she is one of thousands of indigenous women missing from the country.

Wren is determined not to give up and feels a little disappointed in her father, a caucasian police chief, whom she feels is not doing enough to find her mother. She hopes that her own gift, of helping people find lost things, will help her to find the person she most wants to see again.

Luckily, Wren and her maternal grandmother, Elisi, are able to give each other comfort and company. The importance of her Cherokee heritage is also kept alive by her loving grandmother. And now, Wren even has a new friend, even if his life is complicated.

Not as complicated as things are about to get for all of them, though...

This is such a beautiful story, everyone should read it. The book raises any number of important issues including the disappearances of indigenous women, the need to preserve the culture of First Nation and indigenous groups, and the treatment of animals. Wren and Elisi will make a permanent place for themselves in your heart and mine. Please read it!

I think there was just something with the writing style that I didn't jive with for some reason. It came to me really highly anticipated, but just didn't click for me.

What really caught my eye was the cover, the beautiful cover alone hold such an important message, sparking interest and spreading awareness for the MMIWG movement.

The book itself was a suspenseful mystery that had me tearing through the book to get to the end. Not only are our characters fighting to solve the mystery or the abused animals, but they are navigating new friendships, being bullied, abuse at home, and our main characters missing mother. I loved the story, but the characters really did it for me, Reno crafted relatable and realistic characters that I found myself rooting for, and really caring about. I seriously recommend reading this book!

TW: animal abuse, child abuse, missing/abducted parent, bullying.

I know this isn’t out for a while, but it was a book I couldn’t wait to read. I was a little hesitant in the beginning and unsure how I felt about it, but once we got into the mystery and Wren making friends with Brantley, I couldn’t put it down. I also loved the family dynamics and especially Elisi and the ways she makes sure Wren stays connected to her Cherokee heritage and is keeping the language alive. The mystery wasn’t surprising exactly and I figured it out early, but I’m also an adult reading middle grade so it may be more shocking for other readers. All in all this was excellent and such an important book!