Falmouth High School Library

Mazer, N.F. (2008). The Missing Girl. NY: HarperTeen. 284 pages.

This was a very quick read about five typical sisters who laugh, cry, fight, and, at the end of the day, love each other unconditionally. The girls range in age from 11 (Autumn) to 17 (Beauty). As they walk to school every day, they are watched by a man who surreptitiously watches them and eventually becomes obsessed with them. I don’t want to give anything away, but picks his favorite sister and manages to kidnap her. Read the book to find out what happens and how the other sisters cope with the kidnapping. This book is written in alternating points of view – mostly, Autumn, Beauty, and the man’s — which can be confusing at times, but once you can figure out who is narrating, it is impossible to put down.

Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen Reasons Why. NY: Razorbill. 288 pages.
The main character is Clay Jensen, who has always had a crush on a fellow classmate, Hannah Baker. Here’s the problem: a few weeks before the novel opens, Hannah committed suicide. One day, Clay finds a package on his front steps, and opens it to find audio tapes that Hannah recorded prior to her death, describing 13 reasons why she committed suicide. Each reason is a different person, and each person on the list is instructed to listen to the tapes. Clay’s character is brilliantly developed, but my major problem with this book is that I was really annoyed by the character of Hannah. I imagined what it would be like to actually be a recipient of audio tapes like this, and for some reason Hannah’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard in my head. I will say this: the novel is different from anything else I have ever read. There is/was a lot of buzz about this book because of the original concept & content.