Category: | Book |
By (author): | Florence, Melanie |
Subject: | YOUNG ADULT FICTION / People & Places / Canada |
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Prejudice & Racism | |
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Violence | |
Audience: | young adult |
Publisher: | James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers |
Published: | February 2016 |
Format: | Book-paperback |
Pages: | 192 |
Size: | 8.50in x 5.50in x 1.00in |
From The Publisher* | After a girl she knows from school goes missing and is found dead in the Red River, Feather is shocked when the police write it off as a suicide. Then, it's Feather's best friend, Mia, who vanishes - but Mia's mom and abusive stepfather paint Mia as a frequent runaway, so the authorities won't investigate her disappearance either. Everyone knows that Native girls are disappearing and being killed, but no one is connecting the dots. When Feather's brother Kiowa is arrested under suspicion of Mia's abduction, Feather knows she has to clear his name. What Feather doesn't know is that the young serial killer who has taken Mia has become obsessed with Feather, and her investigation is leading her into terrible danger. Using as its background the ongoing circumstance of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, this fictional thriller set in Winnipeg explores one teenager's response to a system that has long denied and misrepresented the problem. |
From The Publisher* | Who will stand up for missing and murdered women? |
Review Quote* | "This book is filled with suspense and is very interesting. It makes you want to keep on reading! I hope there are more books like this. It's not too scary and it has the right amount of suspense." |
Review Quote* | "Melanie Florence's young adult novel The Missing reveals the world of missing girls and women in Winnipeg. It is a tragic issue that has been ignored for so long and by so many . . . The mystery of the young ladies' abductions and deaths is creatively written. The short chapters move quickly. The many twists and turns make The Missing a true page-turner. The author explores many social issues-prejudice, racism, sexual abuse, missing aboriginal children and women, foster care, social media and the flawed justice system. Every secondary school library information centre should have a copy of Melanie Florence's The Missing." |
Review Quote* | "This was a very interesting book to read. I am always intrigued by missing people and the details surrounding their disappearance. I was glued to this book from page one. I recommend this book to anyone who is intrigued by the mystery of a disappearance." |
Review Quote* | "There are a lot of serious subjects tackled in the book, such as the disappearance of Native girls being ignored by the police, anti-gay sentiments, child abuse, and victim blaming .... The book is written for reluctant readers, and achieves the aim of mature subjects written in easier language." |
Review Quote* | "I really enjoyed it . . . [A quick, easy, and enjoyable read . . . filled with teen life, high school drama and gossip, and the struggles of trying to survive day to day." |
Review Quote* | "The Missing's plot, a mystery that includes missing teenage girls, high school gossip, and a creepy step father, will appeal to middle and high school students. The lower reading level makes it accessible to reluctant and/or struggling readers." |
Review Quote* | "Set against the backdrop of the plight of Aboriginal women in Canada and the general indifference of the local authorities, the book makes a compelling and heart-breaking case of the issue . . . Narration is on-point and keeps you glued to the story. The story also touches the various problems faced by the teenagers, including the vicious rumor factory, life at foster care, molestation, racism, homosexuality, etc., highlighting the importance of a good, supportive family . . . [The story is entertaining and with keep you engrossed." |
Biographical Note | MELANIE FLORENCE is a proud Cree and a full-time writer based in Toronto. She is the author of Righting Canada's Wrongs: Residential Schools, the SideStreets novel One Night and the Recordbooks title Jordin Tootoo: The Highs and Lows in the Journey of the First Inuk to Play in the NHL, which was chosen as an Honor Book by The American Indian Library Association. |