Skip to main content

THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED by April Henry


copyright date: March 2012
primarily marketed for:  young adults (12 and up)

The Night She Disappeared is the newest novel by April Henry, author of Girl, Stolen. 
And it is every bit as good. 

The book opens with a pizza delivery receipt, then jumps to the point of view of Drew, who wrote out that very order slip.  Drew took the order, then sent Kayla to make the delivery.  Only Kayla never came back. 

The police end up finding Kayla’s car, purse, cell phone, and the pizzas, but no sign of where Kayla might have gone.  It turns out that Kayla switched delivery shifts with her co-worker Gabie, and the man who placed the order even asked if Gabie would be making the delivery.  Was Gabie actually the one being targeted?  

This is a classic mystery story told in a fresh way.  The story continues, just as it began, by switching points of view and peppering in writing in other formats, like the receipt.  At one point, readers even get a terrifying glimpse of Kayla’s point of view as well as creepy insight into the mind of her kidnapper. 

The story unfolds through chapters labeled in terms of the number of days since Kayla first disappeared.  Drew and his co-worker Gabie are left to try to figure things out and rescue Kayla since the police seem to be following all the wrong leads (this was the only irritating part of the book, but since it made for a better story than it would have if the police actually did their jobs, it was easy to overlook this one unbelievable piece of the story). 

I love April Henry’s ability to craft a perfectly terrifying mystery that seems just a bit too realistic to be settling without crossing the line into ooky creepiness (though she just edge right up to the line in the most satisfying of ways).  If you like a good creepy mystery, then you will know just what I mean when you read The Night She Disappeared!
Labels:

Comments

  1. MandyApril 11, 2012 at 3:32 PM

    I'm glad you had spring break... you posted two new book reviews! Adding to my TBR shelf...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TAKE WHAT YOU CAN CARRY by Kevin C. Pyle

copyright date: March 2012 primarily marketed for: young adults (12 and up) Despite the fact that the teacher in me sees so many lesson possibilities in Kevin C. Pyle’s graphic novel Take What You Can Carry , you should read it simply for the grace of its stories.   The artwork is as striking as the stories it tells.   Using artwork in two different colors and styles, Pyle tells the stories of two teenage boys living years and miles apart.   And yet, he communicates the universality in their experiences.   One boy is a Japanese American forced to move into an internment camp during WWII.   His family struggles to maintain their dignity and sense of peace under unbearable conditions. The other is a rebellious boy with an attitude whose reckless behavior causes him to wind up in trouble with the law.   To make amends, he finds himself completing community service hours in the most unlikely place.   I found my...
1 comment
Read more

THE SEA IN WINTER by Christine Day

  release date: January 5, 2021 primarily marketed for: Middle grades The Sea in Winter  by Christine Day is a gift to its readers. It is a book of quiet strength with much to offer.  Maisie is a ballet dancer who feels most herself when she is at the dance studio. However, at the start of this story, Maisie is coping with a serious knee injury that prevents her from dancing long-term. She misses her friends from dance and struggles to maintain those connections when she is no longer part of the dancing life they shared.  When her mom and stepdad plan a road trip to the Olympic Peninsula to visit sites of familial and cultural significance, Maisie stubbornly overworks her healing knee. She is determined to heal and return to the studio  faster than expected. Although her knee is the only focus of Maisie's wellness journey, it turns out there is more to healing than physical fitness.  Maisie is a quietly compelling character, but I was surprised to find myse...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE GREATEST SUPERPOWER by Alex Sanchez

copyright date: January 1, 2021 primarily marketed for: middle grades The Greatest Superpower  by Alex Sanchez is a gem. I was in a bit of a reading slump until I picked up this book, thanks to NetGalley .  This middle grades book is about comic book loving Jorge who is navigating his parents' divorce and his first crush on a girl. Jorge's parents not only announce they are getting divorced, but his father also reveals to Jorge and his twin brother Cesar that she is transgender and wishes to live as her true self.  Although this announcement is a confusing surprise to Jorge, his love for his father ultimately trumps all. Cesar, however, is angry at their dad and works to prevent Jorge from sharing the truth with his friends.  In the midst of the changes in Jorge's family life, he and his friends are trying to invent a new superhero for a comic book contest. When Jorge blurts out the idea of the superpower to gender-shift, his friends jump on board.  Conversatio...
Post a Comment
Read more