Publishers Weekly
02/19/2024
Ever since their father was convicted of the murder of five teenage girls and sentenced to life in prison, high school senior Sid Atkinson has been haunted by the ghosts of the victims. On the 10th anniversary of the first death, a recently murdered corpse is pulled out of Cardinal Lake in a clear copycat killing. When a second girl goes missing, suspicion quickly falls on Sid, who was already ostracized for both their father’s crimes as well as their nonbinary identity. As they struggle to avoid the increasingly hostile small-town rumor mill, Sid finds solace in the company of Mavis Hastings, a Cardinal Creek newcomer who doesn’t know about Sid’s family. But when a sixth ghost shows up demanding justice, Sid realizes that the only way out of their father’s shadow is to finally confront his crimes. Short, gut-wrenching interstitials of the victims’ last moments intercut Sid’s tensely introspective first-person narration in this tightly plotted true crime–informed murder mystery by Tyndall (Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken). While the paranormal elements feel underdeveloped, Tyndall strikes an emotionally resonant chord via tender explorations of queer romance. Sid and Mavis are white. Ages 13–up. (May)
From the Publisher
"An absorbing, plot-driven, skin-crawling thriller." — Kirkus Reviews
"A thrilling new mystery. Relationships are at the heart of this novel, and Tyndall excels at depicting the nuances of character development as well as the intricacies of personal motivations in interpersonal relations with a cast of diverse characters. VERDICT Hand to fans of Ellie Marney’s None Shall Sleep and Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s 'The Naturals' series." — School Library Journal
"Haunting and propulsive. The mystery will keep you guessing, but it’s the heartfelt rendering of Sid—a teenager struggling to escape the shadow of their father’s sins—that will keep you turning those pages until the very last." — Caleb Roehrig author of Last Seen Leaving and White Rabbit
“I read Nita Tyndall’s Have You Seen This Girl in one breathless sitting; it’s that good. A vivid setting, spare yet evocative prose, and a captivating mystery make this book shine, but its beating, bleeding heart is brave Sid, a terrific protagonist whose hopes and fears feel so real and urgent that you root for them right from the first page. Thrilling, moving, and quietly devastating.” — Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Sawkill Girls
"Taut, chilling and unforgettable, Have You Seen This Girl is a must-read thriller, as beautifully written and romantic as it is terrifying. I loved every page." — Tom Ryan, award winning author of Keep This to Yourself
Praise for WHO I WAS WITH HER: "Rival cross-country high school athletes Corinne and Maggie are lovers but have kept their relationship a secret; when Maggie dies, Corinne is left to grieve alone. The story is told in alternating before/after timelines, so readers experience Corinne’s romance with Maggie as well as the aftermath of her death. Suspense is ramped up well as the plot develops to reveal who else knew about but kept their relationship a secret, why, and at what cost. The focus on bisexuality is welcome." — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for NOTHING SUNG AND NOTHING SPOKEN: “A captivating story about coming of age during World War II.” — School Library Journal
“Layers and layers of secrecy, the constant terror of being caught, the ecstatic joy of being with other Swing Kids—these elements combine to create an engaging, vivid scene. A compelling story." — Booklist (starred review)
“An intensely heartfelt tale of high-stakes rebellion that will sweep readers all the way to the novel’s gut-wrenching conclusion." — Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
05/01/2024
Gr 9 Up—In this thrilling new mystery by Tyndall, a nonbinary teen tries desperately to have a normal life, despite having a father who is a convicted serial killer. Sid knew their father could not be involved in the girls who have started disappearing from their small town of Cardinal Creek, at least not this time—he could not be involved because he is already in prison for killing five other girls a decade earlier. However, when the bodies begin to be found in the same condition their father left his victims, suspicion from local law enforcement and the townspeople forces Sid to finally confront their father about why he committed such terrible crimes. When Sid's former best friend Sally Louise and their current love interest Mavin are both taken by the killer, along with Sid, the mystery of who is committing the recent murders and the connection to Sid's father are ultimately explained. Relationships are at the heart of this novel, and Tyndall excels at depicting the nuances of character development as well as the intricacies of personal motivations in interpersonal relations with a cast of diverse characters. VERDICT Hand to fans of Ellie Marney's None Shall Sleep and Jennifer Lynn Barnes's "The Naturals" series.—Susan Catlett
