Missing Abby

by Lee Weatherly

Overview

WHEN 13-YEAR-OLD EMMA bumps into her old friend Abby on the bus one Saturday afternoon, she later realizes that she was the last person to see Abby before her mysterious disappearance. Amidst the media frenzy and everyone’s struggle to come to terms with the possibility of Abby’s death, Emma starts a terrifying journey of her very own, as she uncovers things that lead to a discovery even the police have not thought of. . . .

From the acclaimed author of Child X comes a thrilling and memorable novel for readers of all abilities.

Praise for Child X:

“It is compelling, heartfelt, and sadly, totally believable. British slang will not deter the reader from racing through this gripping tale.”—VOYA, Starred

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307538451
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	12/18/2008
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Lee Weatherly is the author of Child X, published in 2002 by David Fickling Books. She lives in Surrey, England, with her husband and also runs a writers’ workshop group.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6-9-A missing person's report opens this suspenseful novel set in southern England. Abby Ryzner, a 13-year-old Goth, has vanished, and the last person to see her alive was her former best friend. Emma switched schools and distanced herself from Abby and a fantasy game the two of them had played for years after a traumatizing episode in which she was labeled a freak. With mixed emotions, Emma joins the search. Chapter titles provide a grim countdown of the passing days. Emma feels caught between two worlds-that of her new, fashionable friends and Abby's punk-looking companions who are into D & D. As she begins to hang out with Abby's friends, including Ski, a guy she can talk to, Emma finds herself, once again, absorbed by role-playing games. Knowing Abby was trying to set up a challenging, live-action game, Emma and Ski descend into the bowels of an industrial plant, armed only with flashlights against a scary, pitch-dark maze of tunnels with gurgling pipes. To their horror, they discover the truth about Abby's disappearance. The two mysteries keep readers guessing. Emma, the narrator, gradually gains strength to surmount shameful memories and learns to accept her own uniqueness. She also makes peace with Abby's family, after showing compassion and imagination in helping resolve the puzzle of their daughter's whereabouts. -Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Thirteen-year-old Emma and her best friend Abby were fascinated with fantasy adventures, but Emma was tormented for her hobby and called a freak in their school. Desperate to escape, she abandoned Abby and transferred to a new school, where she found a new set of friends. A year later, Abby is missing, and Emma learns that she was the last to see her in a chance encounter on a bus. Wrestling with her emotions, Emma suffers more torment from Abby's new friends as she tries to help in the search. She tries to cope with the situation alone, leading her to lie to her parents, but also rediscovers her joy in fantasy and learns the meaning of friendship. The suspense is constant, as efforts to find Abby lead nowhere until Emma finally remembers something significant. But the British story also focuses on Emma's growth in emotional maturity and should easily appeal to American readers. (Fiction. 12-15)

Kirkus Reviews