The Second Life of Ava Rivers

by Faith Gardner

Overview

THREE STARRED REVIEWS

"Remarkable."--VOYA
"Genre-defying."--Booklist
"Deeply compelling."--BCCB

"A beautiful, moving, and thoughtful story about how far we're willing to go for family."
-Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

Vera Rivers' life is split in two: before her twin sister Ava disappeared twelve years ago and after.

Before was hot Junes and ice cream trucks, dancing in sprinklers, loud Christmas mornings and pancakes on Saturdays. The after is everything else: police officers, investigators, tips, theories, leads, but never any answers. The case made headlines, shocked Vera's Northern California community, and turned her family into tragic celebrities.

Now, at eighteen, Vera is counting down the days until she starts her new life at college in Portland, Oregon, far away from the dark cloud she and her family have lived under for twelve years. But all that changes when a girl shows up at the local hospital.

Her name is Ava Rivers and she wants to go home.

Ava's return begins to mend the fractures in the Rivers family. Vera and Ava's estranged older brother returns. Vera reconnects with Max, the sweet, artistic boy from her childhood. Their parents smile again. But the questions remain: Where was Ava all these years? And who is she now?

Powerful and gripping, The Second Life of Ava Rivers is equal parts thriller, mystery, and haunting meditation on grief, family, and forgiveness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780451478306
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/28/2018
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	230,645
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.50(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Faith Gardner is the author of the young adult novel Perdita. Her short fiction has been published in places like ZYZZYVA, PANK and McSweeney's online. She lives in the Bay Area. Visit Faith online at www.faithgardner.com and follow her on twitter @iamfaithgardner.

Editorial Reviews

06/11/2018
Almost 12 years earlier, Vera’s family was shattered when Ava, Vera’s six-year-old fraternal twin sister, disappeared. Since then, Vera’s parents have been distant and she keeps to herself at school. But everything abruptly changes when Ava, who has been imprisoned by a kidnapper for more than a decade, is found and returns home. Now, Vera’s mother and father begin to act like parents again; her estranged older brother (who, like the rest of the family, blamed himself for Ava’s disappearance) comes for visits; and Ava’s childhood friend, Max, is back in their lives. Still, there are unanswered questions: Why doesn’t Ava remember her childhood? And why is she reluctant to give information about her kidnapper, whose whereabouts are unknown? Gardner (Perdita) shows compassion as she delves into Vera’s emotions and Ava’s complicated sensibility while making potentially sensational subject matter seem plausible. Fans of The Face on the Milk Carton and Room will revel in the book’s generous supply of suspense, and although readers may separate truth from lies long before the characters do, they will stay anxiously glued to the pages. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Anderson-Wheeler, Regal Hoffmann and Assoc. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

This remarkable novel reproduces the personal and family trauma associated with the loss and recovery of a missing child . . . The Second Life of Ava Rivers is an enthralling tale.” –VOYA, starred review 

"Gardner’s unforgettable voice blends Jodi Picoult’s emotional, ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling with Mindy McGinnis’s unflinchingly honest protagonists. Gardner’s gorgeous language and the atmospheric tone makes this a well-crafted, genre-defying story that deserves a wide readership." –Booklist, starred review

"Fans of The Face on the Milk Carton and Room will revel in this book’s generous supply of suspense."–Publishers Weekly 

“A deftly written examination of familial relationships, trauma, and post-adolescence.”—Kirkus

“Missing kid books aren’t rare, but Gardner brings a unique tenderness to this one; Vera is a deeply compelling narrator of this strange experience that no one, even her parents, can really understand the way she does…The book has its surprises, but it remains firmly focused on the human dynamics of creating family and individual identity in the face of tragedy.”—BCCB, starred review

"A beautiful, moving, and thoughtful story about how far we're willing to go for family."
– Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces 

“A poignant, haunting story about being lost and found, about secrets, sisters, grief, and the redemptive power of forgiveness—The Second Life of Ava Rivers will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.”
– Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be
 
“Raw, heartfelt, and ultimately redemptive. A captivating story about grief, trauma, and healing.”
– Kerry Kletter, acclaimed author of The First Time She Drowned. 

From the Publisher

07/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—When Vera Rivers was six years old, her twin sister, Ava, disappeared on Halloween night. Vera has spent the past 12 years drifting through life with her troubled family. She is only days away from finally escaping the mournful gloom to college when a girl turns up at a local hospital—a girl who is believed to be Ava. Vera decides to stay and help her deal with the trauma of her captivity and reestablish their bond. However, the truth about what happened to Ava will change Vera's world yet again. Gardner's snappy style works well with the spot-on pacing, and the details of the Berkeley setting adds to the story. Unfortunately, the characters lack the same thoughtful consideration, each having only a single defining characteristic. Mom is busy, Dad is agoraphobic, Vera's brother, Elliot, is troubled, and everyone's problems—including Elliot's addiction—just fall away once Ava rejoins the family. Readers know that Ava was held captive and assaulted, but details beyond that are sparse and not graphic. While most will happily suspend disbelief for the kidnapping narrative, they may find the final twist and the family's mild reactions to it improbable. VERDICT Despite its weaknesses, the missing-girl narrative has enduring popularity and its momentum will keep even casual readers turning pages.—Elizabeth Saxton, Tiffin, OH

School Library Journal

2018-05-28
A teen girl's life is turned upside down when her missing twin reappears after 12 years.Ava Rivers, the blonde fraternal twin of auburn-haired Vera, went missing one Halloween night, fracturing her otherwise harmonious family. After Ava's disappearance, the girls' brother, Elliott, spends his days living a drug-fueled and rather aimless life; their father quits his job and moves into the family basement, chain-smoking and scouring the Internet for leads about Ava; and their perfectly polished mother crams her days full of high-profile philanthropic events. Wonderfully snarky-voiced Vera is counting the days until she can move from her stifling home in laid-back Berkeley to attend college in Portland, Oregon. However, when Ava suddenly comes back, the Rivers' lives are seemingly put on hold. Ava's return brings about many changes for Vera—she defers college; rekindles a relationship with Max, Ava's African-American childhood best friend; and eventually pulls her family back together—but she struggles to familiarize herself with a person who is both a stranger and an intrinsic part of herself. An unconventional take on the well-trod subject of kidnapping, Gardner's (Perdita, 2015, etc.) clever offering features a surprising twist and should leave readers ruminating over what truly defines family. Vera is bisexual (as is her male love interest), and she and her sister are multiracial (white father, half Iranian/half Mexican mother).A deftly written examination of familial relationships, trauma, and post-adolescence. (Fiction. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews

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