Book – Vanishing Girls (2016)

Book – ***+ Lauren Oliver has proven that YA mysteries can make it to the New York Times bestseller list. Her story about sisters with great love but some tragic history between them has excellent descriptions and well-drawn characters. A missing child, Madeline Snow, provides the impetus for the older sister, Nick, to emerge from her grief. Vanishing Girls is in the mystery/suspense genre, but reached a broader audience I believe because the action takes places in the real world, not at school. This is the one characteristic my mystery/thriller, Wasted in Waldport, shares with Vanishing Girls. While the book was strong in mystery and suspense, its plot was not as strong as other elements in the book.