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Cover of PRESENT, STILL MISSING
4.75

Based on 4 Goodreads ratings

PRESENT, STILL MISSING

by his family and his little town of Midland Valley. But it isn’t long before cracks begin to appear: The persona of the cheerful and easy\u002Dgoing Daddy Irene remembers increasingly seems like an act Mr. Bracken is trying to maintain, and underneath this mask is an angry and frightened man, someone whose experiences in the war have wounded him in invisible ways. While the narrative largely follows Irene as she goes about the normal activities of a young girl in a small town, it also returns regularly to the unavoidable reality that Mr. Bracken is fighting an inner battle—and largely losing it. “We’d have been better off if he’d never come home,” Irene’s friend MaryEllen says at one point about her own ex\u002Dsoldier father. “At least then Momma would have a check from the gov’ment.” Irene’s worries reach a peak when her father opts for electroshock therapy, and Mach’s decision to narrate these tense and dark events from the perspective of a young girl ends up paying off wonderfully. Irene is innocent but tough (“I hope he feels the sear of my gaze,” she thinks about a boy in her class who’s just assumed the class girls won’t play in the upcoming baseball game, “because I am ready to broil him in hot flames”)\u003B readers will immediately bond with and relate to her, even when she’s privately her suffering father’s harshest critic."

Book Details

Publisher:Of
Published:2024-01-01
Format:paperback
Language:English
ISBN:9798991208

Reading Info

Age Range:12-18

About This Book

This powerful novel explores the complex aftermath of disappearance through alternating perspectives of a family grappling with uncertainty. When a teenager vanishes without explanation, the narrativ...

Our Review

This powerful novel explores the complex aftermath of disappearance through alternating perspectives of a family grappling with uncertainty. When a teenager vanishes without explanation, the narrative masterfully captures both the immediate chaos and the lingering void left behind, creating an emotionally resonant portrait of grief and hope. The author skillfully balances the procedural aspects of the search with the intimate psychological toll on those left waiting.

What sets this young adult story apart is its unflinching honesty about how families fracture under pressure while still clinging to fragile connections. Teen readers will appreciate the authentic voice and raw emotional landscape, particularly the exploration of survivor's guilt and the complicated nature of closure. This thought-provoking examination of absence and resilience will linger with readers long after the final page.

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