The Missing

Synopsis:

After a girl she knows from school goes missing and is found dead in the Red River, Feather is shocked when the police write it off as a suicide. Then, it's Feather's best friend, Mia, who vanishes — but Mia's mom and abusive stepfather paint Mia as a frequent runaway, so the authorities won't investigate her disappearance either. Everyone knows that Native girls are disappearing and being killed, but no one is connecting the dots.

When Feather's brother Kiowa is arrested under suspicion of Mia's abduction, Feather knows she has to clear his name. What Feather doesn't know is that the young serial killer who has taken Mia has become obsessed with Feather, and her investigation is leading her into terrible danger.

Using as its background the ongoing circumstance of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, this fictional thriller set in Winnipeg explores one teenager's response to a system that has long denied and misrepresented the problem.

Reviews
"Issues drive the plot (a subplot concerns homophobia aimed at one of Feather's friends) in this very brief contemporary novel, making for an informative, swift read." — Kirkus Reviews

"Many teens will be surprised to learn the statistics concerning violence against Aboriginal women in Canada that are quoted by Feather and her mother are true, as are the concerns about inadequate police investigation in cases of missing or murdered Native women. True to reality, Mias story does not end happily. This quick-paced thriller will appeal to reluctant readers and fans of shows like Law & Order." — Bethany Martin,, Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

"There are a lot of serious subjects tackled in the book, such as the disappearance of Native girls being ignored by the police, anti-gay sentiments, child abuse, and victim blaming ... The book is written for reluctant readers, and achieves the aim of mature subjects written in easier language." — Polenth Blake,, NetGalley Reviewer

"Melanie Florence's young adult novel The Missing reveals the world of missing girls and women in Winnipeg. It is a tragic issue that has been ignored for so long and by so many... The mystery of the young ladies' abductions and deaths is creatively written. The short chapters move quickly. The many twists and turns make The Missing a true page-turner. The author explores many social issuesprejudice, racism, sexual abuse, missing aboriginal children and women, foster care, social media and the flawed justice system. Every secondary school library information centre should have a copy of Melanie Florence's The Missing." — Keep Calm and Novel On,, Educator and NetGalley Reviewer

Additional Information
192 pages | 5.51" x 8.50"