The Night She Disappeared - April Henry - 2012

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry


Published: Henry Holt - 2012
Age Group: Young Adult
Dated Read: July 1, 2012
4 of 5 Stars: Fast-paced, intense, with quality characters.


Reason for Reading: I read Henry's Girl, Stolen in the Fall of 2010, and I really enjoyed it. I've recently started reading a lot more mystery & thriller books, and this book by Henry fit right in.


On GoodReads: Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.


My Thoughts: April Henry seems to do a great job of putting a lot of action, emotion, and character building into a short number of pages. Both this book & Girl, Stolen were quick reads, but they both really packed a punch. I liked Gabie's determination to find Kayla and her insistence that she was still alive, and I admired Kayla's strength throughout her kidnapping. Henry writes realistic characters that I find it easy to see myself in. There are a few different POVs in The Night She Disappeared, and they all work really well, it is especially creepy from the kidnapper's perspective. Added in between the chapters are transcripts of 911 calls, police interviews, lab reports, and evidence logs. These extra pieces of information really add to the atmosphere of the book and completely sucked me in. Overall, this was a really great, quick mystery, that I think would appeal to a wide audience, teens and adults alike.


Quote From The Book: "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about before the police did."
"What?" I Wonder if he wants me to lie for him. Not tell about him and Kayla smoking weed in the cooler that one time.
"They asked for you first." Drew says, interrupting my thoughts. "The guy who called asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was delivering." (p.12)


Recommended To: Mystery lovers. Fans of I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab, or Samantha Crane on the Run by Linda A Cooney.


Books Read This Year: 55


Currently Reading: Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson - 2011

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson

Published: 2011 - Putnam Juvenile

Age Group: Young Adult

Date Read: October 27, 2011

5 out of 5 Stars: Loved it

Reason for Reading: I have been a fan of Maureen Johnson since I read The Bermudez Triangle a few years ago, and then proceeded to read every book she's written. I highly recommend Devilish as a fun read.

On GoodReads: "The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities."

My Thoughts: I wasn't quite sure I was going to like this book as much as Johnson's other books, mostly because I tend to dislike books with ghosts. However, this book also has Jack the Ripper, and I really like serial killer, creepy books. So this worked out really well for me. This book was super creepy, in the best way possible, and I could not stop reading. I just wanted to find out how it was going to all go down.

Johnson's writing is intelligent and funny, and her characters always remind me of real people. Rory was such a fun protagonist, this Southern girl transplanted to a London boarding school. She was was witty and smart and Johnson had me laughing out loud one minute and then gripping the book with anticipation the next. There is nothing like a good boarding school setting for a thriller, and this was done fantastically.

Maureen Johnson just announced the second title in the series will be The Madness Underneath.

Recommended To: Fans of the supernatural genre, Maureen Johnson fans, those in the mood for a good, creepy Halloween read.

Quote From The Book: "I was terrified for a few minutes that they would all be like this, but reassured myself that it probably took a certain type to become head girl. I decided to deflect her attitude by giving a long, Southern answer. I come from people who know how to draw things out. Annoy a Southerner, and we will drain away the moments of your life with our slow, detailed replies until you are nothing but a husk of your former self and that much closer to death." (page 23-24)

Books Read This Year: 87 of 100

Currently Reading: The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa