by Ellen Raskin
First published 1971
Twelve-year-old Noel vanishes without a trace, plunging his family into turmoil. As his distraught parents and sister Ellen frantically search, the town's veneer of tranquility crumbles. Neighbors conceal troubling information, and the authorities seem indifferent. Ellen navigates a labyrinth of lies, determined to uncover the truth about her brother's disappearance. In this taut, suspenseful tale, the hunt for Noel becomes a harrowing journey into the heart of a community's darkest secrets.
Genres: suspense, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: labyrinth-of-lies, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Community
Period: Contemporary
149 pages · Hardcover · Dutton Juvenile