Book Review #2 - Missing

Title: Missing
Author: Catherine Macphail
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 191

After Maxine Moody’s older brother Derek run’s away the Moody family falls apart. Maxine feels that her parents don’t have enough time for her when they spend every waking moment looking for him or talking about him or trying to put together answers to unanswered questions as to why he left. Feeling neglected by her parents Maxine stops showing up for school in order to get attention from her parents. When that doesn’t work Maxine begins to hate Derek for taking away her family and wishes he was dead.
Soon after, her family gets the news that Derek’s body has been found and Maxine is secretly relieved because now her family can go back to normal. However, she was wrong it only went down hill from there for her parents and for her. Maxine began getting phone call’s from someone claiming he was Derek. Meanwhile, Maxine’s mother is convinced that Derek’s spirit is hanging around the house and she refuses to accept his death, pretending he’s with her. So, even after Derek’s death he was still the center of attention and the only one Maxine’s parents cared about.
The phone call’s continued to come and Maxine found her self going to meet the boy who claimed to be her dead brother. She couldn’t make out his face in the shadows so she was unconvinced. Later on, when the family goes to a counseling session, Maxine‘s family finally are back again somewhat like before. After the counseling, Maxine leaves to meet the person behind the mysterious phone calls this time with her friend, Cam, probably already waiting for her at the cemetery to back her up if he’s dangerous. When she arrives she finds Cam being beaten by the bully who made her brother run away. A fight breaks out and is ended when Derek scares them off. Derek was alive after all and the dead body was just some other kid that resembled him.
I was not very impressed with this book. Missing is a mystery book and the mystery of who was behind the phone call’s did keep me interested enough to keep reading, however, I found this book pretty slow. I would give Missing a 2.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone in middle school and above.