[Review + Giveaway] Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Title: Sister, Missing {goodreads} 
Authors: Sophie McKenzie
Publication: January 2012 (AU/UK)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
RRP: $16.99 
Source: For review (thanks to publisher!)
Precautions: 11+ - Violence, guns, relationship (clean)
Pages: 250 (ARC copy)
Series: #2, sequel to Girl, MIssing {review}

My Rating:

Summary:

It's two years after the events of Girl, Missing and life is not getting any easier for sixteen-year-old Lauren, as exam pressure and a recent family tragedy take their toll. Lauren's birth mother takes Lauren and her two sisters on holiday in the hope that some time together will help, but a few days into the holiday one of the sisters disappears, under circumstances very similar to those in which Lauren was taken years before. Can Lauren save her sister, and stop the nightmare happening all over again?

My thoughts: 

* this is the sequel to Girl, Missing ~ if you have not read that book, you have been warned that there are spoilers in this review *

~ Final thoughts ~

I'm surprised--I found myself deeply moved by the end of this book, the sequel to 'Girl, Missing'. The dramatic and thrilling plot, the twists and turns, and the more well-rounded and developed characters really demonstrate literary development made on McKenzie's part.

MY SYNOPSIS

Lauren Purditt has figured out a system with her two families--her adoptive and her paternal, and it works most of the time. Two years later, Lauren takes her little sister Madison to the beach . . . and loses her. The events of two years ago are happening all over again, because if Lauren knows anything at all, she knows that Madi isn't just lost--she was taken.

Her American, birth mum is distraught, left in tatters by the situation. Her new boyfriend Rick, is supportive and eventually takes charge of the situation, having had experience in crime cases in the past. Lauren is convinced the kidnapper is Sonia Holtwood, the very same villain who almost killed her two years ago who was also let out of jail recently. Could history be repeating itself? And just what does the offender want from her?

MY THOUGHTS

Sister, Missing held my attention from beginning to end - I was simply not able to let go of the story and the twists and turns that came with it. I was kept on edge the whole time. In my opinion, the suspense was written much better in this book than its predecessor.

Lauren is just as stubborn and selfish as she was in the first book - in her pursuit in finding and rescuing her little sister, she does the following (and this is just the tip of the iceberg): ignores her other sister's outward expressions of grief and worry--instead she berates her when she attempts to make nice; runs directly into trouble, unarmed, without a plan, endangering her best friend as a result.

The other characters we met in 'Girl, Missing' that we also see in 'Sister, Missing', were much more likeable. Even Shelby, who used to abuse Madison. Especially Shelby. It felt like, by the end of it all, that Shelby had grown as a person, and we as readers really know her.

Jam and Lauren have been maintaining a long-distance relationship for two years, and Lauren has concerns that their fire has died down. When he arrives, he appears more distant and distracted, and Lauren has doubts about his feelings for her now. Their interactions are sweet and their relationship is sure to enchant younger teens.

The writing matches the pacing, so for that it's not that complex. The sentences are cut short so as to keep the flow going. This makes for a really quick read. The ending is bittersweet and also leaves room for questioning and further thought as to what may have happened afterward.

I was worried that I would not like this book at all, but this book's ending was its saving grace. Overall, the plot points were much more suspenseful and had me on edge at all times. I really just could not put this book down! If you're looking for a quick YA thriller, give this series a try. I might actually miss a couple of the characters--they really grew on me!

Trailer:

Buy:

* cheapest Australian e-store price

AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

INTERNATIONAL READERS

Amazon | The Book Depository

All links from Booko, because I'm too lazy to search each individual store anymore.

Giveaway:

Aussie only.

The first one to comment with "I love thrillers!" will win:

• Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie (Finished copy)
• Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie (ARC)
• Various YA swag, whatever I have that features thriller/mysteries

I will e-mail the winner, so make sure to provide your e-mail address when you comment!


* I'm very behind on my giveaways, which I will work out soon *

Extras:

Developing the characters in Sister, Missing
Sister, Missing playlist

I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: ---

[Review] Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Title: Girl, Missing {goodreads}

Authors: Sophie McKenzie

Publication: January 2012 (repackaged)

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
RRP: $16.99

Source: For review (thanks to publisher!)
Precautions: 11+ - Mild violence and kidnapping

Pages: 282

My Rating:

Summary:

Lauren has always known she was adopted but when a little research turns up the possibility that she was snatched from an American family as a baby, suddenly Lauren's life seems like a sham. How can she find her biological parents? And are her adoptive parents really responsible for kidnapping her? She manages to wangle a trip across the Atlantic where she runs away to try and find the truth. But the circumstances of her disappearance are murky and Lauren's kidnappers are still at large and willing to do anything to keep her silent...

My thoughts: 

~ Final thoughts ~

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie, while a chilling and heart-thumping thriller, lacked logic and character likeability, which made it difficult to enjoy completely. With several heartfelt moments, a budding romance that stands from solid grounds but is shakily executed, and sinister villains that make for intense suspense, I have no doubt that 11-14 year olds will eat this up. Most of all, this book addresses the Who am I question, in which many readers will be able to sympathise with Lauren's situation of having been adopted and never knowing her real parents.

MY SYNOPSIS

Lauren is adopted and has never known her real family, so when she is asked this Who Am I question for a school homework task, she begins to wonder what her real parents were like. Frustrated that she's never been able to remember, she asks her best friend Jam's mum, a spiritualist, to help her. In a state of deep relaxation, she remembers. Lauren, age 3, and her real mum, long black hair and spirited smile, playing hide-and-seek at a beach somewhere. In her heart, she knows she needs to--by any means necessary--find her real family. Upon research, she discovers a Martha Lauren Purditt, whose details match . . . but Martha was born in America. Lauren's always lived in London. But Lauren needs to know, so she sets up a family vacation, to America.

The overall story was compelling and one that I'm sure many people will be able to relate to. If I were adopted, I'd have wanted to know who my 'real family' was too. What McKenzie does a bit differently to other authors who have touched on this subject, is that she delves into the legal implications of international adoption. She also gives Lauren a choice, and room to decide whether she wants to go back to her old life in London--the life she's always known, or to return to the parents who have spent forever trying to recover the child that had been taken away from them.

What really didn't agree with me about the plot was just how unbelievable so many of the actions and decisions were. And how the right characters just happened to be there at the right time--or the wrong time, in Lauren and Jam's case. To me, it was just way too illogical and coincidental for me to believe it all. Also, money. It never seemed to be a problem for anyone--and to travel from London to America isn't that cheap that people can be whizzing from one country to the next, without seriously breaking the bank. Once again, this might be something that younger readers will be able to forgive.

In GIRL, MISSING, there was an expansive cast of characters, but I was never confused or unable to keep up with remembering names and roles. More the problem was in the one-dimensional feel the majority of them had. A little of the dialogue was stiff, and the only character that seems to develop or change during the course of the book is Lauren. That said, I did find a couple to be extremely likeable, and I wouldn't mind seeing them return in the sequel. (Madison, Glane, Jam's mum Carla) Despite the bits of maturity that Lauren picks up along the way, I never got to the point where I cared about her, or even what happened to her. Her selfishness was just so unforgiveable.

On the upside, McKenzie's writing is fairly easy to get through. It's simple and gets to the point. You'll be turning those pages, wanting to know how things turn out for Lauren in her quest for self-discovery.

Quotes:

First lines

"Who am I?
     I sat at the computer in Mum's office and stared at the essay heading. New form teachers always give you homework like that at the start of the year.
   Who am I?

Buy:

* cheapest Australian e-store price

AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS

Fishpond * | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

INTERNATIONAL READERS

Amazon | The Book Depository

All links from Booko, because I'm too lazy to search each individual store anymore.

Extras:

Inspiration for writing Girl, Missing

I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: ---