Published March 2013 by Gallery Books
Source: my copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for this review
Publisher's Summary:
What happened to Linsey Hart? When the Cornell-bound teenager disappears into the steamy blue of a late-summer morning, her quiet neighborhood is left to pick apart the threads of their own lives and assumptions. Linsey’s neighbors are just ordinary people—but even ordinary people can keep terrible secrets hidden close. There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social-outcast status painfully obvious; Mr. Leonard, the quiet, retired piano teacher with insomnia, who saw Linsey leave; Reeva, the queen bee of a clique of mothers, now obsessed with a secret interest; Timmy, Linsey’s lovelorn ex-boyfriend; and George, an eleven-year-old loner who is determined to find out what happened to his missing neighbor.
My Thoughts:
That first sentence of the publisher's summary will make you think this book is about Linsey Hart and finding out what has happened to her. But read further and really pay attention to the title of the book and you'll find that the book is less about Linsey than it is about what happens in her neighborhood in the time she is gone.
Gross peeks into the windows of several houses in Linsey Hart's neighborhood and tells the stories of their inhabitants, exposing dirty little secrets including bullying, illicit affairs, and teenaged rebellion. Those who don't live in the suburbs like to portray them as homogeneous, every resident fitting into a tidy little stereotypes. But Gross knows better. She knows that beyond those manicured lawns live real people, with real problems that are at once unique and universal. Gross treats her characters with affection even as she exposes their flaws.
I flew through When She Was Gone, enjoying the alternating points of view as Gross moved from household to household, from character to character. Book clubs will find plenty to discuss here including questions of fidelity, faith, and loss.
This sounds good but you know, after a while, I wonder about all these books about missing people and serial killers and awful crimes - because there are so many, and I wonder if there are anywhere near that number of such incidents in real life!
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me that a copy of this is STILL sitting on my shelf. I am so behind on my ARCs. I still blame the illness from February for it. It set me back by about a dozen books and I keep adding to the pile.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of books about missing people these days, huh?
I put this on my "most anticipated" list for 2013 and I still am dying to read it. Great review!! It sounds like such a unique concept in terms of POV.
ReplyDeleteSounds like my kind of novel! Haven't seen it before, so thanks for bringing it to my attention.
ReplyDeleteThis one got my attention, Lisa. Thanks for the review. Will make a note of it.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like something I would like (and perhaps a reflection of my own thoughts about the people in a neighborhood and what an interesting book it might make.)
ReplyDelete(ya know... I always forget that you moderate comments! It's probably a good idea - I always think "oh! no one has commented and it's such a great post! I better say something..." otherwise, I might skip. My bad.)
ReplyDeleteOh! this one actually sounds very interesting!!
ReplyDeleteI just finally read and reviewed this one and am posting tomorrow. Will link to yours!
ReplyDelete