Picture Me Gone

Gr 8 Up—Mila and her father go on holiday to the States to visit his best friend, Matthew, only to discover that he has gone missing. Mila's exceptional gift of observation comes in handy, revealing as many mysteries as clues. Why aren't the adults more alarmed? Why didn't he take his devoted dog with him? How could a man leave his wife and baby, and why are a woman and her son living in the cabin where Mila and her father expected to find Matthew? Narrator Suzy Jackson does a splendid job conveying through tone and pace the reflective and often sad mood of this story. She delivers with perfection English, Scottish, and American accents. The adult themes and some crude language makes this novel more appropriate for slightly older tweens and teens. This story is less of a mystery and more of a coming-of-age tale, with some twists that keep the plot moving and demonstrate Mila's abilities to decode people and her surroundings in unusual ways.—Terri Norstrom, Cook Memorial Public Library District, Libertyville, IL