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The Disappearance of Emily H.    by Barrie Summy Amazon.com order for
Disappearance of Emily H.
by Barrie Summy
Order:  USA  Can
Delacorte, 2015 (2015)
Hardcover, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Lyn Seippel

Raine and her mother move frequently so Raine is used to being the new girl at school. This time they've moved from Detroit to Yielding, New York. Raine is a runner so at least she always has the track team to hook up with.

On the first day at Yielding Middle School Raine meets another new student. Shirlee's always been home-schooled so this is the first regular school she's ever attended. It takes less than an hour for Shirlee to become the target of the school's queen bee and her followers.

The house Raine and her mother moved into has a history. It once belonged to the Huvar family whose daughter Emily went missing. Emily is still missing. It's hard for Raine not to think about Emily since she's sleeping in her one-time bedroom. Her team mates tell her the girl was a loner. She was smart, but she didn't make friends easily. Strangely enough, Emily disappeared while waking to a slumber party with school mates.

Raine has a gift. She's able to pick up memories. She tries to pick up sparkles of memories left in the house, hoping she'll get information that would help find Emily, but she can't find any memories that are helpful. She sees a crying mother one time and a demanding father with a pot belly anther time.

Although this book is very readable and Raine is likable, the plot isn't unique. Mean girls often show up in books for this grade level and disappearing teenagers aren't rare either. But Raine does have an interesting gift and this book is worth reading if you're in the mood for something light.

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