At 14, Marley faces the typical issues most teens face—identity crisis, body image, parents who don't understand, and so on. When her mother, Rachel, finds the note on the kitchen whiteboard, "Don't try to find me," she doesn't believe for a minute that Marley has actually run away. As the days pass, Rachel and her husband Paul come to realize that indeed their daughter has left home. While Paul goes into full "find Marley" mode by creating a website, Facebook page, Twitter account, and regularly appearing on TV, Rachel becomes withdrawn and even a scapegoat for her daughter's disappearance. She has secrets and finding Marley may result in her past coming out as well. But Marley isn't an innocent in all of this either.
VERDICT A twist on the typical runaway story, this debut novel challenges the idea of why teens run away and what motivates them. A page-turner that will engross fans of Jodi Picoult or Liane Moriarty. [Previewed in Kristi Chadwick's Mystery Spotlight feature, "Pushing Boundaries," LJ 4/15/14.—Ed.]
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