Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie **Review**

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Series: Girl, Missing #1
Pages: 282
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release date: 4th August 2011
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Amazon US (Kindle) | Waterstones

Goodreads synopsis:

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? A family trip to the US gives her the chance to run away and 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...

The first thing that I think needs to be said about this book, is that it is fairly obviously aimed at the early-to-mid teenage group. It is certainly not at the higher end of YA genre. But all the same, it makes a nice, easy read, if that is what you want.
The book was on a borderline between two different star ratings for me, but I chose to go with the slightly lower, simply because of the fact that the writing is a little juvenile for my liking. However, it has to be said, it does have an interesting plot. The line that the story took was not convincing, and it didn't seem as though many parts of it could have taken place in reality, but it was fairly absorbing, and the important thing is, that it kept me engaged enough to have read the vast majority of it in one sitting - and the entire book in less than a day. This is a fairly good achievement in itself, especially considering that I don't usually have the time to sit and read for so long in one day. Perhaps this showcases just how much of an easy, light read it is?

I thought that the dialogue used by the younger characters could have been better. Obviously I am no longer a teenager myself, but I don't recall having ever spoken in the way that the characters in the book do, nor do I remember having heard others speak in that way. It seems to me, as though the dialogue has been taken straight out of an American teen movie. In other words, it is unrealistic, obvious that it is an adult attempting to impersonate a teenager, and ever-so-slightly stereotypical.
My final problem with the book is that, although the plot was interesting, and I enjoyed the story, I didn't feel as though it went deep enough into things for my liking. Maybe this was just because it is aimed at a younger teenage audience, and the author fears that perhaps more detail would put the readership off, but it could have edged its way into the 4 star category, had it just gone even a little deeper.

This all sounds a little too negative though. I want to highlight again, that I did find it a fairly entertaining and interesting read. I'll also point out that I am interested in continuing on with the series - at least reading the second book - whether or not I will make it to the third (which is coming out in September in the UK), I'm unsure, but we'll see.

There is not a lot more that I can really think of to say about this novel. It hasn't made a great deal of an impression on me, but it was a nice one to read on a lazy day, when my brain needed a break from my University work.
As I've said, I was caught between two different ratings for this one, but it just didn't quite make it up into the 4 stars.
But I do recommend it as a quick, light read - just nothing to get enormously excited about.