BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND

5 stars out of 5

Oh my. With close to 30% of the book left to finish, nothing stopped me -  not even the nail-biting finish of a March Madness basketball game that determined which team would head for the Final Four. Filled with more than a few characters I really didn't much like (and trusted even less), it was simply impossible for me to turn off my Kindle without learning who did what and why.

The story centers on the lives of three middle-school girls - Cora, Violet and Jordyn - all of whom exhibit the best, and more often worst, behaviors that constantly reminded me of what a saint our daughter is (she's a middle-school teacher who absolutely loves working with kids that age, bless her her heart). Readers also get to know the girls' extended families - brothers, sisters, moms and dads - all of whom are, shall we say, less than perfect.

Early on, the girls sneak out of their small town to an abandoned railroad yard late at night, but the situation turns sour when Cora is found on the tracks. Her arm is damaged and she's been stabbed multiple times, even on her face. Violet turns up nearby in a state of shock, and Jordyn is nowhere to be found. Immediately, questions arise: What were the girls doing out there at such a late hour? Why did they lie to their parents about where they'd be that evening? And of course, who hurt Cora? No one wants to believe that anyone from the town - and certainly not a family member - could have done such an awful thing. And then there's that frightening urban legend thing; but nobody (well, almost nobody) believes that one either.

Chapters shift from perspectives of the girls and their families and time periods, gradually revealing events and emotions and leading up to that late-night foray that ended so disastrously. In a very real sense, it's a sad commentary on how stressful middle-school years can be, but mostly it's a riveting story you won't want to put down. My thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. Highly recommended!

Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf (Park Row, April 2019); 368 pp.