Book
Missing / Becky Citra.
"Thea and her dad are always on the move, from one small Cariboo town to another, trying to leave the past behind. They never stay long enough in one place for Thea to make friends, but when her dad gets work renovating a guest ranch on Gumboot Lake, she dares to hope that their wandering days are over. At the ranch she makes friends with Van, a local boy, and works hard to build the trust of an abused horse. When Thea unearths a decades-old mystery, she finally starts to come to terms with the losses in her own life"--P. [4] of cover.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781554693450 (trade pbk.)
- Physical Description: 179 p. ; 19 cm.
- Publisher: Victoria, BC : Orca Book Publishers, 2011.
Content descriptions
- Target Audience Note:
- All Ages.
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Available copies
- 11 of 12 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Fort St. James Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 12 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort St. James Public Library | YA CIT (Text) | 35196000263546 | Young Adult | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2011 May #1
A lot is missing from teen heroine Thea's life: her mother; her father, who is present but absent in so many ways; and any semblance of a settled life. For the past four years, Thea and her father have packed up and left one British Columbia Cariboo town after another. The intersection of Thea's mysterious past with a cold-case mystery she stumbles upon in her latest stay deep in the Cariboo wilderness is compellingly told in Thea's first-person narrative. This device heightens both mysteries, as Thea drops hints and comes to grips with her mother's disappearance from her life and with the disappearance of a young girl in the 1950s. Holding the story together is Thea's care for an abused horse at the ranch where her father now works. The theme of finding yourself by letting yourself care for another is subtly and richly conveyed. Citra has written several books for the Orca Young Readers series; fans who are now older should flock to this gripping novel. Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2011 March #2
After several years of rootlessness following her mother's death, Thea and her Dad start to find a home for themselves when he takes a job renovating an old guest ranch in the Canadian Cariboo. Thea likes the ranch owner, who plans to breed Quarter horses, and she makes friends with a boy her age, Van, who lives across the lake. She's not sure what to do about Renegade, the neglected horse that came with the propertyâhorses belong to the life she had when her mother was alive. When a guest shows up to stay at the ranch, Thea slowly starts to connect her to the mysterious death of a little girl that occurred over 50 years ago. Citra's writing is solid, and Thea is strong and appealing, but the story feels split. The mystery takes up most of the pages, but the horses seem to take up most of the emotion, and the two sides don't blend. Parts of the horse story don't make sense. Why would Renegade still be on property left empty for three years? Why do the adults, all professional horsemen, leave him entirely alone? Thea's Dad's character is inconsistently developed and muddled, and it's not clear why Thea is supposed to be angrier with her mother than with him. Even with all that, it's not bad overall, but stillâbetter to tell only one story and do it well. (Mystery. 8-12)
Copyright Kirkus 2011 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved. - Library Media Connection : Library Media Connection Reviews 2011 October
Thea is a teenager with a tragic past. When Thea's father takes a job at Double R Ranch as a carpenter, Thea learns of a girl who disappeared sixty years earlier. Thea and her friend Van begin researching the disappearance and discover that Van's grandfather was the prime suspect. They also discover that a current guest of the ranch, Marion Wilson, is the missing girl's older sister. Marion learns that her oldest sister was in fact responsible for the young girl's death and disappearance. The novel also contains a well-developed subplot involving Thea, an untamed horse, and Thea's mother's accidental death. As Thea begins to understand her past, her relationship with Renegade deepens and they are both able to heal. The novel provides just enough foreshadowing that readers will enjoy piecing together the mystery. The theme of fitting in and finding acceptance will resonate with many middle-aged readers. Jenny Seiler, Teacher, Woodworth Middle School, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin [Editor's N te: Available in e-book format.] RECOMMENDED ¬ 2011 Linworth Publishing, Inc. - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2011 September
Gr 6â8âAfter her mother dies in a horseback-riding accident, Thea's father moves them from town to town in an effort not only to escape the thought of her death but of her infidelity, too. The eighth-grader misses her old friends and finds it difficult to make new ones. A lucky break occurs when her dad lands a job fixing up a rundown guest ranch. But something is not quite right here. Not only does Thea discover a neglected, abused, and mistrustful horse in the barn, but she also finds records that a four-year-old girl disappeared many years ago under mysterious and sinister circumstances. Through developing a trusting and loving relationship with the horse, Renegade, she is able to unravel unspoken issues about her parents. When Thea meets Van, a classmate, she finds an ally in tracking down clues as to what really happened to Livia. Citra's writing style tends toward being overly straightforward, but the story is fast moving and compelling enough once the mystery of Livia's disappearance commences. The concurrent story line of Thea's maturing relationships with those around her add another layer of interest.âDiane McCabe, Loyola Village Elementary School, Los Angeles
[Page 148]. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2011 April
Thirteen-year-old Thea has been on the move with her father for the last four years, never staying in one place very long. Thea's mother left the family and was later killed in a horse-riding accident, leaving Thea very much alone. When Thea's father, Dusty, is offered a job as a handyman at the Double R Guest Ranch in Cariboo, British Columbia, there is hope for some consistency. And when Thea discovers the horse Renegade in the stables, she makes him her project. But as Thea explores the ranch, she stumbles upon old photos and guest books that indicate that something tragic happened there years ago. Research reveals that a young girl went missing and that the grandfather of Van, Thea's new friend, was a suspect. And when a mysterious British visitor comes to stay at the ranch, Thea begins to wonder if she can provide the missing clues to solve the mystery at the Double R Missing is a quick and engaging read. Readers who live with one parent, lost a parent, or feel like outsiders will especially be able to relate to the main character, Thea. Obviously, the author knows quite a bit about horses, as she describes how the main character grooms and trains Renegade. Also, readers who are drawn to mysteries will find it interesting to try to put the pieces together of a crime that remained unsolved for more than fifty years. Young readers will appreciate the speed with which the plot develops, and the clearlyâif brieflyâdrawn characters. The foreshadowing is pretty heavy here, but that could be just what some reluctant readers need to keep turning pages.âNancy PierceCitra's Missing succeeds in winning over hearts with a passion for horses. It is easy to connect with the main character, Thea, due to her curiosity and courage as she faces some of the typical problems of a teenage life. The book is an easy read, has a terrific plot, and comes together nicely because of its great presentation. Although the story line is predictable at times, it is not too cheesy. It would be most appealing to middle school students. It is time, as Thea would say, to find a comfortable place to curl up with a good book. 3Q,2P.âIshita Mehta, Teen Reviewer 3Q 3P M J Copyright 2011 Voya Reviews.