Good and Gone

Gr 10 Up—When pop star, Adrian Wildes goes missing, it serves as the catalyst for a road trip escape that Lexi, her brother Charlie, and their neighbor Zach need to sort out their problems. Lexi is processing a breakup and suspects Charlie is, too, which is why he dropped out of college. Zach is avoiding his parents who have stopped talking to each other. In chapters that alternate between the past and present, readers learn more about Lexi's unhealthy relationship with Seth. The road trip is filled with adventures like an overnight stay in Zach's cousin's dorm, a hitchhiker encounter, and bathroom break at a strip club. As the search for Adrian Wildes moves forward, unresolved sibling conflict between Lexi and Charlie escalates and teens learn that there is more to Lexi's breakup and Charlie's behavior than is initially revealed. Both siblings are too caught up in their own problems to see that the other is really hurting and needs their support. Blakemore tackles issues like rape and mental illness while accurately capturing the language, angst, and melodrama that is being a modern teenager.