The Disappearances

Gr 8 Up—Fifteen-year-old Aila Quinn's mother just passed away, and to make matters worse, her father is being shipped off to fight in World War II. As a result, Aila and her brother are forced to move to the small town of Sterling, where their mother grew up. It's there, living with their mother's best friend and her teenage son, Will, that they learn startling town secrets. Every seven years, something new vanishes for the inhabitants of Sterling and two nearby towns. So far, the "Disappearances" have included stars, smells, reflections, colors, and dreams, but soon after Aila arrives, music also disappears and people in love can no longer hear each other speak. This becomes particularly problematic for Aila when she falls in love with Will and realizes that her secret will soon be revealed. The town has discovered a number of variants that will temporarily bring back some of the Disappearances, but everyone is more anxious than ever to figure out what's going on and put things right once and for all. This mystery fits neatly within the lines of a young adult novel chock-full of bland characters. The Disappearances are supposed to be a huge deal to the towns' residents and are cited as the main reason for avoiding out-of-towners, but they end up feeling more like minor inconveniences that fail to offer much in the way of world-building.