In the woods of a small Kentucky town, Aubrey sets off on a journey about growing up, self-discovery, and acceptance while searching for their missing best friend—perfect for fans of King and the Dragonflies and Three Times Lucky.
Aubrey and Joel are like two tomato vines that grew along the same crooked fence—weird, yet the same kind of weird. But lately, even their shared weirdness seems weird. Then Joel disappears. Vanishes. Poof. The whole town is looking for him, and Aubrey was the last person to see Joel. Aubrey can’t say much, but since lies of omission are still lies, here’s what they know for sure:
- For the last two weeks of the school year, when sixth grade became too much, Aubrey and Joel have been building a raft in the woods.
- The raft was supposed to be just another part of their running away game.
- The raft is gone now, too.
Aubrey doesn’t know where Joel is, but they might know how to find him. As Aubrey, their friend Mari, and sister Teagan search along the river, Aubrey has to fess up to who they really are, all the things they never said, and the word that bully Rudy Thomas used that set all this into motion.
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Gr 5–8—It's the summer before seventh grade and Aubrey's best friend Joel is missing. No one in the small town of Riverview, KY, can figure out why. Aubrey has a pretty good idea, but she's not telling the full truth of what she thinks happened. "Grown-ups are supposed to fix things. They're not supposed to pretend everything's okay…Maybe I'm not the only one who's been telling lies." Joel, who is biracial (one parent is Black, one is white), and Aubrey, who is white, both struggle with self-identity, but when they're together they can be their true selves—be it a fairy, an elf, gay, trans, or a runaway. Running away has been on the top of the agenda lately, given events with the bully at school and the lack of approval Joel finds at home. Aubrey sets out on an adventure to find Joel and along the way she ends up finding herself. Told in first person, Thompson's tale will have readers guessing up until the very end. From beautiful outdoor descriptions of forested Kentucky and Mammoth State Park, readers will get a sense of the trails, camping, nature, animals, insects, and importance of respecting the land, even as the main character is in pursuit of her best friend, knowing her parents are worried sick about her. Each chapter is titled, giving a small hint of what's to come. VERDICT A gratifying middle grade read for students who enjoy tales of adventure and belonging.—Tracy Cronce