Book Review #10: The Missing by Lisa McMann

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This is the first novel that I am reviewing that is a thriller rather than romance or fantasy. As far as I know, this is one of Lisa McMann's most popular books, and I loved reading it.

The book is about Kendall. She has OCD, and lives in a small town where everyone knows everyone. This makes it a surprise when someone disappears. Fast forward a few months and everyone has stopped talking about the strange incident. However, Kendall can't. And with her not-really-a-boyfriend Nico, she can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Could this have something to do with new town residents Jacian and Marlena? Or is there a problem with Nico that Kendall just can't work out?

The character of Kendall, as mentioned before, has really bad OCD, which is something that the author had first hand knowledge of as her daughter suffers from the same condition. I loved this element because it allowed people to be able to sympathise with Kendall and it made people reading understand that OCD is a condition that people can't help but have. The issues surrounding OCD are not explored as much as other 'more serious' conditions, and it was nice that the book acknowledged the trouble that Kendall has when dealing with her OCD.

What was good?
As well as the character of Kendall, I also loved the character of Nico and the relationship between the two, as their opposite personalities contrasted well. I also loved the character of Jacian because he's the token mysterious character that comes across as quite threatening and sinister, with no one knowing his true feelings.

What was bad?
The book was slightly confusing. To be honest, I'm not really sure about the ending of the book, as it was difficult to understand and the ending offers no explanation as to some events during the story.

Overall
I really did enjoy reading this book and I would definitely read it again as I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and although I found the ending confusing, if I read it again, I may understand it better.

Thank you for reading.

Comment below how familiar you are with Lisa McMann. What books would you like me to review in the future?

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