Book Review #10: The Missing by Lisa McMann

-


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?

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you so much for your comment xx

Popular Posts

American Psycho | 100 Movies Bucket List

-
Image
This one was a re-watch. I'd seen this film once before watching it for the Bucket List. My memories of it weren't wholly positive - I didn't love the first watch, and while I didn't hate it, it wasn't a film that I was itching to watch again. Though saying that, I knew that I probably would watch it again eventually, because I knew how much of a classic it was. Like a lot of films I've watched for the Bucket List, I liked it more this time around than I did the first time, though I still didn't love it as much as I wanted to. But that being said, I did really enjoy it. The writing was great and Christian Bale was amazing in the role, as were the supporting actors. For me, though, the most iconic thing about this movie is its soundtrack. The songs used are amazing and fit the movie so well. They're used in such a unique, original way, that it feels like this alone makes the movie a classic. The film is really well made, and even though I don't love i
Read more

Snatch | 100 Movies Bucket List

-
Image
I'd never heard of this film before last year, when I watched it for the first time, so this time around was my second watch. Guy Richie's movies tend to be a bit hit-or-miss for me. This is one of the only ones where I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other. I didn't love the story, it didn't hold my interest the whole way through. But one thing that I absolutely loved was the dialogue. It was smart, quippy and made the film a much more fun watch than the plot itself would suggest. Another thing I absolutely loved was Brad Pitt's performance. This was probably one of my favourite roles of his. He did a great job with the character, and it was really different to everything else I've seen him in. But that being said, all of the performances were great. For me, if I had to guess why this film is considered a classic, it would 100% be because of the script and performances, rather than the film as a whole. It was the script that kept me locked in and
Read more

Miller's Girl | Film Review

-
Image
A creative writing assignment complicates the relationship between a teacher (Martin Freeman) and his student (Jenna Ortega). I heard about this film maybe once and remember being interested in it, but then I never heard anything about it again. So when I saw it was available to rent/buy on Prime Video, I decided to give it a shot.  I don't know what to make of this one. I didn't hate it, but there wasn't a lot to like. The only thing I did like was that Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega worked really well together and had good chemistry. I'd love to see them work together again, in a film with a better plot and a less weird (platonic) relationship. The characters are written really weirdly. There were many moments when they said things that were just so unbelievable, especially Jenna Ortega's character, Cairo. Another odd aspect of the film was the tone - I could never tell if things were supposed to feel sinister or not because the film couldn't decide how it wa
Read more

Book Review #127: The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

-
Image
After the events of 'The Inheritance Games', Avery still doesn't know why Tobias Hawthorne left her his entire fortune. All she knows for sure is that she isn't a Hawthorne. But when she discovers something that suggests she's closer to the Hawthorne family than she ever imagined, Avery, along with the mysterious Hawthorne brothers, try to find the truth once and for all . I reviewed the first book, 'The Inheritance Games', HERE , and said that because I didn't love it, I wasn't really interested in reading the sequels. I picked this book up on the spur of the moment, because while I didn't love the first, I was kind of curious about what came next. I'm so glad I decided to pick this up, because I liked it a lot more than the first one! One of my criticisms the first time around was that I felt Avery was quite juvenile and childish. This time around was entirely different - I really liked being in her head, and she definitely seemed more matu
Read more

My Problem With '8 Simple Rules'

-
Image
Hey Guys x Today's post might come out as more of a rant, which I'm OK with because I haven't ranted about something in a while! Last year, I started watching the show '8 Simple Rules' when it started playing on Comedy Central. It originally came on between 2002 and 2005 but I didn't watch it when it was first on. Anyway, I really got into it. There were only three seasons, so it was over before I wanted it to be. And I loved this show, and I still love it. Comedy Central doesn't play it anymore but if it did I would dive right back into it because I love a good sitcom. However, I have a major gripe with a plotline of the show, that got more prominent in season 2/3. Let me just explain the characters a bit, so you know who I'm taking about in case you never watched it. The show revolves around a family, Paul and Cate Hennessy, and their children Bridget, Kerry and Rory. In the second season, the father in the show died (due
Read more