Altebrando, Tara. The Leaving. New York: Bloomsbury, 2016.

What a suspenseful read that I can’t wait to share with my kids. I love how the book starts right in the middle of the story. 5 kids, returning home after years of being gone. They are confused and remember very little. One has a tattoo. One has a foreign object in her stomach. One tries hypnosis. The mystery remains. As does the mystery of the boy who doesn’t return. His sister Avery, whose own life is largely broken, seeks answers.

Altebrando masterfully weaves together the stories of Avery, Lucas, Scarlett, and the others. She writes initially from their complete confusion, filling in the history, and carefully revealing the mystery one small detail at a time. She expertly develops individual personalities and relationships. My readers will be fully engaged with each kid and with the mystery as a whole. Altebrando plays with words...through Scarlett’s story most particularly. My poetry book readers will especially enjoy this element within the overall scope of the book. In a world of dystopia, this book is different enough to excite and intrigue. Oh...and romance, just enough to keep my romantic souls happy.

I will be sharing The Leaving very soon with my 11th grade readers. I really like that these kids don’t allow themselves to become victims of their circumstances. These circumstances are certainly extenuating - but our students can relate to the idea of being victims at a variety of levels. The main characters here work hard, independently and as a team, to solve the mystery of their leaving and find a way to move forward with full and productive lives. I also like that the answers weren’t easy and that at the end questions remained about how well the future might go. Such is life and such are the books I love to have my kids read!