What She Left Behind

June 11, 2012
Sixteen-year-old Sara and her mother are plotting to skip town to escape from Sara's abusive father, a retired cop who was traumatized by an incident on the job. He has also become delusional since his son Matt's suicide, acting as if Matt is still alive. Sara waits at Dairy Dream as planned, but her mother never shows; although her father claims she's on a business trip, Sara fears that something is terribly wrong. Sara's budding romance with a boy from school intermittently distracts her from her father's increasingly erratic behavior (and provides the story with moments of lightness), but Sara is isolated in her rural Michigan town. She can't even turn to the police chief, her father's loyal friend, for help ("It's like I'm trapped inside some Stephen King novel instead of my own life"). With growing desperation, she feigns normalcy until she can assemble enough clues to find her mother. Through Sara's free-writing assignments and internal dialogue, Bilen reveals a chilling picture of domestic violence. Sharp prose and an increasingly tense plot make this debut a page-turner. Ages 14âup. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

June 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-Sara's father has always been a neat freak, particular about how things are done, and a bit domineering. After her brother commits suicide, his actions go from being controlling to physically abusive, especially toward Sara's mother. But just as she is preparing to escape with her daughter, she goes missing. Left alone with her father-who is quickly slipping further and further from reality-Sara works to protect herself while trying to find her mother. Her one lifeline in her increasingly isolated world is her friend Zach, her brother's former best friend. Negotiating her father's abuse, her missing mother, and a burgeoning romantic relationship with a new guy, Sara's juggling act takes all of her strength and wits to survive. Bilen includes details to make the story current and relatable with various pop-culture references. She also maintains a consistent feeling of isolation and helplessness; even when Sara is away from her father, the small-town setting and his connections to the local police force intensify the overall feeling of being trapped and watched. Quickly paced and with a dramatic conclusion, this story feels a bit like a less-dramatic Chris Crutcher novel.-Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.