Heather’s Bookshelf: When Emily Went Missing
Author: Michael Weems
Released: 12/26/20
Genre: YA Suspense/Mystery
“There was no convincing them of why such a feat was not only interesting but relevant and worthy of acclaim, an admirable goal to pursue let alone achieve. It didn't matter that there was no great end game to it. The goal was to see if he could do it and he did it. I loved that. What better reason was there?”
“When Emily Went Missing: My Haunted Garden Book 1” introduces Ruth Gonzalez, a high school girl who is shot during “the Incident” that results in the murder of her mother and dog. The gunshot and trauma from the event leave Ruth with physical and emotional scars, but when she and her father move to a new place in Foxglove, Texas, she finds it may have also unlocked more.
First, Ruth realizes she knows historical facts but can’t remember learning them. Then, the dreams begin. And then there’s the thoughts and feelings that are not hers… In the midst of it all, there seems to be something a little off about the flower garden.
When Emily, a girl from her class, goes missing, Ruth finds herself drawn into mysterious dreams. The dreams include an eclectic combination of paintings by Van Gogh and multisensory experiences. Ruth quickly finds these dreams are probably more like clues, but she has one rule when it comes to The Gift and that is The Rule of the Dead: don’t tell anyone about The Gift.
Trigger Warning: violence, murder, animal death, adult language
Overall, I really liked this book. The premise is just different enough to be interesting while not completely out there. I loved that it included aspects of different genres and interests. I personally enjoy historical fiction and loved all the little factoids/conspiracy tidbits about the presidents. I am also a big fan of Van Gogh’s work and still felt as though I learned quite a bit of new little tidbits about the artists life in this story. I also happen to be a neuro-physical therapist in my daily life, so I felt a real connection to many of the emotional hurdles Ruth encountered after her trauma (and wished it was as simple as finding a magic flower). There’s a little bit of a mystery underlying the tale which pushes the pacing of the story forward. I also truly enjoyed Ruth as a protagonist. She is flawed and experiences unimaginable trauma, but she is also funny and super self aware. I enjoyed following her evolution throughout the book as well as how she learned to adapt to her new reality. There were only two things I . I didn’t love Deja’s character- not because of the character herself as I loved her directness- but more from the stereotypical presentation especially the way her speaking was depicted. There was also a portion of the story near the end which is super important for the tale that was dragged down by seemingly redundant details (that I don’t want to give away). It was a pivotal portion of the book and I felt this detracted from the importance of it a bit. However, the ending wrapped everything up for the main tale and I could absolutely see additional stories spinning off of this. I’m all for it.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A genre-bending YA coming-of age meets ghost story. A likeable and flawed protagonist highlights a bit of a mystery while establishing a world where flowers hold secrets and power.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Michael Weems
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here or Kindle
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