Gone, Gone, Gone

Set a year after 9/11 against the backdrop of the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks, this quiet and insightful drama follows two gay teens as they wrestle with their feelings for each other, for the recent past, and for the present. Fifteen-year-old Craig pines for his ex-boyfriend, Cody, sublimating his worries by taking care of numerous stray pets. When the animals go missing after a break-in, Craig obsesses over finding them, enlisting the aid of his new friend Lio. Lio, a recent transplant from New York City, is still coming to terms with surviving cancer, the same disease that took his twin brother. A kiss sparks a slow, complicated romance that’s muddled by ongoing contact between Craig and Cody, lingering trauma from 9/11, and collective paranoia as the sniper attacks continue. Moskowitz (Invincible Summer) captures the teenage mentality and voice in this tender yet emotionally complex romance. Alternating between Craig and Lio’s perspectives, the novel does an excellent job of showing the collective hurt from the 9/11 attacks and how those in both New York and D.C. dealt with the aftermath. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, FinePrint Literary Management. (Apr.)