The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan

In Cribb’s intricately plotted debut thriller, high-school senior Sloane Sullivan (her 19th identity) has been in the Witness Protection Program for almost 6 years, after witnessing a violent crime. Her minder, Agent Markham, whom she calls Mark, has taken care of her through both her mother’s murder and her father’s eventual suicide. She’s ready to get out of the program and move on with her life. Staying anonymous, however, seems like a tall order after she runs into her childhood best friend, Jason Thomas. Sloane just wants to be normal, but her past is catching up with her, placing everyone she cares about in harm’s way. Cribbs draws an effective portrait of a young woman forced to make unusual and mature choices while navigating the more conventional stresses of teen life, and Sloane is a smart, savvy narrator. The tension increases exponentially in the second half, when events force Sloane to put the disparate pieces of her past together, resulting in stunning revelations. Just when it seems that a resolution is in sight, more surprises build to an explosive, satisfying finale. Ages 12–18. [em]Agent: Steven Salpeter, Curtis Brown. (May) [/em]