I’m Not Missing

Miranda has always been in the shadow of her best friend, Syd. Syd’s the one with the plan to get out of New Mexico by doing every extracurricular activity and being number one in their class; Miranda just goes along with it. Miranda has a supportive, involved father, whereas Syd’s dad is negligent and her mother is a mean drunk. Syd’s on course for Stanford when, suddenly, she takes off. No messages, no texts, no nothing, and just one note—for the guy who broke Miranda’s heart by standing her up when they were juniors. Grieving and confused, Miranda eventually learns more about her crush, about Syd and her many secrets, and, perhaps most importantly, about herself and her capabilities. In her debut novel, Fountain not only delivers a plot twist that resonates in the #MeToo era but also a sweet and convincing love story complete with a charmingly dorky heroine in half-Latina Miranda—who, in Syd’s absence, ultimately finds out who she can be when she’s not following in someone’s wake. Ages 13–18. (July) Correction: A previous version of this review misstated the details of Syd's family life.