Review of : "The Missing Book 1: Found"

Margaret Peterson Haddix is an author I've never read before. Not that she's a new author, but just that I had never picked up one of her books and read it. The book I chose to read was The Missing: Book 1: Found" (Scholastic Inc., 2008, ISBN: 13:978-0-545-11645-9 and ISBN: 10:0_545_11645-7). This is the first in the series, which holds a lot of promise.

This fictional book focuses on thirty-six babies that mysteriously appear at an airport. Lots of confusion, panic and government cover-up follows this strange event. Flash forward thirteen years. All thirty-six babies are now becoming teenagers. As if teens don't have enough trouble, they start receiving frightening letters in the mail.

One of the teens, Jonah, begins his journey to uncovering the secret of his past. Confused and frightened, he's finding out things that just aren't logical. He soon discovers that his new neighbor, Chip, is also among the missing and has also received the strange letters. Soon, Jonah's sister gets involved, even though she is not adopted nor listed among the missing.

The story carries the three through a maze of discoveries, most making less sense than the last. The danger rises the closer they come to the truth. The trio become modern-day detectives as they sort through the information given to them by some mysterious stranger. Who is their friend and who is their enemy? It's hard to tell with all the twists and turns this story makes.

This story was most enjoyable. It was a quick and easy read, which helps pre-teen readers get interested in reading. Even though it is intended for a younger audience, I believe adults can get just as much entertainment from it as well.

It is an exciting story and has a lot of unexpected twists in it. It holds your attention and keeps you guessing the entire way. Now that I've finished this one, I'm very excited to read the next! The book ends, but the story doesn't, leaving the reader hungry for more.

My recommendation is to read and enjoy this new series from Margaret Peterson Haddix. Her writing is fresh, intriguing and exciting.