Girl Last Seen

By Anne Greenwood Brown and Heather Anastasiu

Kadence Mulligan’s star was rising. She and her best friend, Lauren DeSanto, watched their songs go viral on YouTube, then launched a solo career when a nasty throat infection paralyzed Lauren’s vocal chords. Everyone knows Lauren and Kadence had a major falling-out over Kady’s boyfriend. But Lauren knows how deceptive Kadence could be sometimes. And nobody believes Lauren when she claims she had nothing to do with the disappearance. Or the blood evidence . . .

As the town and local media condemns Lauren, she realizes the only way to clear her name is to discover the truth herself. Lauren slowly unravels the twisted life of Kadence Mulligan and finds there was more to her than she ever knew. But will she realize she’s unknowingly playing a part in an elaborate game to cover up a crime before it's too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Albert Whitman Company
• Release date: Mar 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504031615

Anne Greenwood Brown

Anne Greenwood Brown is an attorney by day and young adult novelist by night. Her works include the Lies Beneath trilogy and Girl Last Seen, which she coauthored with Heather Anastasiu. Anne lives in Minnesota.

Reviews for Girl Last Seen

[seasonsoflove_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Story:Kadence and Lauren, two talented teenagers, were on the cusp of stardom. Their music videos had gone viral, until an incident lands Lauren in the hospital with paralyzed vocal chords.Now Kadence is striking out alone. But after a concert at a local coffee shop, she goes missing.Who and what are behind her disappearance? The police and the public think Lauren is to blame, jealous over Kadence moving on without her. Lauren is determined to prove her innocence, and expose that Kady wasn't exactly who her adoring fans thought she was.What I Liked:I always like when books use different media forms. Girl Last Seen mixes in song lyrics, police interviews, vlogs, Youtube and Twitter comments, and first person narration.There were also some great twists and turns to the mystery. The secrets that were revealed were major, with long-lasting impact.Anything I Didn't Like?The last few chapters felt rushed, as if the authors knew the resolution they wanted to reach, but weren't sure exactly how to make it happen. The motivation behind everything felt too simple in many ways, and, while intriguing and surprising, felt like it took away a bit of complexity from the main characters. The ending was almost too pat in parts.So...?This is a creative book that feels modern, a mystery you could see playing out between internet celebrities right now. The idea of exploring the person behind the public persona built a lot of suspense, and provided many of the twists and turns.I just wish the ending to this quick and exciting read was stronger.

[Suze Lavender · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kadence and Lauren used to be best friends. They also formed a duo together and were a big success on YouTube. Unfortunately Lauren can't sing anymore due to an infection that affected her vocal cords. Kadence went solo and left her friend behind. Music wasn't the only reason they aren't hanging out any longer though. They had a fight about Kadence's boyfriend. Many things went wrong between them and now Lauren is working in a coffee shop while Kadence is becoming a star on her own.

When Kadence disappears people assume Lauren's got something to do with it. All of a sudden she's no longer the talented YouTube star, but a girl who can't be trusted. She's a suspect in a strange case. Where is Kadence and what happened to her? Lauren has to find out the truth so she can clear her name, but evidence piles against her. Help comes from an unexpected source, Jude, the best friend she had before Kadence took his place. Can she trust him to actually help her just like that and can he trust her?

Girl Last Seen is a gripping read about two girls who have a complicated history together. They used to be a big hit on YouTube, but when Lauren loses her voice everything changes between them. They both have an opinion about the situation and the reader doesn't know who to trust. That was the best part of the book for me. I liked that the truth is being revealed bit by bit, clue by clue. It was like following a trace and that was fun, even though most of the topics are really serious.

I loved the easy flow and the different voices. They're all equally strong and interesting. The ending is fantastic and surprising. I think this book is absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed how the main characters all changed at some point, how they can reinvent themselves because they either want to or have to. I loved this book from the first sentence. It starts with a song, which is a strong and original opening. If you're looking for an amazing, fast-paced and thrilling YA story, get this book immediately. I'm one hundred percent sure you're going to love it.

[fictionzeal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eighteen-year-old Lauren DeSanto was loving the attention. She and her best friend, Kadence (Kady), were putting their songs on YouTube and they were going viral. Then, there was a lapse to the recordings. Lauren had succumbed to a throat infection and after several weeks, her beautiful voice had still not returned. Instead, it was now more of a croaking sound. Eventually, in order to keep their fans happy, Kady began singing solo. Lauren even talked her manager into allowing Kady to sing before their Cuppa Cuppa (coffee shop) crowd. But, by the time Kady took the stage, she and Lauren were no longer on good terms. Lauren put on a good front for the crowd, but Jude was watching her. He could tell she wasn?t happy. He used to know her well ? back when they were friends.When Kady goes missing, there is no shortage of suspects, but Lauren is a primary one because of a recent boyfriend double cross issue. All of a sudden Jude comes back into Lauren?s life. He was Nathan back when they were friends. Now he?s using his middle name, Jude. Nathan had severe acne. Lauren stood by him ? until Kady ruined their friendship, even causing Lauren to harshly snub him. Jude, with the help of medicine, has overcome his acne and recovered from the physical scars. Lauren now finds him to be ?exciting?. Can Jude help Lauren to clear the suspicion on her? She must solve the mystery of Kady?s disappearance.This is a wonderfully twisty teen thriller (age range 14 ? 18). The reader will wonder who is trustworthy; who is not? I liked the various narration shifts giving us different character perspectives. It allows us to see what each character was really thinking. Even teens can pretend to like someone. The author has constructed characters that are both likable and abhorrent. They are, by no means, cut and dry. However, a portion of the novel does require the reader to suspend believability. Rating: 4 out of 5.