Have you ever read a book backwards?! I never even knew an author would attempt this, but that's what adds even more to the plot-twist factor of "All the Missing Girls" by Megan Miranda.
When Nic Farrell returns home to Cooley Ridge to take care of her ailing father, she is haunted by the memories she left behind 10 years ago. Her best friend, Corinne Prescott, went missing 10 years ago. Corinne's boyfriend was accused 10 years ago. Nicolette left her old self behind 10 years ago.
But sometimes, the past haunts us. And sometimes, the past returns in the most unexpected way. 10 years later, another girl goes missing. The girl who confirmed everybody's alibis the night Corinne disappeared. Nic knows the girl was everybody's saving grace when Corinne went missing. But now she is missing. And Nic can't help but feel the past creeping into the present. And something is off. Something is familiar about this.
But in order to figure out the past, Nic must retrace her steps. She takes us on the journey with her, almost talking to the reader as she retraces her footsteps back 10 years ago. The box in the police station holds all the betrayals of cooley Ridge; the engagement ring found on the cliffs, the positive pregnancy test, the voicemail left on Jackson's phone, the file containing everybody's whereabouts. But there's more. Some of those things aren't Corinne's. And Nic realizes maybe the missing girl wasn't their alibi after all. Maybe she was playing the game too.
But this time, Nic isn't going to lose. This time, she'll remember. And she'll survive. And she's not alone.
If you want a twisty, edge-of-your-seat, written-backward novel that will have you gasping at the last few pages, "All the Missing Girls" is the one for you. And the next time you see a "Missing" poster, who knows? Maybe you'll know more than you think.
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