Madison Meeks – Opinion Editor 

mvm7037@psu.edu

Photo Credit -The Booked Mama /Amazon

Are you looking for a book full of mystery and suspense? “The Leaving” by Tara Altebrando is the perfect novel for you. 

Tara Altebrando is a graduate of Harvard University and now lives in Queens, New York. Along with writing ‘The Leaving’, she has written other novels, including “The Opposite of Here,” “The Possible,” and “Take Me With You.”

First published on June 7, 2016, “The Leaving” is about six children who disappear on their first day of kindergarten. Eleven years later, only five of these children return, completely unharmed. 

The novel opens as the families learn their children are missing. The whole town is baffled by this anomaly, even the police. In the eleven years since the disappearance, the townspeople have tried to move on from the confusing event. 

The book takes place in 15 days as the missing children start to recover their memories of what happened when they disappeared. These fifteen days are told from three points of view. Two of these protagonists are some of the returning children. The other perspective is of the sister of the still-missing boy. 

While recovering their memories, it is revealed the five returning children do not remember anything about the sixth child, Max. 

On a side note, this novel does involve a school shooting in its main plot. Such a plot point can be difficult for some in today’s society. However, the element is connected to unraveling the story’s mystery. 

One of the most intriguing elements of “The Leaving” is the irregular writing format. Some words are written in circles or span diagonally across the pages. This choice, peculiar at the start, works in spades in connecting the reader to the story. 

“The Leaving” will have readers on the edge of their seats as the mystery unfolds. 

Who took the children eleven years ago? Why do the children not remember what happened to them? Where is Max? All is revealed through the pages of “The Leaving.”