What do readers think of Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan? Write your own review.

Connecticut is fortunate to have many fine authors, Stewart O'Nan, being one of them. This past summer I read three books about missing children. One of these and the best by far was O'Nan's Songs for the Missing. There are only so many plots and it always amazes me how differently each author will handle similar stories. It sounds like a simple plot. Eighteen year old Kim Larsen disappears from her Lake Erie town. Read this opening and see if you are not intrigued to continue...

“Description of the Person, when Last Seen

July, 2005. It was the summer of the Chevette, of J.P. And letting her hair grow. The last summer, the best summer, the summer they'd dreamed of since eighth grade, the high and pride of being seniors lingering, an extension of their best year.”

It should have been a summer of swimming at the lake, after work late night dates, a last glorious summer respite before college life begins. All this changes in an instant. Here one moment, gone the next. O'Nan's pen explores this tragic event so beautifully that at times you almost forget the underlying story of love, and loss. He gives us a detailed view of what it means to lose a loved one and how this missing affects each member of Kim's family; how each relates to the other, the ebb and tide of hope, and how each member tries to live without being disloyal to Kim. It's about the regrets, the sadness, the grief, what was and was not said or done.

This is not a fast read and probably would not appeal to thriller readers. It takes a bit of commitment on the reader's part but is definitely worth the effort. The best of O'Nan to date.

Stewart O'Nan is one of my favorite authors. So, although SONGS FOR THE MISSING does feature that same great O'Nan writing, I was disappointed.

Here is the story of a missing teenage girl and the thoughts and feelings of her friends and family. The first year is excruciatingly detailed. It was all very sad and depressing, even after a year.

SONGS FOR THE MISSING sounds authentic. But I didn't enjoy reading it. Even so, the book deserves a four-star rating because it is so well written.