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Summary
Summary
Luke's older sister, Pat, has always been his moral compass, every time he has a decision to make. So when Pat disappears on a tiny island off the coast of Honduras and the authorities claim she's drowned - despite the fact that they can't produce a body - Luke heads to Honduras to find her. Once there, he meets several characters who describe his sister as a very different girl from the one knows. Does someone have a motive for wanting her dead? Determined to get to the bottom of Pat's disappearance, Luke risks everything to find the answer.
Author Notes
Born in Philadelphia, S.J. LAIDLAW spent most of her childhood in Toronto. From an early age, she loved reading and writing stories. After completing an undergraduate degree in English, she ventured to Africa as a volunteer teacher. There she discovered that her students needed as much support and guidance outside the classroom as in it, so after three years, she returned to Canada to complete a graduate degree in clinical social work. Since then, she has worked as a counselor in many countries and has led workshops for parents and educators on raising and working with third-culture children. Her first book, An Infidel in Paradise , was published to much critical acclaim.
Reviews (3)
Horn Book Review
Seventeen-year-old Luke has been told that his older sister Pat, a rock for him, drowned while conducting whale shark research on a tiny island near Honduras. But troubled Luke still hears Pat's guiding voice and is convinced she's still alive. Luke is a complex character, and his interactions with the equally well-drawn secondary characters enrich the unique mystery. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
This absorbing mystery might or might not be paranormal, but it's certainly constantly interesting. Seventeen-year-old Luke travels to a small island off the coast of Honduras in an effort to find his older sister, Pat, who has been reported dead. Pat had traveled to the island to pursue her interest in marine biology, working as an intern at a shark research center before disappearing. Luke remains certain that she's alive, and he's determined to find her. He forms alliances and rivalries with some of the local population, including stoner Zach and the volatile islander girl Reesie. Luke has conversations with Pat in his headhe's sure he hears her voice, which he feels proves she's still alive. Laidlaw leaves readers to decide whether Luke really hears this voice and what it might mean if he does, slowly unfolding her mystery. Luke comes across as a fully realized character, but the colorful locals and American expatriates also stand out as individuals. It's these characterizations that contain the clues, ably supporting the mystery plot. Luke's quest, his feelings for Reesie and his growing understanding of his sister propel readers through the story. A satisfying mystery peopled with characters readers will be happy they've come to know. (Mystery. 12-18)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
When 17-year-old Luke's sister, Pat, goes missing while interning at a shark research center on an island in Honduras and the police assume the worst, he can't face the thought that she might really be dead and travels there alone to find her. Soon he learns that the sister he loved responsible, vegan, plan-driven had adopted a wholly different persona, even going by Tricia instead of Pat. With the help of a few unlikely friends, Luke gradually pieces together the days before his sister's disappearance, and a side of her he never knew. All the while, Luke stages conversations with Pat in his head that help him make sense of his lingering feelings of abandonment and guilt, especially his fear that his drinking and drug use drove Pat away. Though some plot turns seem to come out of nowhere and a few characters verge on cartoonish, Luke's determined, heartfelt first-person narration rings true. Laidlaw's fast-paced mystery makes great use of its well-realized, unique setting, particularly regarding the tensions between tourists and local residents.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2010 Booklist