Found

I am so excited about this new series, The Missing, by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Her series called The Shadow Children is one of my favorites - Among the Hidden is the first. She is one of those authors that never disappoints me. She tends to write science fiction in a contemporary realistic setting. It would seem that Haddix will add historical fiction to the mix in this series. Found is Book 1 and it lays out both the premise and the direction for the future works. Book 2, Sent, has already been published and is on the library shelves. (One copy is in my bedroom - YEA!)

So, 13 years ago, a plane "appeared" on the tarmac at an airport. One airline employee who noticed it waits for disembarking passengers. They never come. Finally, she leaves her post and enters the plane. She discovers 36 infants ... No sooner do the airport authorities take control of the situation and remove the babies, than the airplane vanishes.

Now, 13-year-old Jonah has received a letter in the mail that states "You are one of the missing." He assumes it is a prank, possibly played by his sister or some kids from school. Then, the new boy down the block, Chip, receives the same letter which blows Jonah's theories about his own letter. Soon they both receive a second letter that says: "Beware! they are coming back to get you."

Jonah has always known he was adopted. Chip has just discovered that he too is adopted. Jonah and his sister Katherine agree to help Chip discover his biological roots when his parents refuse. The FBI gets involved, but aims to discourage them rather than assist them. People start appearing and disappearing in front of their eyes - like ghosts. Documents appear and disappear out of thin air.

The kids are met with two opposing sides - from the future. Someone decided to save the children from the past and place them in families in the present. For example, rather than watch Alexis Romanov be killed by the Bolsheviks, time travelers remove him from his time and place him in the present. One of the forces Jonah is met with has decided that the children should return to their time - and their death. And then there is the other side which isn't much better.

Definitely a book that was hard to put down. Lots of mystery and plenty of questions left unanswered. While you're patiently waiting, with me, for the complete series of SEVEN books to be completed, I highly recommend you try the other series ... where third children are illegal and must be hidden in order to survive.