The Leaving

Tara Altebrando

2016 • 432 pages

Ratings14

Average rating2.8

Six were taken. Eleven years later, five come back--with no idea of where they've been. A riveting mystery for fans of We Were Liars. Eleven years ago, six kindergartners went missing without a trace. After all that time, the people left behind moved on, or tried to. Until today. Today five of those kids return. They're sixteen, and they are . . . fine. Scarlett comes home and finds a mom she barely recognizes, and doesn't really recognize the person she's supposed to be, either. But she thinks she remembers Lucas. Lucas remembers Scarlett, too, except they're entirely unable to recall where they've been or what happened to them. Neither of them remember the sixth victim, Max--the only one who hasn't come back. Which leaves Max's sister, Avery, wanting answers. She wants to find her brother--dead or alive--and isn't buying this whole memory-loss story. But as details of the disappearance begin to unfold, no one is prepared for the truth. This unforgettable novel--with its rich characters, high stakes, and plot twists--will leave readers breathless.

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Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

Nicole

This book is pretty interesting. I like the premise and the idea of who orchestrated the kidnappings and why is intriguing. I feel this book contains a lot of openings (“fillers” is the closest word I can think of but that's not the equivalent I am looking for) but at the same time the right amount. It would have been pretty cool to see the kidnapper after all of this but I understand the mystery.

May 9, 2022

Sionna

I've been reading a lot of books lately that I don't know how to review or how I feel. I feel... lost. What an absolute adventure.

This is not a book you want to read if you like clear-cut endings. I love knowing exactly EVERYTHING, so this ending, this book really is hard to rate because I feel unsatisfied, yet at the same time I feel it is the moral of the book. We don't always know; we can't always remember it all.

I really disliked Avery... she is an awesome character, but like, I dislike her personality. She is a normal teen though and I feel like I understand why she was one of our POVs.
The mystery was awesome and keeps you guessing, especially since you don't know if you can trust the narrators or not. Scarlett and Lucas have an 11 year memory gap, they won't ALWAYS know the truth.

One of the other aspects I really want to bring up are the ways the author uses to show how the character is thinking. Changing font, moving font off a ‘cliff' or in a loop, or black background with white angry letters. It helps get into the character.

Really enjoyed this read, I'm just wishing for more. Read this if you like mystery, thrillers, and don't mind a somewhat open ending.

March 23, 2017