Ruthie, 17, is glad to be heading back to Anchorage, Alaska, her hometown until she was 14, even though the reason for the trip is her mother's sudden death. She's not sure about moving in with her father and his new family, but her best friend, Zahra, still lives there, and Ruthie looks forward to picking up where they left off. There are two problems, though: not only has Zahra changed drastically since Ruthie left, she has also disappeared. Determined to find her, Ruthie inserts herself into Zahra's friend group and gets involved in the search, which takes her through hiking trails and deserted campgrounds, as well as old secrets. Donaldson (Lies You Never Told Me) tells a suspenseful, surprising story with a vivid sense of place. And in Ruthie, Donaldson has created a driven, fearless--even reckless--character who will stop at nothing to track down her best friend and recreate the relationship she's so desperately missed. Ages 14--up. (Oct.)

With the unexpected death of her mother, Ruthie is headed back to Alaska. Though she's apprehensive about moving in with her now-sober father, she's nevertheless excited about reuniting with her best friend Zahra. It is a complete surprise to discover Zahra disappeared just days before Ruthie's arrival; she was seen arguing with her boyfriend and running off into the woods. Ruthie participates in search teams and makes friends with Zahra's friends, but what she discovers in the process is a Zahra unlike the friend she remembers, as well as rumors of the missing girl hiding some mysterious trauma. Did Ruthie know the true Zahra or does she really know nothing about her? Donaldson's novel is a fast-paced investigation of all the people who might want to hurt Zahra, with a massive twist at the end readers will not see coming. Some die-hard mystery fans may dislike the twist (as it appears to come out of left field with nothing to substantiate it), but those who don't mind some fluff in their mysteries will enjoy the overall ride.--Lindsey Tomsu Copyright 2010 Booklist

Ruthie will stop at nothing to find her missing best friend.After her mother dies, Ruthie Hayden returns to her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. Though she isn't keen on living with her now-sober father, she's ecstatic to be reunited with her best friend, Zahra Gaines. Traces of their friendship still linger in scrawled script on playground equipment, but Zahra is gone. At first, it's assumed she ran off with her boyfriend, Ben Peavy, but when he returns from a camping trip alone, Zahra is declared missing. Ruthie immediately becomes obsessed with finding her. She ingratiates herself with Zahra's friends, investigates places she frequented, and even follows Ben. It quickly becomes clear that Zahra hid things from everyone around her and struggled with secret trauma. The more Ruthie learns, the less she feels like she really knew Zahrabut maybe, she thinks, she's the only one who does. Ruthie hurtles toward the truth, propelled by a need to find out where Zahra is now and what dark forces drew her there yet not ready for what she might find. Ruthie's desperate quest to find her friend thrums at a fever pitch. The reveal of Zahra's fate unfolds in an eerie crescendo that's both well earned and unnerving. Zahra is biracial (black/white), and Ben is Koyukon Athabaskan. The author includes thoughtful commentary about the ways that Zahra's and Ben's races affect their treatments as victim and suspect.Gripping and unsettling. (Mystery 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.