I'm Not Missing

Miranda is a high school senior in Las Cruces, New Mexico dealing with her best friend Syd's sudden disappearance just before graduation. The situation forces Miranda to confront her own complicated past, including her mother's abandonment of the family years ago to join a religious cult. As Miranda searches for answers about Syd, she develops an unexpected connection with Nick, a former friend who shares her sense of loss and uncertainty. Their relationship evolves against the backdrop of the stark desert landscape and the complex social dynamics of their small town. The story follows Miranda's journey through grief, first love, and self-discovery as she grapples with questions of faith, family, and forgiveness. Through her experiences, she must learn to balance her loyalty to her missing friend with her own emerging identity and desires. This coming-of-age novel explores themes of identity formation, the impact of parental choices on children, and the ways people cope with abandonment. The narrative examines how young people navigate relationships while trying to understand their place in the world.

Readers connect with the authentic portrayal of teenage friendship, grief, and first love in this YA novel. The book earned praise for its realistic dialogue and complex family dynamics. Readers appreciated: - Natural, believable teen voices and relationships - Treatment of loss and healing - New Mexico setting details - LGBTQ+ representation without making it the main focus Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the middle sections - Some found the ending unsatisfying - Secondary characters need more development Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (50+ ratings) Notable reader comments: "Captures the messiness of high school friendships perfectly" - Goodreads reviewer "The romance felt rushed compared to the friendship storyline" - Amazon reviewer "Finally a YA book that doesn't trivialize teenage emotions" - Barnes & Noble reviewer

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🔹 Author Carrie Fountain served as the 2019 Texas Poet Laureate and has published multiple award-winning poetry collections alongside her young adult fiction. 🔹 The book explores themes of faith and religion through its main character Miranda, who was raised in an evangelical Christian household with strict beliefs about dating and relationships. 🔹 The story is set in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where the author herself spent significant time growing up, lending authentic details to the novel's sense of place. 🔹 "I'm Not Missing" tackles the complex dynamics of female friendship and its evolution during the transition from high school to college, a theme that resonates strongly with young adult readers. 🔹 The novel's title carries multiple meanings, referring both to the physical disappearance of a character and the emotional journey of discovering one's own identity and independence.