Reading this with a student; so far, it's quite a hit. I'm annoyed by the language (the whole British thing), but this is just the type of fast-moving mystery that an 8th grader at a lower reading level can get lost in, forgetting that she's actually "reading" (ewww....)

This got annoying after a while, but then again, I'm not the intended audience. 5th grade reading level, middle school interest level (up to grade 9, I'd say). Suspenseful, short chapters about a typical dysfunctional family, and I would expect that most adolescent girls could relate to the issues at the heart of the conflict and will get swept away with the ghost story/mystery part as well.


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Maxine’s brother disappear after constant bullying at school, problems with his family at home. Maxine feels utterly ignored by her parents who will drop her and go follow the most recent sighting of Derek making her feel not important and useless. As the sightings become fewer and farther apart the police think they have found a body. Her mother believes the ghost of Derek is with her and is losing her mental grip. Then, Maxine starts getting phone calls from a boy who sounds exactly like Derek. Though he always says someone is after him and he has to go before Maxine can really converse with her brother. At school she is losing friends and is under constant harassment from bullies. The same people that caused her brother to run away! Eventually she plans a meeting with the mysterious figure claiming to be her beloved brother that she hadn’t seen in so long. At their first meeting, before Maxine had been able to meet him to see if he was actually the boy she had known so long ago, he had to run away only saying someone was after him. The phone calls stopped for a while and Maxine’s flame of hope died to an ember. But then she got one last call to meet him at a cemetery. She goes there and Derek appears as they go home, their mother and father are overwhelmed with joy and relief of their son’s return. Within the next few weeks, her brother is somewhat of a superstar getting interviewed about the effects of bullying. But at last they are one reunited happy family.
I gave this book five stars for multiple reasons. The constant war between desire and hatred of her brother touched my emotions. The constant mystery with Derek made me think about the book even when I wasn’t reading it. Maxine’s courage throughout the story was almost inspiring . With these reasons and many more I feel confident this book deserves five stars. ( )

Maxine feels like she’s going crazy. Her older brother, Derek, ran away from home and has been missing for 10 months. Sweeney, the school bully, had made his life, and others, into a living hell, never getting the punishment he deserved. Not knowing what happened to him has torn her family apart, and she feels guilty for wanting him to be dead so they would pay attention to her. When the police discover a body and her father identifies it as Derek, things seem to get worse. After the funeral, her parents seem to forget all about her and Maxie is left even more alone.

Read more at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/ ( )

This book is about a young boy who goes missing because Sweeney (a bulley) thretens to beat him up. It causes troubles in his family, BIG TIME. They find out he is dead. His parentsgo to England to inspect his body. They assure its him, but there daughter keeps getting phone calls. It sounds like fast, short breaths, but finally he talks.Read to hear what he said! ( )

missing is about a girls brother who goes missing and
the cop find her brothers body and a month later the girl
Maxine gets a call and they say "maxy it's me derek" and
derek is her brothers name ( )