The Forgotten Girl

I finished reading The Forgotten Girl, by David Bell this morning,

and I think the title is a bit of a misnomer here. While the story centers on a younger sister who has returned unexpectedly to her brother's doorstep, the story is really about her brother, his past, and events that took place one night during his high school graduation. Jason has returned with his wife to his hometown that he grew up in, with the hopes of rekindling their marriage by leaving the large city they had been in. Things seem to be going well, but the return to his old town starts to bring back memories of Jason's best friend Logan, who disappeared after graduation, and who no one has seen to this day. When Jason's sister turns up at his house, with her teenage daughter, asking Jason to keep her daughter there while she makes amends with her past and her recovery from addiction, Jason begins to think his sister and Logan's disappearance are somehow connected. He beings delving into the past, talking to Logan's remaining family and others who knew Logan, including Regan, a girl who both he and Logan had wanted to be romantically involved with during school. While trying to keep an eye out for his sister who has disappeared to take care of loose ends, worrying about his niece who is concerned about her mother, along with dealing with memories about the night Logan disappeared, he also has to deal with the bully from school, who is still living in town and has more to do with that night than Jason originally thought. The novel isn't really about a "forgotten girl" but more about confronting the past, and small town secrets that come to light years after the fact. Despite the title, the novel is an interesting read, and keeps you guessing until the final chapter about the truth of Logan's disappearance. 

Bell, David. The Forgotten Girl, New American Library, New York. October 2014.
 Isbn: 978-0-451-41752-7