Disappeared - Francisco X. Stork

⭐ 8.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

Sara and Emiliano are siblings in Juarez, a super dangerous city in Mexico. Sara is an investigative journalist whose best friend disappeared, and when she starts writing about disappeared girls, she starts getting death threats. Emiliano is trying to stay on the right path, but is in love with a rich girl from school, and feels like he has to get a bit dirty in order to be accepted by her parents.

This is a book about trying to do the right thing even when it's hard or dangerous, and the stakes are high. It has elements of a mystery, since Sara is trying to find out where her friend is, and a survival story, because Emiliano's desert survival skills will become very important. Their dad is also in the States, so there are also themes of immigration, abandonment, and forgiveness. I really enjoyed this look at life in Mexico, where corruption is all around you, making helping people seem hopeless. But there's also hope in the story, as the siblings find some truly good people in Juarez as well.