Wren's mother disappeared from her home in Fort Gibson, Okla., five years, three months, and 12 days ago. Wren hasn't stopped looking for her mother but the girl's intense focus is cleaved when a rash of other crimes are committed in debut author Ginger Reno's Find Her, a shrewd and enticing upper middle-grade mystery.
Wren has noticed that media attention for missing women is "reserved for those who looked a certain way"--"people who looked like her mother weren't a priority." The 12-year-old lives with her white police chief father and Elisi, her Cherokee mother's mother. Since Wren's father can't (or won't) share much about the investigation, Wren devotes her spare time to her own search, including sneaking peeks at her dad's files. Wren begins a separate investigation, though, when police receive reports of murdered animals. How significant is this new danger? Then, unidentified human remains are found--could it be Wren's mother or, horrifically, yet another victim?
Find Her calls out the disturbing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in the United States, and highlights the lack of national attention given to their cases. Reno writes a determined protagonist who is dedicated to her culture, the Cherokee language, and uncovering truth. The author also offers readers a nuanced introduction to the mystery genre that doesn't sugarcoat the dark side of crime novels but is never overly gruesome--there is just the right amount of danger and blood, as well as a well-researched and maintained "murder board." Find Her is an excellent mystery for younger readers eager to read thrillers. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer