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Whew, what an emotional experience! When 6 year old Alex Selky goes missing on his walk to school one day, police are baffled - no one just disappears without ANY trace. As time goes by and leads dwindle, we follow his mother Susan as her determination to find him alive never falters, despite the changing attitudes of those around her.

Cont'd in comments

#AuldLangSpine @CarolynM @monalyisha

My ILLO on this one finally came in, so I'm returning to @CarolynM 's #AuldLangSpine list and preparing to be devastated.

@monalyisha

Brought this book because some of my trusted Litsy folks put it on their best of lists for last year.
What a compelling, sad, haunting read. I couldn‘t look away, this is the sort of dread you just don‘t want to ever imagine.
Very well written, sad reminder of homophobia in the 80s, though not gone away completely obviously.

❤️ FEBRUARY ❤️ #12Booksof2024 @Andrew65 I‘m in agreement with @CarolynM this is my favorite book of last February. A shocking and unforgettable story.

#12BooksOf2024 February

This disturbing story which I read with the #PersephoneClub is my pick for February.

Every step she took in the direction of a normal life was a step away from her lost child.
💔
What I‘m trying to say is, there may come a time when you will have to consider…accepting…
Accepting what? That it‘s too painful to go on hoping, so I should give up on him? I should cut him off to save myself the inconvenience of missing him?

#BookReport for February

All good reads, Still Missing was the standout.

This one‘s a gripper. We feel every moment along with Susan, mom of a missing kid. We feel every moment with the detective in charge of the case. And we feel thankful that our kids are grown up and we don‘t have to worry about them going missing. The ending brought tears to my eyes.

#PersephoneClub

I read this with the sick feeling in my stomach that I have had on the (thankfully few) occasions when my kids were out significantly later than I expected. How much worse it would be to have a child actually go missing is beyond my imagination. I can‘t say I enjoyed this read, but I thought the exploration of the impact on the family, friends and neighbours, and also on the police, was masterful. More in spoiler comment below.

Heartbreaking, compelling, upsetting, and extremely moving. I was shocked by some of the turns the story took. I felt like I was sitting right beside Susan Selky, there in the late 1970s in her Boston home. I kept turning the pages, feeling like the more quickly I read, the sooner I might get some answers for Alex‘s mother. I quite admired her, and I appreciated the peek from Detective Menetti‘s perspective as well. (continued)

What a very tense read which evoked both the troubling politics of the late 70s (homophobia) but also the trauma of a child's disappearance. Poor Susan is surrounded by a host of troubling friends + relatives esp ex h Graham. A v dramatic end had me on tenterhooks
#persephoneclub @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts @Aimeesue @CarolynM @jlhammar @Tamra @rubyslippersreads @sisilia @Ruthiella @Gissy @elkeOriginal @daena @Karons1 @julieclair @willaful @Caryl

What a compelling, engrossing book! And yet another I probably wouldn't have read on my own, given the grim subject matter. The time and place are so wonderfully evoked and I appreciate how complex Gutcheon's characters and storytelling are.

#PersephoneClub

@Aimeesue @LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @Caryl @sisilia @Tamra @Ruthiella @CarolynM @Gissy @elkeOriginal @daena @Cathythoughts @andrew61 @jlhammar @Karons1 @julieclair @willaful

I avoided this one for a long time due to it being about a missing child, but I‘m glad I finally read it. The way Gutcheon follows the MC‘s thoughts is fantastic - not quite stream of consciousness, much more readable for me. Great writing, and the late ‘70s setting made me nostalgic but horrified - did we really not look for missing kids until 24 hrs later? Egad. (MA native, so I also enjoyed the Boston area setting) Recommended.
#PersephoneClub

3⭐️ This novel really invited me to experience the hell parents have to go through when their child disappears without a trace. The story was set in the 80s and the reference to drugs and homophobia feels like a time travel to that era. #persephoneclub

Halfway

I had always avoided this Persephone novel as the subject matter (a missing child) seemed so disturbing. Well, it WAS disturbing but also utterly compelling and extremely well-written. It‘s best to go in without reading any blurbs or reviews as it does have some great twists.

A solid #PersephoneClub pick!

An excruciating read, on so many levels. And I'm left full of questions. Looking forward to the #PersephoneClub discussion.

So, so good. Devastating, poignant, unputdownable. And what an ending!

#PersephoneClub

Now , it‘s a dark and difficult book to read. The disappearance of a young child. It reads like a true crime book, suspenseful and brilliantly written. Character development is excellent. The far reaching effects of the missing boy and the psychological trauma is so well done. I loved this book. I‘d love to read more by Beth Gutcheon. Look forward to discussing it all , and the ending. Great book ! #PersephoneClub

I don‘t know if I would have picked this book on my own, because the subject matter was so painful. But I absolutely raced through it, and would definitely try other books by this author.

#PersephoneClub

@quietjenn @Caryl @sisilia @CarolynM @daena @LeahBergen @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Tamra @andrew61 @Cathythoughts @Karons1 @julieclair @willaful @jlhammar

Flew through this one - it was gripping! The mother‘s attempt to quell the panic when her son is late coming home from school is so well written. Spot on!

🤫 Mum‘s the word until fellow #Persephoneclub friends have read it.

Gasp! 😳 I just read the opening chapter.

I didn‘t read the blurb in advance.

It‘s now February so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@jlhammar ‘s pick for us this month is Still Missing by Beth Gutcheon. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone. 😉 And anyone is welcome to read along with us, of course!

@LeahBergen post https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2699298

It‘s now February so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@jlhammar ‘s pick for us this month is Still Missing by Beth Gutcheon. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone. 😉 And anyone is welcome to read along with us, of course!

repost for @LeahBergen

Here we are, #PersephoneClub … our 2024 reading schedule! It looks like it‘s going to be another great year. 🩶

As always, anyone on Litsy is welcome to join in and read along and discuss with us at any time.

Original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2673981

Reading like a true crime book, this is the story about the disappearance of six-years old Alex Selky, and its effects on his mother Susan. When all are picking up the pieces and try to cope with what happened, she can‘t. She becomes estranged from her friends and family. It all feels so realistic. As a mother I can relate to Susan, as a partner to her husband, as a woman to her friends. It‘s painful to read and very well written. ⬇️⬇️ #persephone

#WeeklyForecast 50/20

I am having The Altruists (not pictured) in progress but also started The Book of Disquiet for #ReadingEurope2020 and A Tale for the Time Being, to make a head start for #ReadingAsia2021. Luck is one from the bottom of my TBR (I can‘t even remember why I bought it) and Still Missing is a gorgeous #persephone I bought and totally blame on @Reviewsbylola 💕

This #bookhaul is totally #blameitonlitsy but I‘m happy with it 😍

This was the most thoughtful child abduction stories I‘ve ever read. Given the subject matter, I expected a fast paced read with lots of twists and turns. Obviously I‘m used to the mediocre thrillers that are published by the hour these days. 😂 This was so much more. Quieter, but with a constant tension, Gutcheon looked deeper into the ripple affect that such a tragedy causes. #Persephone #pop18

It‘s been a long day. Time to unwind with a #bathandbook. This is an interesting one. From what o can tell, it was originally published in the early 80s, which is also when it takes place. About a missing boy, it feels eerily similar to the case of Adam Walsh. Like most Persephones though, it‘s more introspective.

My morning has a London vibe to it. 🇬🇧 I was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit Persephone Books on my trip last month and although I didn‘t purchase this particular book on my trip, I have made it my mission to read more from my #Persephone stacks.

Yet another monthly #persphone selection. This is the gift that keeps on giving. Now I need to actually read them. 😂 #bookmail

I've been MIA on the challenge lately, so I'm rejoining with a really good one for the #missing prompt... a young boy disappears and the reader witnesses the fallout. It was one of my earlier #persephonebooks reads - and it's a gripping and heart wrenching read. Couldn't put it down. #maybookflowers