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No Such Person

Review

No Such Person

Caroline B. Cooney, the author of the bestseller THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON, introduces NO SUCH PERSON, a new mystery thriller for young adults.

“For fans of Cooney’s work or those who enjoy a fast-paced and dangerous novel, NO SUCH PERSON is the perfect summer read.”

Every summer, the Allerdon family heads to their rustic cottage on the river for a break from the hectic and busy city life they normally lead. However, much to the dismay of 15-year-old Miranda and her parents, Lander --- Miranda’s older sister who is about to start medical school --- finds herself locked in a jail cell, accused of murder. Even after Miranda swears to Lander that she saw the handsome boater Lander fancies, Jason Firenza, try to kill his water-skiing friend, Lander falls in love with him anyway. A week later, Jason’s friend, Denny, is found dead in the woods from a gunshot wound, with Lander holding the gun. Jason is revealed to be part of a drug ring, and the police believe Lander was a part of Jason’s plan to murder Denny in the first place. After years of peaceful summers on the river, Lander’s ordeal changes the lives of the entire Allerdon family forever. Now they can never un-see the web of deceit that surrounds their once idyllic neighborhood.

Once again, Caroline B. Cooney produces a fascinating and spine-chilling novel in NO SUCH PERSON. The readers who are anxiously following Miranda and Lander’s race against the clock to discover the secrets surrounding Denny’s murder are forced to question if they actually know who their harmless neighbors really are. The use of a dual perspective narrative that Cooney crafts from both the thoughts of Miranda and Lander allows the reader to consider multiple sides of the case, as Miranda desperately tries to prove her sister innocent while Lander struggles to comprehend the terms of her imprisonment. The way Cooney develops the psychological mindsets of the sisters is unique, and helps the make the characters seem more realistic. For fans of Cooney’s work or those who enjoy a fast-paced and dangerous novel, NO SUCH PERSON is the perfect summer read. For many, Cooney’s novels represent their childhood, and this novel will continue to introduce a new generation of young readers to the genre of mystery.

Reviewed by Janine C., Teen Board Member on July 21, 2016

No Such Person
by Caroline B. Cooney