The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan

by Gia Cribbs

Overview

No one wants me to tell you about the disappearance of Sloane Sullivan.

Not the lawyers or the cops. Not her friends or family. Not even the boy who loved her more than anyone. And most certainly not the United States Marshals Service. You know, the people who run the witness protection program or, as it’s officially called, the Witness Security Program? Yeah, the WITSEC folks definitely don’t want me talking to you.

But I don’t care. I have to tell someone.

If I don’t, you’ll never know how completely wrong things can go. How a single decision can change everything. How, when it really comes down to it, you can’t trust anyone. Not even yourself. You have to understand, so it won’t happen to you next. Because you never know when the person sitting next to you isn’t who they claim to be…and because there are worse things than disappearing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335015372
Publisher:	Harlequin
Publication date:	05/29/2018
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	1,170,440
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.50(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

Editorial Reviews

03/19/2018
In Cribb’s intricately plotted debut thriller, high-school senior Sloane Sullivan (her 19th identity) has been in the Witness Protection Program for almost 6 years, after witnessing a violent crime. Her minder, Agent Markham, whom she calls Mark, has taken care of her through both her mother’s murder and her father’s eventual suicide. She’s ready to get out of the program and move on with her life. Staying anonymous, however, seems like a tall order after she runs into her childhood best friend, Jason Thomas. Sloane just wants to be normal, but her past is catching up with her, placing everyone she cares about in harm’s way. Cribbs draws an effective portrait of a young woman forced to make unusual and mature choices while navigating the more conventional stresses of teen life, and Sloane is a smart, savvy narrator. The tension increases exponentially in the second half, when events force Sloane to put the disparate pieces of her past together, resulting in stunning revelations. Just when it seems that a resolution is in sight, more surprises build to an explosive, satisfying finale. Ages 12–18. Agent: Steven Salpeter, Curtis Brown. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Cribbs excels at depicting complicated relationships and vulnerable characters. A solid beach read filled with love triangles and high stakes." -Kirkus

"The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan is a rollercoaster ride that doesn't stop spinning until the final pages. With complex characters, smartly paced scenes, and a thrilling conclusion, this book has everything I look for in a mystery novel. A riveting and entertaining read." -Paula Stokes, author of Liars, Inc.

"A riveting debut that keeps you guessing until the final page!" -# 1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

"[An] intricately plotted debut thriller... Just when it seems that a resolution is in sight, more surprises build to an explosive, satisfying finale."-Publishers Weekly

"This thriller is high on swoon and red herrings...a satisfying payoff." -Booklist

From the Publisher

04/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—Now, almost six years after entering the Witness Security Program, Sloane Sullivan is on her 19th name. She is determined that this identity will be her last: she will graduate high school, head to college, and officially start her life as Sloane Sullivan. All her plans are threatened when she finds Jason, her best childhood friend, at her new high school. Sloane starts breaking rules to protect her new identity while daring to get close to the boy she's always loved, all while attempting to discover the truth hidden in her past. This debut novel ambitiously combines elements of a character study, crime thriller, romance, and teen drama. Sloane's flashbacks and exposition provide character development, while her reactions to everyday high school drama feel authentic. Discerning readers will detect the suspicious nature of one of her relationships and will recognize this novel as a thriller early on, but others may not realize it until the second half. The story includes conversations about consent and power dynamics in romantic relationships. However, the few other female characters come across as one-dimensional plot devices, and Sloane's unhealthy reaction to a toxic relationship, though questioned by other characters, is not explored in real depth. While some may find these issues problematic, others will be too swept away by the intricate suspense and romance to notice. VERDICT Recommend this page-turning romantic thriller to fans of Ally Carter's "Embassy Row" series or Cherie Priest's I Am Princess X.—Elizabeth Lovsin, Deerfield Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

2018-03-05
A girl on the run unexpectedly encounters a familiar face in this debut thriller.Unable to remember details of the mob hit she witnessed six years earlier, high school senior Sloane Sullivan has changed her name 19 times so far—and learned to break free, blend in, and cut ties. Her parents are dead, but her guardian has kept her safe…until now. Newly arrived in North Carolina, Sloane just wants to finish high school, go to college, and escape both the witness protection program and the gangsters who want her dead, but when she discovers one of her new classmates is her childhood best friend and first love, black-haired, blue-eyed Jason Thomas, the chance to rekindle their romance makes Sloane reckless. Inevitably, Sloane (originally blonde and green-eyed) also attracts the amorous attentions of redheaded Sawyer and green-eyed, ethnically ambiguous Oliver—and the wrath of their ex-girlfriends. Having spent so much time assuming new identities, Sloane is nebulous as a character; her emotional journey is vivid but her history is vague. While there are enough twists to fill the Lifetime movie this novel resembles, and the marriage of torrid teen melodrama and an admittedly unrealistic crime story produces absurd (if action-packed) results, Cribbs excels at depicting complicated relationships and vulnerable characters.A solid beach read filled with love triangles and high stakes. (Thriller. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews