The Second Life of Ava Rivers

June 11, 2018
Almost 12 years earlier, Vera’s family was shattered when Ava, Vera’s six-year-old fraternal twin sister, disappeared. Since then, Vera’s parents have been distant and she keeps to herself at school. But everything abruptly changes when Ava, who has been imprisoned by a kidnapper for more than a decade, is found and returns home. Now, Vera’s mother and father begin to act like parents again; her estranged older brother (who, like the rest of the family, blamed himself for Ava’s disappearance) comes for visits; and Ava’s childhood friend, Max, is back in their lives. Still, there are unanswered questions: Why doesn’t Ava remember her childhood? And why is she reluctant to give information about her kidnapper, whose whereabouts are unknown? Gardner (Perdita) shows compassion as she delves into Vera’s emotions and Ava’s complicated sensibility while making potentially sensational subject matter seem plausible. Fans of The Face on the Milk Carton and Room will revel in the book’s generous supply of suspense, and although readers may separate truth from lies long before the characters do, they will stay anxiously glued to the pages. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Anderson-Wheeler, Regal Hoffmann and Assoc.

June 15, 2018
A teen girl's life is turned upside down when her missing twin reappears after 12 years.Ava Rivers, the blonde fraternal twin of auburn-haired Vera, went missing one Halloween night, fracturing her otherwise harmonious family. After Ava's disappearance, the girls' brother, Elliott, spends his days living a drug-fueled and rather aimless life; their father quits his job and moves into the family basement, chain-smoking and scouring the Internet for leads about Ava; and their perfectly polished mother crams her days full of high-profile philanthropic events. Wonderfully snarky-voiced Vera is counting the days until she can move from her stifling home in laid-back Berkeley to attend college in Portland, Oregon. However, when Ava suddenly comes back, the Rivers' lives are seemingly put on hold. Ava's return brings about many changes for Vera--she defers college; rekindles a relationship with Max, Ava's African-American childhood best friend; and eventually pulls her family back together--but she struggles to familiarize herself with a person who is both a stranger and an intrinsic part of herself. An unconventional take on the well-trod subject of kidnapping, Gardner's (Perdita, 2015, etc.) clever offering features a surprising twist and should leave readers ruminating over what truly defines family. Vera is bisexual (as is her male love interest), and she and her sister are multiracial (white father, half Iranian/half Mexican mother).A deftly written examination of familial relationships, trauma, and post-adolescence. (Fiction. 14-adult)

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July 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-When Vera Rivers was six years old, her twin sister, Ava, disappeared on Halloween night. Vera has spent the past 12 years drifting through life with her troubled family. She is only days away from finally escaping the mournful gloom to college when a girl turns up at a local hospital-a girl who is believed to be Ava. Vera decides to stay and help her deal with the trauma of her captivity and reestablish their bond. However, the truth about what happened to Ava will change Vera's world yet again. Gardner's snappy style works well with the spot-on pacing, and the details of the Berkeley setting adds to the story. Unfortunately, the characters lack the same thoughtful consideration, each having only a single defining characteristic. Mom is busy, Dad is agoraphobic, Vera's brother, Elliot, is troubled, and everyone's problems-including Elliot's addiction-just fall away once Ava rejoins the family. Readers know that Ava was held captive and assaulted, but details beyond that are sparse and not graphic. While most will happily suspend disbelief for the kidnapping narrative, they may find the final twist and the family's mild reactions to it improbable. VERDICT Despite its weaknesses, the missing-girl narrative has enduring popularity and its momentum will keep even casual readers turning pages.-Elizabeth Saxton, Tiffin, OH

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Gardner (Perdita, 2015) has crafted an elegant novel with themes of trauma, loss, and forgiveness at its heart. A heavy layer of mystery covers the story, forcing a sense of unease on the reader and making it difficult to place the novel in any one genre. It also keeps readers on their toes, mimicking the way that Vera and her family feel. As young children, Vera was her twin sister's foil. Now, she's defined by her twin sister's absence. Ava Rivers was abducted on Halloween when the girls were six. Since then, Vera's parents have never given up hope that their daughter might come back. When Ava suddenly does resurface, everyone has to adjust to the miracle. But there's something that feels off about Ava's return. Gardner drops subtle clues throughout the story, but the real pull of this novel lies in Vera's empathetic but frank perspective: The very question of who she is seems to have stirred an equal and opposite reactionary question in me. Who am I? Gardner's unforgettable voice blends Jodi Picoult's emotional, ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling with Mindy McGinnis' unflinchingly honest protagonists. Gardner's gorgeous language and the atmospheric tone makes this a well-crafted, genre-defying story that deserves a wide readership.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Vera has been sleepwalking through life since her twin sister Ava disappeared a dozen years ago from their Northern California hometown. Just as Vera is ready to start anew at college, Ava reappears, offering a chance for family healing even as questions about Ava's past remain. Lack of character depth and a plot that at times strains credulity mar this otherwise engrossing suspense novel.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)