Sixteen-year-old Ebony Jones is devastated when her family moves from
Houston to her grandmother's house in the country. There's absolutely
nothing for Ebony in Alula Lake, Texas. So she thinks.
Award-winning author Liara Tamani's What She Missed is a rich and
emotional novel that celebrates change, nature, friendship, growing up,
and love, for readers of Sarah Dessen's The Rest of the Story and
Elizabeth Acevedo's Clap When You Land.
When Ebony and her parents move from Houston, Texas, to her
grandmother's house in a small lake town, Ebony is sure her life is
doomed. And to make matters worse, the ghost of Ebony's beloved
grandmother--a strong swimmer who tragically drowned in the lake--is
everywhere. Alula Lake does offer one perk: reconnecting Ebony with her
childhood friend, Jalen.
But as Ebony settles into life, she finds herself drifting away from
Jalen and gravitating to his older sister, Lena. Lena is chaotic,
disorderly, and rebellious, yet she offers a reprieve for the anger and
sadness Ebony feels about losing so much.
An ode to nature, art, friendship, history, family, and love, this
lyrical coming-of-age story explores one girl's summer of self-discovery
as she reimagines the world and her place in it. What She Missed is
for fans of Sarah Dessen, Nina LaCour, and Nicola Yoon.
