Sara Zapata, a reporter in Juarez, Mexico, is determined to find her kidnapped best friend. Her younger brother Emiliano is an entrepreneur on the cusp of success but isn't sure whom to trust. Chapters in this emotional thriller alternate between their perspectives as Stork beautifully explores ties to one's home, Juarez's corruption, the lure of power, and the strength necessary to make change in dangerous circumstances.

Sara Zapata and her brother, Emiliano, do their best to survive with their integrity intact while their beloved Juárez is overrun and endangered by a web of criminals that even involve the police and local government officials.Sara is a journalist who writes about her best friend, Linda, the latest girl kidnapped by the cartels. The heartfelt story sends ripples through the community, and the paper receives grateful letters from the families of other kidnapped girls—and death threats warning her to drop her investigation. Meanwhile, Emiliano is prospering after his foray into petty thefts and subsequent capture ushered him under the wing of Brother Patricio, the leader of his explorer club, the Jiparis, and his soccer coach. Emiliano's a star soccer player and has started a side business selling some Jiparis' artisan crafts to shop owners. Despite this, he's still too poor to date his crush, Perla Rubi, so when he's tempted into the same web of criminals that are coming after Sara and have taken Linda, the pull of wealth and a future with Perla Rubi is stronger than his need to do the right thing. Stork deftly writes criminals who aren't monsters but men who do monstrous things, and while his understanding of Emiliano's coming-of-age is fully engaging, he really impresses with his evocation of Sara's need to navigate the advances of men she knows and doesn't know and the powerful women equally dangerous to her. A tense thriller elevated by Stork's nuanced writing and empathy for every character, including the villains—superb. (Thriller. 12-adult)

Sara Zapata and her brother, Emiliano, do their best to survive with their integrity intact while their beloved Juárez is overrun and endangered by a web of criminals that even involve the police and local government officials.Sara is a journalist who writes about her best friend, Linda, the latest girl kidnapped by the cartels. The heartfelt story sends ripples through the community, and the paper receives grateful letters from the families of other kidnapped girls—and death threats warning her to drop her investigation. Meanwhile, Emiliano is prospering after his foray into petty thefts and subsequent capture ushered him under the wing of Brother Patricio, the leader of his explorer club, the Jiparis, and his soccer coach. Emiliano's a star soccer player and has started a side business selling some Jiparis' artisan crafts to shop owners. Despite this, he's still too poor to date his crush, Perla Rubi, so when he's tempted into the same web of criminals that are coming after Sara and have taken Linda, the pull of wealth and a future with Perla Rubi is stronger than his need to do the right thing. Stork deftly writes criminals who aren't monsters but men who do monstrous things, and while his understanding of Emiliano's coming-of-age is fully engaging, he really impresses with his evocation of Sara's need to navigate the advances of men she knows and doesn't know and the powerful women equally dangerous to her. A tense thriller elevated by Stork's nuanced writing and empathy for every character, including the villains—superb. (Thriller. 12-adult)

Sara Zapata, a young woman forging her way as an investigative journalist for local paper El Sol, is thrust into the world of political corruption and human trafficking. Sara’s best friend, Linda, disappears while walking home. Unfortunately, cartel members snatching girls off the street has become common in Sara’s world, and the investigations by local authorities into the disappearances are lackluster. Often the cases end in tragedy. Sara’s brother Emiliano, a high school soccer star, faces issues of conscience and loyalty. After being caught stealing, Emiliano was taken under the wing of Brother Patricio, leader of the Jiparis, a group dedicated to helping young men in trouble reclaim their lives. Emiliano runs a business selling piñatas and other decorative arts, but he, Sara, and their mother are poor, struggling to survive since Emiliano’s father left them for the United States. Emiliano is in love with fellow student Pearla Rubi, the daughter of a wealthy lawyer. Emiliano must decide if he will use his business for nefarious means to gain favor with Pearla’s father. While investigating Linda’s disappearance, Sara and her family are threatened, leading Sara to wonder whom she can trust. Set in modern-day Juarez, Mexico, Stork’s latest work takes readers deep into the cultural and social landscape of Mexico. The characters are well developed, and the life-altering decisions that shape their lives are well crafted and believable. Right and wrong are not black and white in this world that tests the moral compass of its characters. Recommend this to readers who enjoy an exciting mystery presented in poignant, sensitive writing.—Adrienne Amborski.

Gr 8 Up-ara, a reporter at her Mexican hometown, writes a column in the local newspaper detailing numerous cases of abducted young girls in Cuidad Juárez, including her best friend Linda. When the young woman receives a coded email message hinting at her friend's whereabouts and captors, she investigates further and discovers how deeply the corruption and criminality runs in her city. Her brother, Emiliano, lives a normal life focusing on soccer, his crush Perla Rubi, and a budding artisanal crafts business. He is determined to rescue his mother and sister from the poverty and dangers around them, leading him to accept a lucrative but illicit business deal. Stork's use of alternating perspectives provides insight into the siblings' motivations, and establishes a strong sense of setting as the characters move through a variety of environments. Sara's thread is fast-paced and thrusts the plot forward, while Emiliano's moral and emotional struggles provide complexity. Once the siblings flee to the U.S. to save Sara from the criminals she exposes, her story line recedes and Emiliano becomes the focus. This novel touches on themes like the persecution of journalists, political corruption, and cyber investigations. VERDICT A timely and touching novel that will surely engross fans of true crime stories. This title would be a welcome addition to young adult collections.Jessica Agudelo, New York Public Library

Siblings Sara and Emiliano Zapata live in Juárez, Mexico, where crime, kidnapping, and drugs are regular concerns for them. Through her work as a reporter for a local newspaper, Sara writes profiles of the girls who have gone missing, including her best friend Linda, taken four months earlier. It-s her way of letting the world know that she won-t forget Linda or the others. When Sara receives an encrypted email threatening her life, as well as those of her brother and mother, she decides it-s time to find out who has been taking the girls. Meanwhile, Emiliano, who has been working to build a folk art business, is being slowly pulled into the city-s criminal underbelly because of his desire to win over Perla Rubi, the daughter of a wealthy cartel lawyer. Stork (The Memory of Light) crafts a narrative that is both riveting and eye-opening. Part thriller, part sociological study, the novel sheds light on poverty, corruption, and greed while bringing readers intimately close to the plight of those who illegally cross borders with the hope of a brighter future. Ages 12-up. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group. (Sept.)

Starred Review As a reporter for El Sol newspaper in Juárez, Mexico, Sara tirelessly writes reports on las desaparecidas rls who suddenly vanish from their homes. It's more than just a job: her best friend, Linda, disappeared several months ago. Meanwhile, her younger brother, Emiliano, is hard at work earning what he can from small jobs to help support Sara and their mother. When an opportunity arises to increase his family's finances, he jumps at the chance, only to find out that his dreams of a better life lay in the town's most lucrative industry e drug trade. Both siblings find out how much danger they are in when Sara receives threats on her life that may involve Emiliano's potential business partners. Together, the siblings flee to safety toward the U.S. border. The plight of las desaparecidas is all too real for girls all over Mexico, and Stork does not shy away from the facts of human trafficking, the drug industry, and the senseless violence that accompanies them. Stork uses parallel story lines to flesh out the two protagonists and then slowly brings them together to a harrowing climax. Not only does this result in a riveting story, it also highlights the harsh complexity of young Mexicans' lives. Readers will find this thrilling as well as eye-opening.