This review contains some spoilers!
Meet Iris Blackthorn: amateur detective, misfit and justice seeker. Following her sister's disappearance the previous year, Iris carries out her own investigation, yielding nothing except for a warning from the police: any more sleuthing once she turns eighteen will land her in jail. Then Iris's ex-girlfriend, Heather, is declared missing; this time, Iris is determined not to let anything get in the way of her and her sapphic detective agency discovering the truth. With detectives keeping a close watch, an old-foe-turned-friend-turned-something-more and one month before her eighteenth birthday, will Iris solve the most perilous case she has ever faced?
I first discovered 'How To Find A Missing Girl' in the YA section of Waterstones, and I was completely drawn in from the start. The combination of a detective agency, LGBTQ+ protagonists and a focus on righting the systematic injustices done to women made the premise so appealing to me, and the book's content did not let me down! 'How To Find A Missing Girl' is now my favourite YA thriller I have ever read; the themes, characters and setting have all stayed with me since finishing the book, and I think it is a really important read in the YA thriller canon.
One of the main reasons that the book worked so well for me was because of the themes it discussed. Heather's true crime podcast surrounding Stella's disappearance really epitomises the ideas of sensationalism and voyeurism when it comes to crime, especially crimes against women. As Hillwood is a small town, no one is short of opinions to contribute to this podcast expose of the 'real' Stella Blackthorn. When juxtaposed with Iris's feelings of betrayal and disgust towards the podcast, you as the reader get a polarising insight into just how much our own curiosities and desire to sensationalise distressing events detract from the pursuit of truth and justice.
Reputation is quite a big theme in the book, which exposes misogyny and the abuse of power whilst respecting the female victims as people, who are never solely reduced to the things which were done to them. The dynamic of the small town really highlighted for me the societal pressures on (especially) young women to be perfect and subservient; the book also exposes the narrative of blame and vilification around at-risk missing women. 'How To Find A Missing Girl' really brings to the fore the tendency that society has to look to find fault within the missing young woman's behaviour and personality as a reason for why she disappeared, rather than focusing on her as a vulnerable person in need of help. The book makes the concept really accessible and visceral by focusing on the emotional impact on the missing women's families; it made the disgust and heart-break that I felt at the lack of action to find the women even more vivid, without the narrative feeling too dark simply to prove a point.
Ultimately, Iris's love for those around her is the reason that the truth gets uncovered; she puts her life on the line to honour and protect those she loves, and Stella and Heather's love for Iris, even if sometimes misplaced, fuses with Iris's drive to justice in the most profound and beautiful way. Iris holds the answers she needs within her, a deeply emotional metaphor which for me tied into wider ideas of self-worth and validation, particularly the dichotomies of Iris being the living yet lesser sister. The book definitely feels like a celebration of love and human connection, despite its dark themes.
I enjoyed learning more about the setting of Louisiana, as it's not a place I'm familiar with, but I loved how the Bayou in particular becomes another character in and of itself, for me it really reflected and emphasised the deep emotional turmoil and tension of the scenes in such a creepy way!
Another reason this book worked so well for me was Iris's first person voice as a narrator; particularly in the opening chapters, it feels as though Iris is talking to you as a reader- I felt like an honourary fourth member of the agency, which hooked me in even more. I loved Iris's descriptions of the other characters- her internal dialogue revolves around idiosyncrasies and emotional connections with the other protagonists, giving the book much more gravitas than your typical YA novel and bringing the characters to life without much effort needed on the part of the reader.
The characters were so well crafted; as an autistic person, I sometimes struggle to visualise characters, yet in 'How To Find A Missing Girl' I could immediately conjure up images of Sammy's bright clothing and Iris's omnipresent black longcoat. I felt like I already knew each member of the agency despite their shared history- the group dynamic between them was so fun and authentic to read, I loved spending time with them all.
The relationship between Iris and Lea, budding journalist and old enemy turned girlfriend really stood out to me. I'm not usually a fan of romance as a secondary plotline in crime novels, however I really connected with this storyline and for me, it added to the overall poignancy of the book.
Perhaps due to Iris's pansexual identity, the romance feels much more profound and emotionally driven, far removed from the lustful flirtation often seen in YA fiction; their love story becomes centred around both girls finding their purposes, places and best selves through one another, which I found really moving. I also liked that the barriers to them being together didn't come from the fact that they are both girls, another element of the book which felt really needed and refreshing.
Overall, if you're looking for a pacy, page-turning thriller full of high stakes, twists you couldn't see coming and powerful societal comments, then this is the book for you! You won't regret joining Iris and her agency as they uncover the truth in this heart-breaking, feminist and thrilling debut novel. I can't wait to read more of Victoria Wlosok's writing in the future, as I think she is a really talented new voice in YA crime fiction.
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