Being a teenager means sometimes wanting to get as far away from your parents as possible…but it also means realizing how much you need them. After all, they may not be the coolest humans, but they’re the ones that always have your back. If your parent were to go missing, you’d want to find them right? In Tom Levine’s Hellworld, Abby finds herself in just that situation. Five years ago, Abby Booth’s mom, cohost of a ghost hunting reality show, went missing while filming in a ‘haunted’ cave in Arizona. Now she’s determined to go back to the cave and find out, once and for all, what really happened to her mom.
If you’re intrigued and want to know more about Abby’s story, we’re featuring an extended excerpt of Hellworld through April 3rd. Go check it out! If you finish that and find yourself itching for more of the parent-searching narrative (or if you feel like you could use some reads that will help you appreciate your parents more), you’re in luck! I’ve compiled a list of books with protagonists who are missing (in a variety of ways) a parent. Happy reading!