#BookReview ‘Have You Seen Me?’ by Alexandrea Weis

About the book…

Lindsey Gillett is missing.

And she’s not the first girl at Waverly High to vanish without a trace.

To help cope with the tragedy, new history teacher Aubrey LaRoux organizes a student investigation team. But when the project’s key members start turning up dead across campus, Aubrey suspects there’s more going on than anyone is willing to admit.

The murdered students all had something in common with Lindsey. They shared a secret. And what they uncovered could threaten the future of the historic school.

At Waverly High, someone wants to keep the past buried—and you don’t want to get in their way.

The first in a new series, ‘Have You Seen Her?’ is the first book which I have read by Alexandrea Weiss and has a tough job to do-it needs to be a satisfying read as a stand alone, but also create enough interest to bring readers back for more.

So, does she succeed?

Absolutely!

It has a cunning blend of mystery and horror, the characters are not annoying teens and are well rounded characters, and it gave off a teen version of The Secret History vibe that kept me flipping the pages until I put it down with a satisfied sigh (well, more accurately, I thrust it in my teen daughter’s face and told her she needed to read it and report back immediately!)

I am so grateful to Jamie-Lee at Black Crow PR for my gifted review copy of this Vesuvian Books published hardcover, it is one of those books which has an undeniable hook, and then weaves a web of magic around you as the world becomes a distant sense of white noise whilst you try and work out what happened to Lindsey.

The small history class-deliberately created  by the 5 pupils closest to Lindsey to get access to Aubrey-the new history teacher who is also an old girl from Waverly High-is determined to trick, cajole, lie and plot to get to the bottom of why their friend has disappeared, even if it puts them at risk.

And then, another girl goes missing…

The headmistress seems more concerned about protecting the school’s reputation than solving the missing girl’s disappearance and I couldn’t understand why the police weren’t involved, until I got that the Sheriff is the closest authority figure they had in New Orleans.

I loved that a back woman was the teacher and faced her own experiences of being bullied as well as the horrific past that remains unaddressed in American history-the description of the sugar mill on the school property and how the plantation would have work sent chills down my spine.

Adding in the subjugation of the local indigenous population, the creepy atmosphere of the school and Aubrey’s determination to uncover the resting place of  decades long, missing girls, the subplot of Aubrey’s personal quest to find herself, and the responsibility she has to her pupils, and you get a gripping, engaging mystery which does not talk down to the reader or speak as she thinks teens speak .

I definitely felt that this was a rounded story with a satisfying conclusion, enough jumps to make you believe in hauntings and atmosphere for days. Cannot wait for more!

About the author…

Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Having been brought up in the motion picture industry, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight.

Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.

Links-http://www.alexandreaweis.com/

Twitter @VesuvianMedia @BlackCrow_PR @alexandreaweis