Characters are fully drawn and realized, and the destabilizing atmosphere of speculation and uncertainty is well developed.Īfter surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself. How do gender, race, and social class affect public interest and outcry-and the girls’ everyday realities? Questions of sensationalism, art, and censorship also arise. Readers discover who Yin and her classmates are beneath surface appearances and consider the impact of the threat of male violence on the world these young women live in. While the mystery of Yin’s disappearance is a powerful undercurrent, at the center of the novel lies a nuanced exploration of grief, guilt, violence, and resilience.

Hall teases and unravels information deftly and balances the narrative tension with thought-provoking rumination.

In alternating chapters switching between Chloe’s and Natalia’s perspectives, the narrative charts the 79 days of limbo that follow. Each day that passes only spurs more fear and edginess. From Chloe, a biracial (Chinese Singaporean and White Australian) scholarship student who knew Yin from fleeting encounters, to Natalia, a White girl who is a force within the high school hierarchy and Yin’s estranged childhood best friend, the abduction reverberates across the community. When 16-year-old Chinese Australian Yin Mitchell is abducted, the news is devastating, especially for her fellow classmates at Balmoral Ladies College in the Melbourne area. An account of the aftermath of a student’s abduction.

Leanne hall the gaps