Wake Up Missing
Following a traumatic head injury, 12-year-old Cat knows what it’s like to be missing pieces of yourself. Then she’s accepted at I-CAN, a “miracle” treatment center for neurological disorders in the Florida Everglades. Things seem strange right away: the small number of patients (only six), the isolated island facility, the prohibition against cell phones, and the absences and personality changes of those undergoing Phase Three. After overhearing a sinister conversation, Cat and the others do some judicious (though implausibly easy) snooping, where they learn that the miracle cure is a ruse. Instead, the children are to be implanted with the DNA of dead scientific paragons such as Oppenheimer and Edison as part of a modern-day Manhattan Project. Their escape through alligator-infested swamps ahead of hired thugs is suspenseful though ultimately reassuring, as the enemies are punished and the children are saved. An author’s note explains the real science used as a basis for this thriller, which will get kids talking about the role DNA plays in our identities. A smart, safe scare. Grades 5-8. --Krista Hutley