Gus Green is 15, overweight and has mental health issues stemming from a car accident in which his father died, and which caused debilitating injuries to his mum. Gus’s best friend at school, Shell, is also overweight and is confused about her gender and sexuality. She and Gus bond over true crime podcasts. Gus’s neighbour is another friend, Kane. Unlike Gus and Shell, he’s an athlete, but now hobbled with a long-term knee injury.
While looking through images of past crimes, Gus comes across a digitally aged image of a boy who was kidnapped years before. The photo bears a remarkable resemblance to himself. His parents had always been cagey about Gus’s past, and he wonders if he could be the kidnapped boy. But his parents were normal and boring … the thought that they could be kidnappers seems ludicrous. Gus, however, can’t get the thought out of his head. He, Shell and Kane decide to investigate the case.
They head to the town of Bellata, where the kidnapping occurred, to look for information. Gus finds the now-retired policeman in charge of the investigation, Frank Firelli, discovered the boy’s mother sold weed from home, and that the police had three suspects: the ex-boyfriend, the new lover, and the babysitter. The case depends on specific timelines … and the suspects all have watertight alibis.
The three friends all have missing pieces from their identity. Solving this mystery may go some way to help find their true selves.
Reviewed by Bob Moore
Age Guide 15+
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