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Missing
Perfect for fans of hit YA thrillers like Amanda Panitch’s Never Missing, Never Found and Natasha Preston’s The Cellar , Amy Kulp’s Missing is a visceral, dark, and suspenseful thriller that dives into the life of a teenage girl who is betrayed and forced into the horrifying underground world of human trafficking. Everything in Emily’s life becomes far from typical when she is betrayed, kidnapped, and thrown into every girl’s worst nightmare. Now, she is a captive to the gruesome and savage whims of an underground human trafficking ring – one that prides itself in breaking women down to husks of their former selves through any means necessary. Emily tries her hardest to put up a good fight, but her captors are sickeningly creative in their methods of subduing her. Before she knows it, they try to brainwash her into believing her name is “Y,” and they are more than happy to leverage physical and psychological torture to strip her of her identity and fracture her mind beyond repair. Is there any hope for escape, or will Emily become a pawn in her kidnappers’ plot to terrorize more innocent victims? Missing is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for a raw and gritty YA thriller that looks into the world of human trafficking and abuse, then click “Add to Cart” today!
- GenresMystery ThrillerThriller
Paperback
Published March 1, 2023
5 people are currently reading
10230 people want to read
About the author
Amy Kulp
4 books66 followersAmy Kulp is a middle school STEM teacher and theatre director with a passion for writing novels that break YA genre norms. An avid reader and writer since childhood, Kulp now enjoys creating stories that investigate darker, more challenging topics and help young adult readers feel less alone in their struggles. She is especially passionate about championing sexual assault survivor justice, promoting LGBTQ+ rights, and lessening negative stigmas around psychotherapy. When she isn’t writing, Amy Kulp loves watching cartoons recommended by her students. Check out her newest YA
thriller, Missing, today!
thriller, Missing, today!
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 31, 2025
This was an ebook giveaway winner - I kept going back and forth with my rating, chose 4 instead of 3.5 based off of the fact this book did have me hooked, even though the ending went in a completely different direction then I had figured out. All in all I ended up really enjoying this read.
Poor Emily missing all the red flags 🚩
But it does look like in goodreads that there may be a book 2? So we will have to see…
April 24, 2023
Emily is your typical girl next door who is betrayed by people she thought she trusted. Kidnapped and then tortured by a human trafficking ring bent on breaking her, Emily vows never to forget who she is and where she came from. But can Emily hold onto her sense of self? Or will she be broken down and then built back up into a monster who works for the ring?
When I first read the blurb for Missing, I knew what I was getting into, reading-wise. But, for some reason, I thought it would be a more dumbed-down version of a human trafficking story. Heads up, it is not. This book is a brutal look into how a human trafficking ring operates and what the victims go through while they are being broken. It is raw, and it is ugly.
What scared me the most about this book was that the author had teenagers befriend (and, in one case, date) Emily to kidnap her. It is scary, but I can see this happening. Several adults in this book who Emily was familiar with held positions where kids would trust them. Again, it was something that I could see happening. But at the same time, the author gave this book a sort of a fever dreamish type of reality. The teenagers that helped with Emily’s kidnapping she grew up with. So either they were kidnapped and trafficked with the sole purpose of luring girls, or Emily imagined it. I couldn’t make up my mind while reading.
There are trigger warnings in Missing. Oh boy, there are trigger warnings. They are
Kidnapping: Emily is kidnapped, in broad daylight, by a human trafficking ring. Several other children and adults are in the van(s) with her.
Grooming: Emily is groomed by Miguel during the first few chapters, with Chad doing additional grooming when Miguel isn’t there.
Racism: Off page, but Emily’s father was racist. She commented that he wouldn’t like Miguel because he was Hispanic.
Abuse: Emily is horrifically abused while being broken down. She is abused physically, mentally, psychologically, and verbally. Thankfully, she wasn’t sexually because her virginity was viewed as an asset.
Fat Shaming: Chad comments about Emily’s weight as part of her grooming.
Low Self-Esteem: Emily suffers from very low self-esteem at the beginning of the book.
Human Trafficking: For 80% of the book, Emily is imprisoned by a human trafficking ring. There are other children and adults in the processing center (for lack of a better term) with her.
Torture: As part of the ring trying to break Emily, they torture her, and the more she resists, the more they torture her.
Blood: A lot of blood is shown on page after Emily is kidnapped. Once she proves difficult, the kidnappers feel they have no choice but to beat her until she bleeds.
Drugging: Emily is drugged constantly throughout the book. I believe that she is continuously roofied.
If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading this book.
The characters in Missing were not made to be liked. Except for Emily, they were shown as vile human beings they were. I got sick when I realized what was happening (it was when Miguel and Emily were hiding in her house). As for Emily, I was rooting for her not to forget herself (and become “Y”) and for her to escape. I wanted to see that slightly awkward, sweet girl shown at the book’s beginning again.
The main storyline centered on Emily, her kidnapping by the ring, and the crew trying to break her. The storyline was well written and kept me, unwillingly at times, in its grip. I was rooting for Emily to escape, beat the odds, and return to her family.
While this book is technically a YA thriller, I would be hesitant to let anyone under 16 read it. Heck, my hesitation extends to 18. While this book needs to be read, there should be discussions about human trafficking and what those people go through after each chapter. I had a similar conversation with my mother when I read Don’t Ask Alice as a teenager.
The end of Missing broke my heart. It was not a happy ending for any of the characters. And that’s all I am going to say about it. Reading the book to understand what I mean would be best.
I would recommend Missing to anyone over 21. There are language, violence, and sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warning list.
Many thanks to Amy Kulp and Novel Cause for allowing me to read and review Missing. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
When I first read the blurb for Missing, I knew what I was getting into, reading-wise. But, for some reason, I thought it would be a more dumbed-down version of a human trafficking story. Heads up, it is not. This book is a brutal look into how a human trafficking ring operates and what the victims go through while they are being broken. It is raw, and it is ugly.
What scared me the most about this book was that the author had teenagers befriend (and, in one case, date) Emily to kidnap her. It is scary, but I can see this happening. Several adults in this book who Emily was familiar with held positions where kids would trust them. Again, it was something that I could see happening. But at the same time, the author gave this book a sort of a fever dreamish type of reality. The teenagers that helped with Emily’s kidnapping she grew up with. So either they were kidnapped and trafficked with the sole purpose of luring girls, or Emily imagined it. I couldn’t make up my mind while reading.
There are trigger warnings in Missing. Oh boy, there are trigger warnings. They are
Kidnapping: Emily is kidnapped, in broad daylight, by a human trafficking ring. Several other children and adults are in the van(s) with her.
Grooming: Emily is groomed by Miguel during the first few chapters, with Chad doing additional grooming when Miguel isn’t there.
Racism: Off page, but Emily’s father was racist. She commented that he wouldn’t like Miguel because he was Hispanic.
Abuse: Emily is horrifically abused while being broken down. She is abused physically, mentally, psychologically, and verbally. Thankfully, she wasn’t sexually because her virginity was viewed as an asset.
Fat Shaming: Chad comments about Emily’s weight as part of her grooming.
Low Self-Esteem: Emily suffers from very low self-esteem at the beginning of the book.
Human Trafficking: For 80% of the book, Emily is imprisoned by a human trafficking ring. There are other children and adults in the processing center (for lack of a better term) with her.
Torture: As part of the ring trying to break Emily, they torture her, and the more she resists, the more they torture her.
Blood: A lot of blood is shown on page after Emily is kidnapped. Once she proves difficult, the kidnappers feel they have no choice but to beat her until she bleeds.
Drugging: Emily is drugged constantly throughout the book. I believe that she is continuously roofied.
If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading this book.
The characters in Missing were not made to be liked. Except for Emily, they were shown as vile human beings they were. I got sick when I realized what was happening (it was when Miguel and Emily were hiding in her house). As for Emily, I was rooting for her not to forget herself (and become “Y”) and for her to escape. I wanted to see that slightly awkward, sweet girl shown at the book’s beginning again.
The main storyline centered on Emily, her kidnapping by the ring, and the crew trying to break her. The storyline was well written and kept me, unwillingly at times, in its grip. I was rooting for Emily to escape, beat the odds, and return to her family.
While this book is technically a YA thriller, I would be hesitant to let anyone under 16 read it. Heck, my hesitation extends to 18. While this book needs to be read, there should be discussions about human trafficking and what those people go through after each chapter. I had a similar conversation with my mother when I read Don’t Ask Alice as a teenager.
The end of Missing broke my heart. It was not a happy ending for any of the characters. And that’s all I am going to say about it. Reading the book to understand what I mean would be best.
I would recommend Missing to anyone over 21. There are language, violence, and sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warning list.
Many thanks to Amy Kulp and Novel Cause for allowing me to read and review Missing. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
April 20, 2023
The seemingly ordinary life of a teenage girl is horrifically upended after she placed her trust in the wrong person and is betrayed in Amy Kulp’s Missing.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Emily’s life in her small town has been fairly typical: she goes to school, plays soccer, and has a boyfriend, Chad, who’s on the football team. But when a new student, Miguel, arrives, things begin to get a little strange and Emily questions what she believes to be real. With more intense attention from Chad, Emily thinks that he must be jealous of Miguel’s apparent interest in her but as Miguel finds ways to insert himself in Emily’s life whether she wants him there or not; when she thinks that Chad has cheated on her the cautious trust she places in Miguel is quickly betrayed when she’s kidnapped. While being taken between locations, Emily is determined to hold on to her identity and find a way to escape, putting up a fight against her captors that brings bodily and psychological harm upon her. As the torture persists Emily’s grasp on her identity slowly slips away and her memory becomes fuzzier, with the brainwashing sinking in deeper as she now believes her name to be Y. Once this happens, she’s deemed ready for events that will determine her future, but will she manage to escape to recover some sliver of her former life, or will she be destined to become part of this sick trafficking ring?
With a disturbingly intriguing and haunting premise that explores a difficult and heavy topic, the story begins slowly while building out Emily’s perception of the world around her, and her place in it, and how it begins to morph as a result of manipulations from those close to her that soon transitions focus and draws readers into the psychological games she endures throughout her horrific experience of repeated demoralizing, dehumanizing, and violent actions meant to encourage obedient behavior to fall in line with expectations of the leader of a long-functioning human trafficking ring. There’s a haziness to the timeline and some events, which as depicted from Emily’s POV would be expected having been cut off from the outside world and tortured, but there are some inconsistencies with injuries received or her clothing status and subsequent movement or descriptions that creates a moment of questioning pause while reading that dispels some of the engrossment that’s been built. Emily exhibits a fighting spirit that’s easy to root for, and her inquisitive mind raises questions that readers are also likely to wonder about, such as some practical logistics including how many people are involved from within this repeatedly noted small town and how they have the resources and influence to infiltrate the lives of unsuspecting people without arousing suspicion, and as her perspective limits the narrative’s scope of available knowledge, answers are kept from readers until a point where Emily might have learned them, though there are those that remain unaddressed, especially with the openness to the conclusion offered.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
If you’re interested in winning a Kindle copy of this book, there’s currently a giveaway running on Goodreads through the end of April.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Emily’s life in her small town has been fairly typical: she goes to school, plays soccer, and has a boyfriend, Chad, who’s on the football team. But when a new student, Miguel, arrives, things begin to get a little strange and Emily questions what she believes to be real. With more intense attention from Chad, Emily thinks that he must be jealous of Miguel’s apparent interest in her but as Miguel finds ways to insert himself in Emily’s life whether she wants him there or not; when she thinks that Chad has cheated on her the cautious trust she places in Miguel is quickly betrayed when she’s kidnapped. While being taken between locations, Emily is determined to hold on to her identity and find a way to escape, putting up a fight against her captors that brings bodily and psychological harm upon her. As the torture persists Emily’s grasp on her identity slowly slips away and her memory becomes fuzzier, with the brainwashing sinking in deeper as she now believes her name to be Y. Once this happens, she’s deemed ready for events that will determine her future, but will she manage to escape to recover some sliver of her former life, or will she be destined to become part of this sick trafficking ring?
With a disturbingly intriguing and haunting premise that explores a difficult and heavy topic, the story begins slowly while building out Emily’s perception of the world around her, and her place in it, and how it begins to morph as a result of manipulations from those close to her that soon transitions focus and draws readers into the psychological games she endures throughout her horrific experience of repeated demoralizing, dehumanizing, and violent actions meant to encourage obedient behavior to fall in line with expectations of the leader of a long-functioning human trafficking ring. There’s a haziness to the timeline and some events, which as depicted from Emily’s POV would be expected having been cut off from the outside world and tortured, but there are some inconsistencies with injuries received or her clothing status and subsequent movement or descriptions that creates a moment of questioning pause while reading that dispels some of the engrossment that’s been built. Emily exhibits a fighting spirit that’s easy to root for, and her inquisitive mind raises questions that readers are also likely to wonder about, such as some practical logistics including how many people are involved from within this repeatedly noted small town and how they have the resources and influence to infiltrate the lives of unsuspecting people without arousing suspicion, and as her perspective limits the narrative’s scope of available knowledge, answers are kept from readers until a point where Emily might have learned them, though there are those that remain unaddressed, especially with the openness to the conclusion offered.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
If you’re interested in winning a Kindle copy of this book, there’s currently a giveaway running on Goodreads through the end of April.
March 15, 2024
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Missing
Author: Amy Kulp
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 6/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
9 would read another book by this author.
8 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
11 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
9 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“This is a gritty story of a girl who’s kidnapped and forced into human slavery. It’s possibly a bit too gritty for me. I would recommend it to older teenagers who understand the content is a bit, well, horrible. Saying that, I loved Emily. She’s a fighter!” Girl, aged 15
“This novel is full of suspense, which I LOVED! But it’s very, VERY dark. Trust me when I say, my mother would not be a fan of this book. But I enjoyed it – although ‘enjoyed’ might not be the correct word. I did find it compelling to see if Emily would break or not. That’s the best part of the book.” Boy, aged 15
“Slow start then BAM! A good book for showing teenagers, particularly girls, how dangerous the world can be. Tightly written, lots of suspense, possibly not for the school library. It reminded me a bit of the film Taken which I also liked.” Girl, aged 16
“Too scary for me, but other teenagers would enjoy it.” Girl, aged 14
“Character focused novel. The best word to describe it is ‘chilling’. I think the author was brave to write this for teenagers; I like brave authors.” Girl, aged 15
To Sum It Up:
‘A gritty novel for older YA with a strong protagonist to root for.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Missing
Author: Amy Kulp
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 6/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
9 would read another book by this author.
8 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
11 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
9 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“This is a gritty story of a girl who’s kidnapped and forced into human slavery. It’s possibly a bit too gritty for me. I would recommend it to older teenagers who understand the content is a bit, well, horrible. Saying that, I loved Emily. She’s a fighter!” Girl, aged 15
“This novel is full of suspense, which I LOVED! But it’s very, VERY dark. Trust me when I say, my mother would not be a fan of this book. But I enjoyed it – although ‘enjoyed’ might not be the correct word. I did find it compelling to see if Emily would break or not. That’s the best part of the book.” Boy, aged 15
“Slow start then BAM! A good book for showing teenagers, particularly girls, how dangerous the world can be. Tightly written, lots of suspense, possibly not for the school library. It reminded me a bit of the film Taken which I also liked.” Girl, aged 16
“Too scary for me, but other teenagers would enjoy it.” Girl, aged 14
“Character focused novel. The best word to describe it is ‘chilling’. I think the author was brave to write this for teenagers; I like brave authors.” Girl, aged 15
To Sum It Up:
‘A gritty novel for older YA with a strong protagonist to root for.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
June 23, 2023
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
After I read the synopsis I knew I had to read it! The book centers around human trafficking and is brutal and horrific, but oh so good! It really opened my eyes to realize how easily kids and young adults put their trust in others, and it is scary to think about how that trust can be used and manipulated by the other person. This book is scary in the fact that things like this could actually happen. The characters were so well developed, and the author made them highly unlikeable (but that was the point), except for the main character, Emily, who I adored and was rooting for the entire time. The book does start off a bit slow, but I believe that was for the author to shed some light on the characters and slowly build up the intensity, and boy when it finally picks up pace it really takes you on a wild ride! This book was tense, suspenseful, emotional, horrific, dangerous, and a bit dark. The ending absolutely shattered my heart into pieces
⚠️TW: kidnapping, abuse, torture, human trafficking, mental health.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞?
If you go into this one knowing there are some major TW, I think that many people will enjoy this one! I typically do not read YA, and although this is categorized as a YA thriller I would say that the content is more mature and that many thriller and suspense genre readers will enjoy this one!
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5
Thanks so much to the author for sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review!🤗
After I read the synopsis I knew I had to read it! The book centers around human trafficking and is brutal and horrific, but oh so good! It really opened my eyes to realize how easily kids and young adults put their trust in others, and it is scary to think about how that trust can be used and manipulated by the other person. This book is scary in the fact that things like this could actually happen. The characters were so well developed, and the author made them highly unlikeable (but that was the point), except for the main character, Emily, who I adored and was rooting for the entire time. The book does start off a bit slow, but I believe that was for the author to shed some light on the characters and slowly build up the intensity, and boy when it finally picks up pace it really takes you on a wild ride! This book was tense, suspenseful, emotional, horrific, dangerous, and a bit dark. The ending absolutely shattered my heart into pieces
⚠️TW: kidnapping, abuse, torture, human trafficking, mental health.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞?
If you go into this one knowing there are some major TW, I think that many people will enjoy this one! I typically do not read YA, and although this is categorized as a YA thriller I would say that the content is more mature and that many thriller and suspense genre readers will enjoy this one!
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5
Thanks so much to the author for sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review!🤗
June 14, 2023
The author is my friend and I was given the book for an honest review.
The beginning is slow. The book needs to build the characters and the protagonist so we actually get upset when she gets kidnapped and so we feel shocked/excited when we predict some things that happen. I did reread the beginning because of some the SMALL, SMALL details that are mentioned in the beginning become a HUGE deal later on.
The climax and the interesting stuff happens after she gets kidnapped. I am absolutely hooked and then you stay hooked until the very end. It kind of gives love-triangle vibes of who Emily should trust and when she picks someone, you expect her to pick the right person... WRONG.
I really want a sequel. I will be reading her other book as well.
The beginning is slow. The book needs to build the characters and the protagonist so we actually get upset when she gets kidnapped and so we feel shocked/excited when we predict some things that happen. I did reread the beginning because of some the SMALL, SMALL details that are mentioned in the beginning become a HUGE deal later on.
The climax and the interesting stuff happens after she gets kidnapped. I am absolutely hooked and then you stay hooked until the very end. It kind of gives love-triangle vibes of who Emily should trust and when she picks someone, you expect her to pick the right person... WRONG.
I really want a sequel. I will be reading her other book as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2023
I don't usually post reviews nor do I really read this genre - I prefer more fun reads. This book is underrated. It starts out slow with great character building. Almost every person you meet is relevant in this book, but some of them you won't realize until later. I recommend this for older audiences despite it being targeted toward YA. It was fascinating to read and picked up really fast. I was hooked once all of the action started. I may try to read more thrillers/suspense novels if this is what it feels like - I was excited to turn the page and sometimes, my eyes skipped because I wanted to read as much as I could.
I'm a fan of this author!
I'm a fan of this author!
May 1, 2023
I surprisingly loved it! The beginning started out slow but once you got into the action, I couldn't put it down! There would be something emphasized in one chapter that you'd forget until it was brought up in a different chapter. Multiple times I had to look back to make sure it was mentioned. Sometimes I figured out what was happening next and got excited.
It is a bit darker than I anticipated but my heart was racing as I read some of it. It kicked me back into reading after months of nothing.
It is a bit darker than I anticipated but my heart was racing as I read some of it. It kicked me back into reading after months of nothing.
July 21, 2023
All of these other reviews pretty much think what I think - this is really dark for a YA novel. However, if it was an adult novel, it would have been much gorier. I loved Emily and I hated Chad. I was rooting for Miguel about half way in the book. It picked up nicely halfway through and I couldnt' put it down.
August 3, 2023
Emily is a high school senior who gets caught up in something no one wants to be in. She’s is strong willed girl and I loved seeing the fight she has. This story as a lot of gaslighting and you don’t know who to trust. I was with Emily trying to figure out what was real. Even though the book is 358 pages it was a quick read because I didn’t want to put it down.
August 14, 2023
I saw this book from one of my favorite bloggers. I loved Emily's storyline and even loved it in the beginning. Seeing how many little hints that the author gives in the beginning is satisfying to figure out who all is involved. I'm hoping there is going to be another book because that ending was AGGRAVATING.
May 4, 2023
For a YA book, it sure is dark. I like it though!
September 4, 2023
I know quite a bit about human trafficking from my trainings and volunteer work, so when the author reached out for a review, I was very intrigued despite YA novels not usually being my favorite. Overall, there was a lot I enjoyed. The cover is great. The author did not shy away from trying to portray the horrors of sex trafficking and I liked that the ending was not at all what I was expecting. I struggled a bit with the writing style as it was more telling than showing. I also found Emily’s innocence and naïveté very unbelievable for a high schooler. She came across as much younger than she actually was.
Ultimately, I liked the book, but my rating ends up in the middle because I feel the things I liked and the things I didn’t balanced out. Again, I’m not usually a big fan of YA so take my opinions with a grain of salt as there are a lot of great reviews for this book.
Ultimately, I liked the book, but my rating ends up in the middle because I feel the things I liked and the things I didn’t balanced out. Again, I’m not usually a big fan of YA so take my opinions with a grain of salt as there are a lot of great reviews for this book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews