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Missing Matthew
Matthew Stein is a recent arrival in a small town. Nobody really cares where he came from or even that he's showed up, except maybe Winifred (Freddie) Zoron, who's in Matthew's class and who also happens to belong to the Rebel Rescue Squad. When Matthew doesn't make it home after school one day, the evening news reports that he's been kidnapped. What could have happened? Where could he have gone? It takes the initiative of the Rebel Rescue Squad to really get the search underway. Weasel, the squad's fearless leader as well as Freddie's best friend, soon discovers that most of the assumptions about the boy's disappearance are wrong. The rescuers have to deal with a far more challenging mystery than expected - a mystery that lies at the center of the adult relationships in the town. Missing Matthew is by turns hilarious, thoughtful, poignant and ultimately wise about the ways in which kids relate to one another and to the adults in their lives. Throughout, Kristyn Dunnion, a hip and cheeky new writer, charms you with her in-your-face attitude and savvy insights into kids' lives.
112 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2002
9 people want to read
About the author
Kristyn Dunnion
11 books33 followersKristyn Dunnion's academic pedigree is matched only by her punk credentials. She studied English and Theatre at McGill and holds a Masters in English. She's also the bass player for a dykemetal band called Heavy Filth and is known to host burlesque parties and drag king shows.
She currently lives in Toronto.
She currently lives in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 17, 2020
Sometimes, the search leads to so much more.
Rockwell is a small town. So small, in fact, that you can walk from the Welcome to Rockwell sign to the Goodbye Rockwell sign that marks the end of town. The community is close and quiet, and hardly anything interesting ever happens there. So, when ten-year-old Matthew Stein is kidnapped, the Rockwell residents are appalled. Who has done this? Why has this happened? Who even was this child? A surge of panic takes over the adults, and strict safety regulations are quickly put into place. Children cannot walk home alone, there is a stern curfew of eight o’clock, and police cars prowl up and down the streets at night.
People talk about poor Matthew and the unimaginable fear he must be feeling. What they don’t talk about is the fact that before he was kidnapped, Matthew was virtually invisible. They don’t remember that Matthew was new to town, or that he was originally from Maine. They don’t know that he always wore a pink scarf to school, and they definitely didn’t notice him being bullied every day. Nobody contemplates these things; no one except Freddie Zoron.
Freddie is a classmate of Matthew, and she is quite possibly his only friend. The news of Matthew’s disappearance leaves Freddie distraught, and she can’t seem to stop thinking about him. When she confides in her closest confidant, Weasel, about Matthew’s predicament, Weasel decides this is the perfect new adventure for their friend group. They decide to save Matthew Stein and bring him home.
As the girls launch their own investigation, they make fascinating discoveries. They soon realize that Matthew’s situation is not what it seems. The mystery of his disappearance is tangled in an emotional web of lies, secrets, and heartache. The girls’ quest allows them to learn things about Matthew that no one ever recognized. Matthew’s home life and mental health may have been worse than he let on. As the group stumbles closer to the truth, they discover that Matthew’s future might be connected to the town’s past. Can the girls solve the riddle of Matthew’s disappearance and fix a broken family? Or is the predicament too serious for them to be of any help? Discover Missing Matthew today, and unravel the mystery for yourself.
Missing Matthew isn’t what it seems to be. If you read the plot summary of the novel and assumed that it was a story that surrounds the kidnapping of a boy named Matthew Stein, you would be incorrect. The reality of the book involves a much more emotional and bittersweet narrative, not a thrilling mystery. The story portrays delicate subjects, has humorous and suspenseful elements that add to its entertainment value, and is suffused with plot twists. Although the story may not be what you originally anticipated, the book is still very captivating.
As mentioned before, the setting of the novel takes place in the small town of Rockwell. The general environment of the town is that of a southern or country landscape. As the characters have numerous escapades around the town, we are given detailed insight into the beauty and allure of the rural area. If you have a penchant for books with southern aesthetics, you will greatly enjoy the ambiance of Missing Matthew.
A key feature of the novel is its energetic and humorous characters that provide stark contrast with the serious subject material. The book is told from the observations of Freddie Zoron. Freddie is a young girl and views the world from an endearingly juvenile perspective. Her clumsy disposition and blunt remarks are a source of comedy throughout the novel.
Another comical character is Weasel. Weasel’s brash and mischievous personality causes quite a bit of trouble in the book. Her impulsive and accident-prone ideas induce constant action. A major conflict occurs between Freddie and Weasel, as Freddie begins to doubt her blind faith in Weasel’s leadership and starts to view her as an equal. This subplot discusses a topic that is not often written about. It shows the gradual process of growing up, and it expresses how children no longer view people they once idolized as their heroes.
Perhaps the most charming character in the book is Jellybean. As the youngest sister of Freddie, she completes the friend group. Freddie often discerns Jellybean’s amiable nature and comments on her good social graces. These are only a few of the wonderful characters in Missing Matthew.
This book is a very light read. Chapters are often brief, and the plot progresses quickly. Since the story is narrated by Freddie, a ten-year-old girl, the vocabulary is easy and understandable. Anyone who is ten years of age or older should enjoy this moving story.
At its core, this is a touching tale of grief, loss, and family matters. This book doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of losing someone you care about. It displays the messy emotions and soul-crushing struggles that people experience in these situations. It doesn’t attempt to sugar-coat how disheartening loss can truly be, and yet it somehow manages to give the reader an optimistic outlook for the future. Despite how bleak the past may seem, there is always hope for the future, and we are never truly alone. For its soul-stirring and poignant message, Missing Matthew is deserving of five stars.
Reviewed by Tessa H., age 14, Oklahoma Central Mensa
Rockwell is a small town. So small, in fact, that you can walk from the Welcome to Rockwell sign to the Goodbye Rockwell sign that marks the end of town. The community is close and quiet, and hardly anything interesting ever happens there. So, when ten-year-old Matthew Stein is kidnapped, the Rockwell residents are appalled. Who has done this? Why has this happened? Who even was this child? A surge of panic takes over the adults, and strict safety regulations are quickly put into place. Children cannot walk home alone, there is a stern curfew of eight o’clock, and police cars prowl up and down the streets at night.
People talk about poor Matthew and the unimaginable fear he must be feeling. What they don’t talk about is the fact that before he was kidnapped, Matthew was virtually invisible. They don’t remember that Matthew was new to town, or that he was originally from Maine. They don’t know that he always wore a pink scarf to school, and they definitely didn’t notice him being bullied every day. Nobody contemplates these things; no one except Freddie Zoron.
Freddie is a classmate of Matthew, and she is quite possibly his only friend. The news of Matthew’s disappearance leaves Freddie distraught, and she can’t seem to stop thinking about him. When she confides in her closest confidant, Weasel, about Matthew’s predicament, Weasel decides this is the perfect new adventure for their friend group. They decide to save Matthew Stein and bring him home.
As the girls launch their own investigation, they make fascinating discoveries. They soon realize that Matthew’s situation is not what it seems. The mystery of his disappearance is tangled in an emotional web of lies, secrets, and heartache. The girls’ quest allows them to learn things about Matthew that no one ever recognized. Matthew’s home life and mental health may have been worse than he let on. As the group stumbles closer to the truth, they discover that Matthew’s future might be connected to the town’s past. Can the girls solve the riddle of Matthew’s disappearance and fix a broken family? Or is the predicament too serious for them to be of any help? Discover Missing Matthew today, and unravel the mystery for yourself.
Missing Matthew isn’t what it seems to be. If you read the plot summary of the novel and assumed that it was a story that surrounds the kidnapping of a boy named Matthew Stein, you would be incorrect. The reality of the book involves a much more emotional and bittersweet narrative, not a thrilling mystery. The story portrays delicate subjects, has humorous and suspenseful elements that add to its entertainment value, and is suffused with plot twists. Although the story may not be what you originally anticipated, the book is still very captivating.
As mentioned before, the setting of the novel takes place in the small town of Rockwell. The general environment of the town is that of a southern or country landscape. As the characters have numerous escapades around the town, we are given detailed insight into the beauty and allure of the rural area. If you have a penchant for books with southern aesthetics, you will greatly enjoy the ambiance of Missing Matthew.
A key feature of the novel is its energetic and humorous characters that provide stark contrast with the serious subject material. The book is told from the observations of Freddie Zoron. Freddie is a young girl and views the world from an endearingly juvenile perspective. Her clumsy disposition and blunt remarks are a source of comedy throughout the novel.
Another comical character is Weasel. Weasel’s brash and mischievous personality causes quite a bit of trouble in the book. Her impulsive and accident-prone ideas induce constant action. A major conflict occurs between Freddie and Weasel, as Freddie begins to doubt her blind faith in Weasel’s leadership and starts to view her as an equal. This subplot discusses a topic that is not often written about. It shows the gradual process of growing up, and it expresses how children no longer view people they once idolized as their heroes.
Perhaps the most charming character in the book is Jellybean. As the youngest sister of Freddie, she completes the friend group. Freddie often discerns Jellybean’s amiable nature and comments on her good social graces. These are only a few of the wonderful characters in Missing Matthew.
This book is a very light read. Chapters are often brief, and the plot progresses quickly. Since the story is narrated by Freddie, a ten-year-old girl, the vocabulary is easy and understandable. Anyone who is ten years of age or older should enjoy this moving story.
At its core, this is a touching tale of grief, loss, and family matters. This book doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of losing someone you care about. It displays the messy emotions and soul-crushing struggles that people experience in these situations. It doesn’t attempt to sugar-coat how disheartening loss can truly be, and yet it somehow manages to give the reader an optimistic outlook for the future. Despite how bleak the past may seem, there is always hope for the future, and we are never truly alone. For its soul-stirring and poignant message, Missing Matthew is deserving of five stars.
Reviewed by Tessa H., age 14, Oklahoma Central Mensa
September 8, 2012
I read Dunnion's second book first and I really enjoyed it. Missing Matthew is a young adult book about a kid who is reported missing and feared kidnapped. Then, a few kids in the neighbourhood find him hiding out. The book is about the adventure to find him and why he's hiding in the first place. I felt a little let down by the ending and the voice was lacking a bit.
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April 29, 2015I
s good book I like
s good book I like
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews