Boy, Missing: World Book Day 2022

by Sophie McKenzie

An adrenaline-fuelled race against time for World Book Day, from the Queen of teen thrillers and author of Girl, Missing, million-copy selling Sophie McKenzie.   Cousins Ellen and Harlan have been forced to go on a family camping trip – the worst timing ever, because they’re in a huge fight.  So Ellen is happy when Harlan storms off into the woods, but her peace and quiet quickly turns to panic when he doesn’t come back.  Facing heart-stopping danger on the clifftops, will Ellen be able to find Harlan before it’s too late?  

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Fiction, Short Stories, Contemporary

124 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2022

About the author

Hey there! Welcome to my Goodreads page where you can keep up with all my stories - both the ones that are already published and the works in progress!!

I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.

I'm really excited right now because of...

Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)


For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com

Reviews

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fast paced and heart pounding read that I’m sure will have inspired many young new readers this world book day.

[Rebecca Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars 🌟

I got this for free in a book order, its short so decided to just give it a go.

It was alright, nice short read. Nothing bad to say about it. A good average book.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how at the start they fight then they get back together then they fall out again then they get back together it all sums up that it is a very adventurous story

[india ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you expected something like “Girl, Missing”, then I’d thoroughly recommend NOT reading this book. This book is nothing compared to it. It was alright, but the book felt a bit… over-the-top. The title is extremely misleading, considering that it is basically like “Girl, Missing”, and they are 2 completely separate books. “G,M” had this sort of tension, that made you want to read more and find out what happens. This book was just plain (it is the best word to describe it). I gave it 3 stars because it was OK, but I don’t think I’ll be recommending this.

07/05/2022: As I am updating my Goodreads account, I decided that I will change the rating of this book to 2.5 stars. It is super forgettable, and it is a poor representation of Sophie McKenzie's amazing thriller/crime books.

[Kirstie Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is a quick read, I am very surprised that this took me under an hour to read!
Can definitely tell this is aimed at a younger reader (YA) but I actually really enjoyed it.
It didn't go into loads of detail which you would expect in a quick read, but enough happened in it it to keep my attention throughout.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, though the main story is very different to what the title or blurb suggests. It was quite predictable and boring, not much of a suspense atmosphere was felt, but ok for a one time read.

[karla_bookishlife · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A fast read produced for zworld Book Day 2022. Harlan and Ellie are cousins and best friends, but during a family camp, Harlan goes off in anger and doesn't return. Ellie goes in search and they both end up in a perilous situation. There is a tense and heart-pounding climax. Perfect adrenaline read for teens.

[HJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Definitely for a younger audience as I feel it would mean more to middle grade readers but it was a short and sweet world book day read!

[Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a nice book would recommend x

[Bookalicious-Inc · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆

Fun and quick breezy read, with some cameos from the Girl Missing series. Love Sophie's writing style 👌

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good and easy to read. It was super fast paced and the characters were good. :)
Also it was cool reading about jam and Lauren again.

[Siân · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️s

[Imogen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read although it’s short to fit into the book day size. It’s more aimed towards younger readers but still good, very easy to read and an easy to grasp story line.

[paige Agar · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book wasnt the best as it was a book day book. It was very boring with no point and its boy and girl missing not just boy?

[Annabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3*
Quick read. It was not as good as Girl Missing, but it was still a good read.

Ellie and Harleen were camping with their families, and while they went out for the day, they were left to clear up. Following an argument, Harleen and his dog go into the woods and fall into the quarry. There marks the rest of the book in which Ellie goes searching for him, falls into the quarry and then gets stuck in a cave after it begins to rain. They then have to find their way out. Essentially, this is used to bring them together again as friends. I would say both characters were annoying at times as both take ages to realise how their actions and words can impact the other. I was also left wondering if they would ever go back into the cave to go down Ellie's root in case it was some discovery. They did not. However, had the book been longer, there would have been more scope to do something with this cave.

[FeedMyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family camping trip sees Ellen trying to figure out why her cousin who has always been her best friend is suddenly being off with her but when he suddenly seems to have disappeared whilst the rest of the family are away from the campsite she must put aside their differences and try to be brave so that she can ensure her cousin is safe.

This book is well written and delivers a good overall story. I didn't feel too much worry during the story as things unfolded but as this is aimed at younger readers I felt this to be the right level of "danger" for them rather than trying to overdo it and make it feel uncomfortable.

Overall I think this is a good introduction to the author and a way to see if younger readers are going to be able to cope with somewhat complex situations like when someone goes missing.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie and her family have gone camping in the woods. As her parents and aunt go to get supplies from nearby shops she is left in charge of cleaning up the camp with her cousin Harlan.
Usually she and Harlan are best friends, but he's gone very cruel and distant lately. When he disappears from the camp Ellie breaks her fathers rules and goes searching for him.

It's an action packed ride filled with danger and although short it was perfect for me right now as I needed a nice distraction from the real world.
I really enjoyed this one, and highly recommend this, or any of Sophie Mckenzies other works.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I brought this for £1 when I saw it available for world book day, I have enjoyed Sophie Mckenzie's books in the past and saw it was a bit of a play off to the 'Girl Missing' series so I decided to pick it up as the story was under 100 pages! I do think this is obviously written for more child based audiences but I think if you loved Girl Missing you could appreciate the sentiment with it following Lauren and Jam's daughter on her own adventure. I enjoyed the story, it had a fast paced plot and was a short and sweet read! It was nice hearing about Jam and Lauren again now compared to when they were younger in the previous novels!

[Melissa Chugg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected it to be to be honest, I thought it would have something to do with the Purditts, but instead it was about some random family. I think it shouldn’t have the same title as the other books in the missing series as it gives people the impression it is about the characters.
However, ignoring that, it was a great story; the plot was interesting and I loved the characters. Sophie McKenzie managed to add fear, danger, love and drama all in one short story. This is definitely worth reading

[Ruby Welsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as a quick time waster as I was insanely bored. The grammar and presentation of the book was quite strange and off-putting but the story was quite good. It had various different plot twists and it did successfully completely immerse the reader. Due to the short nature of the book, there was not enough time for character development but it was done quite successfully. I would not heavily recommend this book as the plot twists were fairly predictable however it did keep me entertained for a short while.

Overall: 2 stars.

[Between The Pages (Gemma M) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this author and this is a perfect little read for readers who are busy, lost their mojo or have babies like me. It is just under 100 pages but a gripping, thrilling, race against time survival story set in the middle of nowhere on a camping trip. Perfect for YA readers. It includes a dog, who doesn't love dogs? Enjoyed this one and it took me under an hour to devour it. Would recommend. I Award four out of five stars.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Even thought it was short it was amazing. I love how the title had 2 meanings and it included both meanings in this book. It was amazing. Even though its was 99 pages long I read it in under an hour since I was so interested in the book. This is more than I expected for a World Book Day. But it does say on the book that it's not suitable for young readers

[Julian]

The worst book I ever picked up in my life! I detested it so much and regret reading it! Don't waste your time! First of all, a horrible sequel to Girl, missing by the same author. The boy doesn't go "missing" as the title suggests - they get stuck - and it is pure clickbait but manifested in book form!

[Chelsea May xxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main 2 characters In this book really annoyed me at some parts of the story sadly. The characters are so well written but you don’t get to know them that well and you don’t get that character building to learn about them. The plot of the story was interesting and well written but some bits did really bore me. Overall good plot of the story. Xxx

[Mic Villamayor · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐✨

A good heart-warming 40-minute read.

It's a nice little thriller for kids and I liked how the story was able to tackle the typical woes of a teenager cleverly interwoven with the action/thriller element of the story.

It is quite short so the characters aren't that developed but the message was driven across just the same.

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t read Girl, Missing in years, but when I decided on a whim to buy a load of old WBD books, I thought I’d pick it up. It was a complete narrative with plenty of suspense, considering the book length, and a nice quick read for a morning. Ellen was irritating as a protagonist, but I sense that’s intentional - it’s quite difficult to squeeze a full character arc into 100 pages!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick read that's packed with action. Took me a day - in between tasks - to read and still had me hooked. Doesn't go into a lot of detail but it is a short story. Loved the added touch that its based around Lauren and Jam's (from the Missing Series) child.

[Matteo · Rating 2 out of 5]

didn't really enjoy it. i know it was a world book day book but it felt rushed and not very carefully written. i dont know. maybe because im reading a huge book right now this one felt weird and scrawny. was okay though.

[Auro Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute!

It has enough mystery and suspense in 100 pages and it was entertaining!

It is the first Sophie McKenzie book that I read and I now understand why it is so popular amongst young readers!

[Elliot Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for the target age, what it did very well was downplay the severe situation they were in by making the kids fuss about their emotions over a totally irrelevant "so and so doesn't like me" scenario, when they quite literally could've died.