You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

You Were Here by Cori McCarthy - This YA novel features a group of troubled teens who bond loosely post high school graduation and tell this story from varied perspectives.  One, Jaycee, is still mourning her older daredevil brother (Jake) who died in a freak accident several years ago.  Another is Mik, the brother’s friend who is selectively mute, and then there is Natalie, Jaycee’s former BFF, and Natalie’s boyfriend, Zach and his artistic friend, Bishop. They set out to follow clues left behind by Jake – in some ways reminiscent of the Scooby-Doo crew, but grief and loss are pervasive. There is much less humor and often more physical danger as their urban explorations and adventures continue.

One aspect which is rather unique are the drawings and illustrations, some graphic novel in style, which relate to certain characters and are interspersed throughout the quest. You Were Here is a longer book (almost 400 pages) that takes a while to build suspense, but should appeal to fans (grades 10 and up per School Library Journal) of realistic fiction and mysteries. You Were Here by Cori McCarthy received starred reviews from Voya and Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.