Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan

Flap copy from paperback:
"It was the summer of her Chevette, of J.P., and letting her hair grow. It is also the summer when, without warning, college-bound Kim Larsen disappears from her quiet Lake Erie town. As time passes and local search parties give way to wider television appearances, private investigations unearth dirty secrets, those closest to Kim struggle to maintain hope and, finally, as the news cameras turn away, to hang onto both her and themselves."

This is a powerful novel about any parent's worst nightmare- the sudden dissapearance of a child. O'Nan focuses on the effect that disappearance has on the people left behind- the anxious parents, the bewildered sister, the guilt-ridden friends. As the police investigation and search stall, the Larsen family graducally faces the possibility that they might never find an answer to what happened to Kim on that summer afternoon. The story is both poignant and terrifying- a truly excellent read. Highly recommended!