Every now and then I return to my YA roots. Maybe its the longing for a time in life that seems much simpler than now, the excitement of first loves, or the lessons we learn on the path to adulthood. Like all the different genres of fiction there are terrible YA books, as there are terrible books in the literary fiction section of the bookshop. Meg Rosoff seems to be able to build the bridge between YA fiction and adult fiction in writing books that can be enjoyed by an audience of both. I read Rosoff’s first three books as and when they were published. I started with How I Live Now after it had been given a glowing review in The Sunday Times back in 2004 and deservedly so. It has been subsequently made into a movie reviewed on the site recently. After seeing the movie, it sparked my interest in reading some more YA and I subsequently got a copy of her new book Picture Me Gone and read it in two days.

Picture Me Gone is the story of 12 year old Mila who has travelled from London to the US in search of her father’s best friend Matthew who has gone missing, leaving his wife, baby son and beloved dog behind. Mila is a very perceptive and empathetic teenager and can read the emotions of others, therefore collecting clues to the reason behind Matthew’s disappearance. There are some very adult themes in the book, the loss of a child, the fragility of a marriage after this loss, the exploration of extra marital affairs and the relationship between parents and children. It reads like a thriller as Mila and her father, Gil, travel from New York to the Canadian border on a manhunt and keeps the reader gripped to the very end. For the teenage reader it explores the complexities of teenage friendships and the burgeoning first relationship. It’s an ideal gift for the teenager in your life. It has recently been shortlisted for the National Book Award’s Young People’s Literature Award and is a very strong contender. It is a thoughtful coming of age tale that is enjoyable for young and old alike.