Starred review from June 10, 2024
Debut author Reno, who is Cherokee, dives into issues regarding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis through the lens of one child who was left to wonder where her loved one has gone. Twelve-year-old Wren, who is white and Cherokee, is “good at finding things for people.” The only thing she can’t locate is her Cherokee mother, who disappeared five years ago. “So very sick of having nothing but questions,” she instead starts a business locating lost pets (“Her real talent,
her real sweet spot, was missing pets”), calling upon her strength as a member of the Wolf Clan, the “protectors,” for help. She soon discovers that pets are being viciously killed in the small town of
Gibson, Okla., and vows to
bring the
perpetrator to justice, a plan
she keeps from her white police sheriff father and her maternal grandmother.
It’s only when she’s assigned a class project with a schoolmate that Wren gains an ally in
her investigation. Via crisp prose, Reno meshes plot threads involving abandoned shelter pets and a mystery surrounding a locator on Wren’s grandmother’s keys, which emphasize the futility Wren feels
in trying to find someone who seems unreachable. Ages 10–up.
August 1, 2024
A story of persistence and family love emphasizing respect for animals, elders, and cultural customs. Twelve-year-old Wren, who's Cherokee and white, has exceptional tracking skills. Her family seems to have a knack for detective work; her dad's the town's police chief, after all. Even though her mom vanished over five years ago, Wren remains determined to find her. But her mom is just one of the many Indigenous women in Oklahoma who have gone missing, and Wren feels pain and frustration that no one is doing more about this tragedy. Wren follows her maternal grandmother Elisi's advice to use her "finder feelings" to reunite missing pets with their owners. During a school project, she and class partner Brantley uncover an animal mystery and work together to find the criminal. Relying on her Wolf Clan knowledge, Wren recognizes her responsibility to protect animals, herself, and others. Debut author Reno (Cherokee) offers readers a powerful story that explores heart-wrenching themes, including Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, animal torture, child abuse, and bullying. Informative backmatter expands on the epidemic of MMIWG and the meaning of the red handprint symbol, as well as Cherokee history in the book's setting of Fort Gibson. Elisi is a source of guidance, humor, and comfort to Wren. After a slower start, the mystery unfolds, and once Wren is in pursuit of the culprit (with help from Brantley), the story takes off and will grip readers. A dramatic and captivating call for attention. (author's note)(Fiction. 10-14)
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August 1, 2024
Gr 5 Up-Wren is a ghost of who she used to be. Five years ago her mother disappeared without a trace. Every day Wren searches for clues through her police chief dad, online searches, and the MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls) movement database. Her elisi (Cherokee for grandmother) is a source of comfort, but there is still something missing. When animals start being hurt and killed, Wren decides to put her research skills to work and find out who is behind the crimes. With her new friend Brantley, she follows the leads until they realize that the person committing these acts may be closer to home than either of them thought. With the backdrop of the Cherokee tribal land in Oklahoma, this book brings into focus the epidemic of missing Indigenous women across the United States in an age-appropriate way. So many of these families, just like Wren's, are given no answers to what happened to their loved ones. Although written for middle schoolers, Reno's debut does not shy away from the truth. With a mystery to solve, students will want to follow Wren on her quest for justice. VERDICT Cherokee writer Reno crafts a powerful debut centering an important issue affecting Indigenous women and families; a strong purchase for all middle schools.-Heather Lassley
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2025
Wren, a bicultural seventh grader, lives with uncertainty and grief after the disappearance five years earlier of her mother, who is Cherokee. Wren's single-mindedness about solving that mystery borders on obsession until Elisi (her grandmother) channels the girl's "finding" skills to locating missing pets in their Oklahoma town. Wren is helped along by access to information provided by (or stolen from) her white dad, a rule-following police chief. Her new friend Brantley enthusiastically jumps into the investigation, with surprising results. The crimes committed against animals allude to those perpetrated against Native women, allowing Reno (Cherokee Nation) to speak to children on their level while not eliding the horror of abuse and murder. This novel lends itself to discussion of many complex topics: Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, child abuse, bullying, grief, historic events such as the Trail of Tears; and on the positive side, Native American religions and traditions, the Cherokee language and its revitalization, and tribal sovereignty. It's also simply a good murder mystery, with suspense, foreshadowing, allusion, and believable plot points (and even some humor), successfully walking the line between an authentic portrayal of the dark side of human nature and accessible writing for tweens and young teens. Lara K. Aase
(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)