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Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite
The Departed is book one in the Departed Series by Kristy Cooper. When sixteen-year-old Gwen Byron’s best friend, Lana Foster, doesn’t answer her text messages one morning, she assumes that Lana has been grounded by her very strict parents. Later that day at school, however, Gwen learns that hundreds of thousands of people had disappeared in the middle of the night across the globe, allegedly without any explanation or indication of foul play. Gwen and her friends, Mindy Winters and Isaiah Leonard, decide to skip school and go to Lana’s home, where they discover that Lana’s entire family is among those who have gone missing. Conspiracy theorists come out in vast numbers, citing everything from kidnapping to alien abduction, but the truth is far more sinister than they could ever have imagined, and so outlandish that even the police refuse to believe it, resulting in all three teens fighting for their lives and those of the people they love.
Such a perfect execution of wit and dry humor, entwined with drama, mystery and intrigue. I could not help but laugh out loud at the fun, yet honest relationship that Gwen has with her parents. With so many people having disappeared, the emotional spiral of those who have lost loved ones becomes quickly evident. Kristy Cooper has delivered a tale which brings forth every person’s worst nightmare of losing those who they are closest to, not only without warning but without explanation. The light-hearted tone at the beginning of the story quickly transforms into one of darkness, shock and terror as people are desperate for answers. The Departed is the perfect beginning to an epic thriller which I enjoyed immensely and I cannot wait to read the follow-up books in the series. I recommend The Departed to readers who enjoy their sci-fi adventure laced with humor, love, drama, hope, loss and determination to get to the truth ... and come out of it alive.
